My plan – or hope, at least – was to check out the approach to Rooster Mountain. However, we have contractors at the house today and I waited for them to arrive. I didn’t leave the car to go up the trail until almost 10:30 and, mindful of the traffic coming home, I headed back at what turned out to be the junction of a long-abandoned mining trail called the Rainy Mine Trail. If you look at the track, below, you can see the turnaround point is right next to a little duo of trails heading off to the west (left). I would like to come back and explore. Based on very old trip reports, there may still be some old mining detritus in the area.
This trail, which used to be a road (and, I noticed today, had some truck tracks on it for awhile) goes to Blethen Lake, Cockerel Point, and Rooster Mountain. Other places as well, for those who are fearless explorers. In fact, I have reason to believe that making it up to Rooster Peak is a considerable undertaking. Interesting.
Just under 6 miles (I parked at the Middle Fork parking lot). On the way back I started hearing loud ‘bangs’! As I got close to the bridge over Taylor River, the Snoqualmie Lake Trail parking lot and trail head, I could see a guy just off the trail shooting a target affixed to a tree. I waited for him to stop (what if he misses?) and hurried by.
Needless to say, it is totally illegal to discharge firearms in National Forests, and there we were in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. I hope I do not have to deal with that ever again.
Next time I am on this trail I will wear my heavy leather boots, because after a certain point, the trail becomes super-rocky:
The Quartz Creek Trail intersects the Snoqualmie Lake Trail and whenever you are on that trail, there is the pleasant sound of the Taylor River:
A fun hike. This area is worth some exploring.
Track below.
