Note: this was a bikepacking trip on our cx bikes, not hiking. We set out from Snoqualmie on Saturday at about 4pm and rode up to Rattlesnake Lake to jump on the John Wayne/Iron Horse. The segment from the trailhead to the Snoqualmie tunnel is well graded, and you hardly feel like you're climbing. This was the best maintained segment for riding since it was more compact with less loose gravel, but it did make for wet conditions. We encountered a serious rainstorm on the way up, and by the time we got to the tunnel it was dark and were soaked through. Headlights came out for the tunnel and the rest of the ride. After getting through the tunnel we looped back up to the pass to get a cup of coffee, then descended the John Wayne down to the backcountry camp at Cold Creek. It was about 8:30pm at this point and the rain wasn't letting up. Our shelter was a bit flimsy and we endured a very wet night in the mud. The backcountry camp here is pretty nice, with 3 sites that I could see. Each was nicely leveled with good drainage (thankfully). The only downside to the camp was the incredibly smelly vault toilet facility. In the morning we awoke to find the rain had stopped and we continued east on the John Wayne. This stretch has much softer gravel and riding is a bit slower than on the west side of the pass. We rode until we reached Stampede Pass Road and took that up into the mountains. The loop off the John Wayne consisted of 3 pass climbs, including Tacoma and Stampede Passes and a loop from Lester back on FS 52. Great loop for riding with lots of climbing. After finishing the loop we jumped back on the John Wayne and rode it back to North Bend for a beer and food. The trail is in good condition for riding or hiking, and we saw more hikers than bikers overall. Great overnight bikepack that ultimately was a lot of suffering, but well worth enduring the rain and neverending pass climbing. Would do it again! Total trip was 111 miles, 7,500 feet of climbing.

I feel like it's cheating to write about a bike ride on WTA, but whatever - here goes. My hope was to start from Lake Easton around exit 71, but getting a late start (not until around 3:30pm), we opted to start from exit 62 (Stampede Pass) and bike west-bound to Rattlesnake Lake (exit 32), where we left our shuttle car for a total of about 30 miles. The trail is in great shape, and it's gorgeous all throughout; bugs weren't a problem, and we saw just one snake sunbathing on the trail. Plenty of picnic tables, vault toilets, and campsites along the way. Starting at exit 62 gave us the opportunity to ride alongside Lake Keechelus, so we took the opportunity to walk down to the water and check it out (photo attached). The tunnel was incredibly cool - but also very cold, and very dark. We happened to leave both our flashlights and sweaters in the car. Our only option was to use my cell phone's flashlight, which worked, but just barely. I wouldn't have attempted it without any source of light. I was surprised at how easy of a ride it was. I'm in shape for sure, but I didn't feel out of breath even once - and my waterbottle was still full at the end of the 30 miles. Coming from the east, it's a very gentle (hardly even noticeable) 10 miles uphill to Hyak, and then downhill (again, very gentle) to Rattlesnake. Great for families, the elderly, the out-of-shape... everyone! Very few people on the trail - we saw a total of maybe 6 other groups in our 30 miles. All-in-all a great ride. I'm looking forward to setting my alarm for something ridiculous like 6am and doing the full 110 miles one day soon.

Sorry about the "snow conditions"- really, the drop down needs more choices. I chose this trail because it's winter, the Lake Easton area is groomed for skiing (also has snowmobiling on separate track, and play areas for families). So I wanted a snow covered-trail, and I got it. It was really gusty and cold when I drove through Snoqualmie Pass early in the morning, but only lightly breezy when I arrived at the Lake Easton sno-park. There were only a couple cars there, so my morning was very peaceful. The grooming is immaculate, and the grade is perfect for new skiers or folks trying out snowshoe walking. I had skiied at Cabin Creek the day before, again peacefully early in the day, especially since I-90 was closed both directions for tree removal at 9 a.m; in that case, no car sounds anywhere from the trails until it reopened! I backtracked to check out the closed bridge and watched a RR maintenance vehicle pass by on the tracks along the Yakima River. I continued toward Iron Horse State Park, finally crossing the open (postholed) bridge. Standing in the sun, I saw a hawk and two bald eagles soar overhead. People started to arrive later, perhaps because the Hyak Sno-Park was full, according to the freeway reader board. All in all a pleasant morning wandering around taking pictures of icicles and bridges and snow.

9/13 We started our three-day jaunt from the Cedar Falls trailhead. There were not a lot of others on the trail so the walk was quiet. The state was doing some maintenance here and there but shut down their equipment to let us pass. We hiked to Carter Creek camp where we set up for the night. I would like to thank the state for the great facilities along the trail. 9/14 We started for the Snoqualmie Tunnel in the fog. We were the only ones on the trail until we neared the tunnel where the bicycle traffic began to pick up. The hour trek through the tunnel was wet. When we exited in Hyak, the sun was beginning to break through. We continued until we reached Roaring Creek campground. My Green Trails map shows the camp is located on Roaring Creek. It isn’t, it’s about ¼ mile east of the creek. 9/15 We woke to an Elk bugling nearby. That was cool. We headed out for Easton. We met many people using this section of the trail. Once we reached Easton, we headed for the store on Railroad Avenue to wait for our ride.