Snow Lake via Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, Rock Creek

Move completed on Saturday, a morning without boxes was needed.

Kevin, Dave and I headed out to the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River for a little run, taking the Middle Fork trail up to the junction with Rock Creek and then up to Snow Lake. While many people take the shorter approach from Alpental on the south, this route includes a lot of old growth on a nice valley river trail and the awesome Rock Creek basin with the impressive falls.

CONDITIONS
The Middle Fork trail is in good shape with a few muddy patches, a couple of creek crossings and a work crew using two weed whackers and a machete to clear brush (three or four miles in from the trailhead). Rock Creek has a couple of blowdowns (nothing too onerous), moderate brush through the upper rock slides and patches of snow over the last third of a mile to Snow Lake, which still is completely snowbound.

Early creek crossing

Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River

Rock Creek trail junction, ~8 miles in

Getting out of the trees toward Snow Lake

Rock Creek Falls

Decently brushy through the middle-upper portions

Looking back down the Rock Creek valley toward the Middle Fork

Still some snowy sections before the lake

Dave, me and Kevin at Snow Lake

Cool colors from the melt

Old growth back on the Middle Fork

Heading back to the car

My GPS cut out for a large chunk, but Kevin's worked just fine: 24.1 miles, 5500'.

Thanks guys!