Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River

Middle Fork (Snoqualmie River) Trail

Every once in a while we get snobby and jaded, thinking we’ve seen it all.  After all, we’ve been around the world.  We’ve travelled on the Dempster Highway en route to the Arctic Circle.  We know potholes!  So, at times we may take warnings of potholes not as seriously as we should.  Stupid! 

We’ve talked about exploring the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River for quite some time now.  There is a campground, previously used for garbage dumping and target practice, and now closed for road construction, that is in a beautiful setting of Washington forest along the Snoqualmie River.  Surrounding it, there are trails along the Snoqualmie River, with a connector path to the Pratt River and beyond.  To reach the campground and trails, exit off of I-90 near North Bend, traversing a road littered with potholes that should not be dismissed.

The description of the trail sounded perfect:  the grade is gentle, the first few miles of the path are also used by horses and bikes, and after the first ¾ mile, the trail widens, as it was old railroad path used for logging.   All of that seemed ideal for a wheelchair.

Things began nicely.  The trail itself is hard-packed dirt, which was easy to roll over.  In the 1990's, Forest Service volunteers constructed a bridge over the river from the parking lot to the trail, eliminating a questionable river crossing and making the beginning quite accessible.  Unfortunately, things deteriorated from there.  We started out to the left, upstream on the Middle Fork Trail, which quickly became narrow, sloping steeply down to the river, and scattered with large rocks.  We didn’t get very far before being forced to turn around, back to the river.  This time we headed in the opposite direction, downstream toward the Pratt River Trail.  We got a bit further, but once again the trail became narrow, steeply sloped, and rocky.  Despite the best efforts of my able-bodied co-hikers, lifting me over fallen trees and large rocks, we were finally forced to turn around.

Bridge across Snoqualmie River at beginning of trail

Snoqualmie River Middle Fork Trail -- high consequence falls!

Snoqualmie River Middle Fork Trail-- things got rocky

Snoqualmie Middle Fork Trail -- beautiful trail on the flat land

The trail itself was beautiful – in the heart of the forest with a gorgeous meandering river down below.  We found several sour blue- and thimble- berries.  We tried to photograph a red-headed woodpecker near the trail.  There was dripping, green moss all around us on rocks and trees.  But, the trail was impassable for a wheelchair after not very long, so we headed back to the river and found a scenic spot for a delicious picnic instead.  The promise of a cold beer at a local pub aided in the navigation of the potholes on the way out.

Snoqualmie River -- too cold to contemplate

Bellevue

Give me isolated wilderness, or give me a thriving urban scene.  Suburbs, on the other hand, give me the heebie-jeebies.  However, an afternoon in Bellevue, across Lake Washington from Seattle, opened my eyes to a geography of suburban parks with great trails.

We parked at a fruit stand (unfortunately it was closed) and headed north on the 10 mile Lake to Lake Trail and Greenway.   Historically an area of blueberry fields, the 10 mile greenway trail connects nine parks between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish.  The trail is surfaced with hard-packed gravel and in good condition.  It winds through second-growth forests, fields of grasses and birds, and fenced-in blueberry fields.

Lake to Lake Trail and Greenway connecting Lakes Washington and Sammamish in Bellevue, WA

The most amazing find was a small blueberry field that was not fenced in.  A moment of post-Catholic guilt (is it really ok to eat these berries?) was followed by continuous mumbling of disbelief (why was nobody else going crazy?).  After a passing dog-walker assured me that the berries could be eaten by the public, and with her "permission," the blueberry-gorging commenced.  Luckily, the berries were high-bush blueberries, so I could stay in my chair to pick.  Over a half of an hour later, with a full stomach and full cup holders on my fanny pack (the only containers I had), we headed back to the car.  I'm pretty sure my tongue was purple.  I know my face had a huge smile.   I still don't understand why there weren't a ton of people there, but what good fortune for me!

Blueberry fields forever

Seward Park

I am continually amazed by how much beauty is packed into this city and how lucky I am to live here.  Today was no exception.  We went to Seward Park, which juts out on a small peninsula into Lake Washington, and hiked from the top of the hill down to the lake, and then we climbed back up a series of not-as-accessible trails to the starting point.  In 2010, the trails were given names, and signposts at each of the trail junctions clearly mark the trails with appropriate symbols of difficulty.

On the way down, we followed the service road, also known by a spectacularly unpronounceable Duwamish name - Sqebeqsed.  The trail is perfect for wheelchair users -- mostly a very gradual downhill grade on a hard-packed dirt and gravel path, surrounded by old growth forest.

Sqebeqsed Trail at Seward Park

Trail surface

Beginning of trail and big trees

The trail continues down the hill through the forest, eventually reaching Lake Washington, with a view of the Seattle skyline at the bottom.

Lake Washington with Seattle in the background

On the way back, we took less-accessible trails.  Mud, rocks, roots, and steep hills necessitated extra pushing and help.

Why Woodpecker Trail gets a "diamond" for difficulty

Despite the extra challenges, the uphill trip was well worth it, due to the surrounding woods, the solitude of the trails, and the glimpse of a pileated woodpecker.  Near the end of the hike, we again took a less-developed trail back to the car, but this time the path was once again hard-packed and clear of obstacles.

Andrews Bay Trail

Discovery Park Loop Trail

Having fixed my inner tube and tire, we set out once again for the unpaved Loop Trail in Discovery Park.  The trail led through forests with beautiful trees, a variety grasses, chirping (with birds) bushes, and a viewpoint with a sweeping vista out over Puget Sound. 

