Decided to put some miles on the trail today in the Middle Fork. Began from the Snoqualmie Lake TH at 7:30. The trail is pretty uneventful; you can tell that WTA just came and did work, thank you! Trail ran to the jct to Snoqualmie Lake in exactly an hour. Took the left fork and it was all pretty smooth sailing up to the lake. The trail certainly gets muddier and wetter as you get closer. There are a couple of snow patches by the lake that are completely manageable. Had the lake to myself for half an hour before starting down. Saw two others coming up as I headed down.
It was still early, so I decided to check out the first creek crossing to Nordrum Lake since I read a report that said it was sketchy. Wouldn't say it was sketchy in my opinion. Your feet might get wet, but I thought it was manageable.
Stopped at Otter Falls on the way back and it was beautiful as always. Found a pair of prescription glasses at the jct to the falls. I put them on a rock that marks the trail. Hopefully, they are returned to their owner.
Finally, decided to run up to Marten Lake to see what it was like. Attempted it last year around this time and snow and being unable to find the trail made me turn after 1/4 mile. This time though, the trail looks very freshly brushed. Still some clambering over trees and rocks but that's the fun part! The trail is marked with orange tape, so watch for that and it will make life so much easier. The final section up to the lake is very steep, straight up the hillside so be prepared for that. Met Ben and Neil at the lake. So nice to meet you two! Maybe I'll see you on the trail again!
Uneventful run back to the car. As I was heading back several more groups of people were beginning their hikes. Ran some laps in the parking lot to make it an even 20 miles, but overall my run was 19.25 miles with just over 4000 feet of elevation gain. Left at 2pm to get to my 3:30 class. Balancing student life and hiking life is busy but doable!
Comments