A walk in the wilderness

Published 2:01 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Snoqualmie Valley is a mecca of local trails, offering a multitude of choices to get out and experience nature.

Many outdoor enthusiasts are familiar with the most well-known trails, such as the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, which extends from Iron Horse State Park to McCormick Park in Duvall, the Mount Si Trail and the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail.

Seattle and Bellevue-area residents can often be found here on weekends. Elizabeth Lunney, director of the Washington Trail Association (WTA), said Valley trails provide a close-to-home getaway for King County residents, as well those seeking year-round recreation.

“Because of its proximity to the area, you can be in the Middle Fork Valley in under an hour,” Lunney said.

This is evident on hikes such as the Denny Creek Trail, along which thousands of people trek. But there are other trails, including user-built ones, that offer equally breathtaking views but donOt receive as much traffic.

Farther east of Snoqualmie and North Bend, off Exit 45 on I-90, is the Banana Ridge Trail, also known as the west arm of Mount Defiance Trail.

Banana Ridge is the informal name for the one-mile ridge that extends west of Mount Defiance. After leaving Exit 45 go left (north) under the freeway and follow Forest Service Road 9030 for one mile. At the junction in the road, continue straight on F.S. Road 9031, and after 3.8 miles you reach the Mason Lake trailhead.

From the trailhead, take the main trail about one-fourth mile until it doglegs to the right. Split off the main trail by heading straight and stay on the well-kept path that leads uphill. At about a mile from the trailhead, at 2,750 feet elevation, take the right uphill trail at the fork. Once you reach about 2,900 feet feet, stay to the east of the stream that runs alternately above and below ground. You will notice orange and pink markers along the way.

At 3,700 feet elevation, the trail connects with the grassy slopes of Banana Ridge. To the right you will find a hill called Big Banana, and to the left, Mount Defiance. You can also head straight up another 2,000 feet to the highest point of the ridge and take in the views of the Cascade Mountains, Glacier Peak to the north, Spider Lake nestled below and Mount Rainier to the south.

The Dingford Creek Trail is just off Exit 34. Turn left onto Edgewick Road and follow it to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road. Turn right and drive 16 miles past F.S. Road 5620. The road becomes bumpy for the next six miles and will eventually lead to the Dingford Creek trailhead and a wide area in the road that serves as a parking lot.

The trail is popular with fisherman planning to visit Myrtle Lake. It leads to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area through old-growth forest filled with Douglas fir and hemlock. After two miles, the trail crosses Goat Creek and splits into several branches. Here you will find two large hemlock trees and, subsequently, two great places to eat lunch. The trail forks again at 3.2 miles and heads toward Hester Lake to the right, which is not used often and can be very muddy.

Leave the trail and head across Dingford Creek. Hop over a few rocks to a trail that is marked by skunk cabbage growing close by. It will gain elevation on its way to Hester Lake, and there you will see Alaskan cedar and silver-fir trees. Eventually you will come upon a sign nailed to a tree indicating that Hester Lake is just ahead. After following a boot-beaten path and a few short switchbacks, the lake comes into view. Across the lake there are a few secluded campsites, perfect for viewing the pristine calm of Myrtle Lake.

Residents of North Bend don’t have to go very far for the Mailbox Peak Trail. Located off Exit 34 on I-90, it can be reached by turning left onto 468th Avenue Southeast and then right onto Southeast Middle Fork Road. Follow the road until you reach the stop sign and make a left turn. A clearcut marks the beginning of the trail, with parking on the left side of the road. After parking, take the gravel road that is blocked by a white gate.

Lunney said she enjoyed hiking this trail, despite its uphill challenge.

“It’s not an official trail,” Lunney said. “It goes straight up, and it’s in pretty bad shape. ItOs not maintained by the Forest Service, and it’s getting harder and harder to hike. [But], it’s an adventure.” The eight-mile hike starts at 800 feet elevation and gains 4,041 more feet. When you reach the “Y” in the road, look to your left for the unmarked trailhead that should be just past the clearcut. If you come to a stream passing through a culvert, you have gone too far.

Once on the trail you will pass second-growth forest. Farther along the trail and after a stream, head to the left and up into a series of short, steep switchbacks that zig-zag back and forth. The area is devoid of trees, and hikers will trot through grass, huckleberry and shrubs before eventually making their way to a large rock pile.

The summit is just past the rock pile. You will know you are there when the trail starts to head down instead of up. At another rock pile stands a mailbox that always has mail in it. Hikers take and leave mail for fun, and according to hikerOs reports on the WTA Web site, there is also a “Green Eggs and Ham” book by Dr. Seuss and a registry book to sign once at the top.

“It’s a little bit cultish because there’s a mailbox [and other stuff] at the top,” Lunney said. “But it’s fun.”

Another unique trail in the area leads to Lake Philippa, which is past ErnieOs Grove outside of North Bend. The lake can be reached by heading north on Ballarat. Follow Ballarat until it turns into 420th Avenue Southeast. Turn right on Southeast 102nd Street, then turn left on 428th Avenue Southeast and take it until you arrive at Ernie’s Grove.

At Ernie’s Grove, take the left fork in the road and go 12.7 miles, where youOll find a parking area. Lake Philippa is a big, subalpine lake set in a deep forested bowl broken by low cliffs. Follow the gated trail for one-half mile and cross the bridge over the Philippa Creek. Take a right at the “Y” and at a second “Y” take a left. Go 1.9 miles, and then follow the trail that leads into the woods.

This trail bounces and zig-zags a mile up the east bank of Philippa Creek to the base of a waterfall. At the base of the falls, which is hidden in a gorge, are plumes of spray rising upward. Cross the creek and climb the steep, muddy rock to the trail that leaves the forest and leads to the top of a slope near another waterfall. Here, at about the four-mile mark and re-entering the forest, you will finally arrive at Lake Philippa. Fishing and swimming are available here and there is one established campsite.

The Denny Creek Trail is another alternative adventure, but can be crowded, according to Lunney.

“Denny Creek gets on the order of 40,000 visitors a year, which is an incredible amount of foot traffic. It is pretty clay heavy, so it’s hard to keep [the trail] in shape. It will become a mud hole if you don’t do everything to get the water off as quickly as possible,” Lunney said. “It takes a lot of maintenance to keep it in shape.”

If you don’t mind sharing the trail – or getting a little muddy – it can be reached by taking Exit 47 off I-90. After passing underneath the highway you will come to a OTO in the road. Turn left onto Denny Creek Road (F.S. Road 58) and drive three miles to the Denny Creek Campground. The trailhead and parking lot are just before the campground on the left.

The walking is easy up to the Denny Creek crossing. After crossing the creek, the trail climbs through forest and open hillsides. It can become rougher on the climb toward Keekwulee Falls, but at two miles it flattens out before climbing to Hemlock Pass, which is four miles in. This is the high point of the trail, and it slowly descends to the outlet of lower Melakawa Lake.

From the south end of the lake you can see Melakawa Pass, Kaleetan Peak and Chair Peak. Follow the western edge of the lower lake and you can climb to upper Melakawa Lake to the pass. There you can look