The highlight for me was the big sandy area, an alternate side trip on top of a sand dune next to the actual trail.  I got to test the Freedom Chair’s ability to move on sand.  Granted, I could only go a little way before getting tired, especially when going uphill, but I was moving nonetheless.  The trail was a bit sandy before and after the sand dune, but otherwise it was medium-packed or even hard-packed dirt – quite feasible for a manual chair with a third wheel.

The trail led to the paved road/trail where we had hiked last time (West Point lighthouse and wastewater treatment plant), so we turned around and made our way back through the abandoned houses on this former military base.

Waste-water Treatment Plant

One of the most scenic and iconic hikes in Seattle is at the waste-water treatment plant in Discovery Park.  Really!  

I set out to try the Discovery Park Loop Trail (thanks for the recommendation, Jerry!), only to make a discovery of my own -- that my left tire had a giant bulge in it.  Luckily, I had my portable, battery-powered scooter along in order to run some errands.  In order to make the best of another beautiful day, my husband and I decided to re-visit the wastewater treatment plant.  

The trails are mostly paved or hard-packed dirt, so the scooter would work on them (although we did run into a couple of nasty roots that upturned the pavement and made me wish for my Freedom Chair).  

The trails, along the coast and beach, are accessed by a long walk from the visitors' center; however, those with a disabled placard from the DMV can pick up a pass from the visitors' center which allows them to drive on the access road and park near the entrance to the trails, across from the beach.

This time of year was especially gorgeous, with daisies, thimble-berries, and other wildflowers blooming.  The path went through beautiful areas of greenery and salt-water habitats, often right along the coast.  On this side of the water, the view includes the West Point Light House and a beach piled high with driftwood. On the other side, one can see the Olympic Mountains. In-between are numerous sailboats and kayaks. And looming over everything from a distance is the elusive, majestic, and awe-inspiring Mount Rainier.  This time, as always, we wondered why the hell we don't come here all of the time.  

Hard-packed trails through beautiful greenery...

... right along the coast of Puget Sound, complete with sailboats...

... and a view of a light-house and driftwood-packed beach...

...and, to top it off, a most-elusive and yet most impressive mountain!

Definitely gives new meaning to a visit to a sewage plant!

Arboretum

Last weekend I went to Seattle's Washington Park Arboretum.  The timing was perfect for spring colors, since the azaleas and rhododendrons were in full bloom:

Sporting the Seattle tan in front of some azaleas at the entrance

The park turned out to be great for wheelchair travel, as well.  The aptly named "Azalea Way" is a mainly flat trail of hard-packed gravel.  The "Rhododendron Glen" and other areas are reached by hilly trails of either hard-packed gravel or less-maintained dirt.  This combination offers something for people in different chairs, with different goals, and with different abilities.  And there are beautiful plants and trees all year round!  Sound like an ad?  The park looks like an ad!

Trilliums and Trails

Growing up in North Central Wisconsin, I remember white seas of trilliums carpeting the ground in the woods.   I recently discovered that there is a Western trillium in WA state, so last week I went on a hunt.  My husband, Ted, and I went on three hikes, based on trip reports of trillium sightings.   Much to my excitement, we found the flowers, beautiful amongst the ferns; however, it was more like hunting Easter eggs than looking at a white sea. 

The surrounding forest, however, was beautiful, with big, mossy trees, green ferns, and even some rhododendrons waiting to bloom.

Trip planning centered on the perennial search for appropriate trails.  I have an old book published by the Mountaineers entitled “Accessible Trails in Washington’sBackcountry,” but it is over 20 years old and hasn’t been updated (no, I am not detail-oriented enough to want to do so!).  The Washington Trails Association has a wonderful, searchable database of trails, so my next step was to search online and to remember personal sightings.

Our first hike was on the Boulder River Trail off of the Mountain Loop Highway.  It was listed as recommended for families with children.  I think WA children must be superstar hikers, since the trail turned out to be not so wheelchair-accessible, traversed by me only with serious assistance from my own personal superman (Ted), as we went up steep and rocky hills and faced three daunting challenges.   The first was a steep dip into and out of a gully about five feet deep.  That was successfully crossed with help from a passing hiker.  The second was another steep gully – this one not quite a steep but lacking a solid path across.  Continuation was accomplished thanks to Ted’s bridge-building skills and physical stability.  The third challenge was, unfortunately, insurmountable – a large, uneven rock taking up most of the uphill trail that was already narrow and bounded on both sides with obstacles (one side being a steep cliff).  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to the waterfall on that trail, but I did accomplish my goal of finding trilliums and hiking in the woods.

First Challenge

Second Challenge

The trail wins -- my turnaround point!

The second trail was out of the Hamma Hamma Campground on the Olympic Peninsula. Ted had spotted it on a previous backcountry expedition and thought it might work.  We were greeted with trilliums, and we actually managed to complete the trail – but only with a lot of pushing by Ted and by taking the road (rather than the trail) on the second half.  One of my scariest moments occurred on this trail, when I was on a narrow trail right next to and slanted toward the icy river, with my feet strapped in.

The third hike was the result of a WTA trip report that described trilliums and a trail that an elderly father was able to hike.  On the trail to Murhut Falls on the Olympic Peninsula, we again hiked through beautiful mossy woods with a few trilliums.  And we again hiked up steep, rocky hills that I could never have managed by myself.   I got to see the waterfall at the end only because we ditched the wheelchair at the edge of the trail (much to the following hikers’ consternation), and Ted carried me on his back over a 12” root and up a steep, rocky, narrow trail to the lookout.

 

Could not get over or around this root

So we ditched the wheelchair and Ted carried me on his back up the trail

Which allowed me to enjoy the waterfall from the lookout 

So, I will continue my search for appropriate trails.  In the meantime, thanks to Ted and my Freedom Chair, I’ll enjoy the challenge of these non-accessible trails, the joy of being in the woods, and the occasional trillium.