Iron Goat, 2026

  

 

 

 

 

Sign at the Iron Goat trailhead

 

It has been a couple of years since we hiked the Iron Goat Trail.  It is one of our favorites for flowers and getting our legs used to extending the distance.  There are two trails, the upper trail and the lower trail.  It is an interpretive trail with signs along the way explaining the history of the old railroad.  While it is possible to make a loop, we most often do an out and back on the lower trail.  At this time of the year, we know there will be some flowers in special places along the lower route. 

The lower level provides a gentle rise in elevation and a round-trip distance of 5.5 miles.  This trail was designed as an ADA (Americans with Disability Act) trail that allowed for baby strollers and wheelchairs.  The trail surface has been mostly packed earth with a layer of gravel.  It is really not suitable as an ADA trail currently as there has been significant water and slide damage recently in several places.  

 

 

When we started out the trail condition looked like this …

 

 

Snowshed wall

 

Part of the trail runs beside the old snowshed that was built to protect the railroad line.  

 

   

There are the remains of old railroad tunnels built in 1916.

 

One of the first indications that something was different this year…

 

  

And then this, the trail disappears, the stream has been redirected onto the old trail …

 

 

Downed logs

 

 

And this, a huge pile of downed logs from wind, water and slides sometime during the winter.  Note this is the exact same place where an avalanche of snow and ice piled up a few years ago.

 

 

  

A miracle, the small wooden bridge survived with only minor damage.

 

We managed, with some care, to edge our way around the slide and water damage to continue on to the Martin Creek Trailhead, our normal turn around place.

 

It had rained earlier in the morning and most of the plants were still still wet.  In addition to the ones pictured we also saw a few bedraggled Salmon Berry blossoms and some almost finished trillium.  There were probably more Fairy Bells than we have seen before on this trail and tons of Bleeding Heart as well.  We saw evidence of a few more Chocolate Lilies but only one plant was okay to photograph.

 

 Aven

 

Bane Berry

 

Bleeding Heart

 

Carpet Bugleweed aka Ajuga

 

Calypso Orchids

 

 

 Chocolate Lilies, almost done blooming

 

 

 Elder Berry

 

Fairy Bells

 

For-Get-Me-Not

 

Fringe Cup

 

Mertensia

 

 

Red Columbine

 

Spotted Coral Root

 

Star Flower

 

 

 Starry Solomon Seal

 

Thimble Berry

 

 

 Trillium

 

Count for the day:

 

7 people, no dogs

RT 5.5 miles

400 ft elevation gain

Forest Service Pass required

 

Humpback Creek Falls, 2026

 

 

 

 Sign at the trailhead

 

The same day we visited Franklin Falls we also went to Humpback Creek Falls.  These falls are seen from the bridge on the Annette Lake trail.  There is a large parking area at the trail head and an older small outhouse that did not have toilet paper the day we were there.  I think most hikers are prepared for lack of TP and carry some just in case.  We always have TP, hand sanitizer, plenty of water, bug repellent, and wear packs with other essentials. 

 

 

 

Junction sign for the Asahel Curtis Nature trail and Annette Lake

 

It is a short, ½ mile RT, steep up, with lots of rocks and roots, to the Annette Lake bridge but the view was spectacular.  All the way to Annette Lake would be about an 8 mile RT hike.

 

 

 Humpback Creek Falls 

 

 

 

 

Count for the day:

 

8 people, 1 dog

1/2 mile RT 

Forest Service Pass required 

 

 

Franklin Falls, 2026

 

 

 

Sign at the trailhead parking lot

We were here two years ago.  That day it had been raining, was cloudy, with mud on the trail and slippery rocks.  We saw 11 people and 3 dogs.  Franklin Falls is an extremely popular trail especially when there is the promise of a lot of water rushing down the falls.  The trail is steep.  I did not count, but there are perhaps hundreds of steps.  The surface of the trail is packed dirt and gravel with some rocks and roots.  This time the weather was mostly sunny with scattered clouds.  The temperature was low 50s F.  Gusty winds made the wind chill about 45 F.  A comfortable temperature for going uphill.   

 

This time we counted 50 people and 1 dog.  That includes a couple of families with infants and/or young children.  This can be an in and out hike on the main trail, or a loop by taking the Wagon Road back to the trail head about 2.4 miles RT.  The large double outhouse at the main parking lot was open.  The designated handicapped parking lot below also has an outhouse but one side was still closed for the winter. 

 

 South Fork Snoqualmie river

 

The main trail follows beside the South Fork Snoqualmie River.  The pleasant sound of rushing water together with peek-a-boo views continue all the way.  There are many rapids and clear pools to admire as you go along.  A viewing platform of the lower or little Franklin Falls is found before reaching the main falls.  

 

 Lower or Little Franklin Falls 

 

 

 

 A sample of the steps and part of one of the new bridges

 

   

After all the stairs up to that point it was nice to stop and enjoy Little Franklin Falls before continuing on up the rest of the way.  After cresting the hill the trail leads down to the main falls. The way down to the small beach at the foot of the falls has rock steps that can be wet and slippery.  There is one very narrow section where it is difficult to see if someone is coming up from below and just barely enough room for others to pass by.  Once down at the beach, flowing water has to be crossed on rocks and/or a log to get up close to the falls.  

 

 

Getting closer...

 

 

Franklin Falls

 

      

This area was logged and is a second growth forest which means most of the current trees are a similar size and there are lots of nurse logs or stumps that have newer trees growing on them.  Every once a and while we find a big old growth tree or an interesting one. 

 

 

Big old growth tree with fancy roots

 

 

 Junction sign

 

We elected to take the Wagon Road trail back to the parking area.  No steps(!) but a lot more downed trees on Wagon Road trail than were on the main trail.  Also, a couple of places to go under, around, or over.  All along the entire loop there were trillium blooming.  

 

 Going under a downed tree...

 

 

 

 and around another one 

 

 

 Trail crews have been busy putting in new foot bridges over marshy areas or running water since the last time we were here. 

 

A small variety of wildflowers were in bloom.

 

 

 Skunk Cabbage

 

 

Salmon berry

 

 

 Yellow Stream Violet

 

 

 Trillium

 

 

 Marsh Marigold

 

 

 Bleeding Heart

 

 

 Count for the day:

 

50 people, includes babies and young children, 1 dog

2.4 miles approximately RT

400 ft elevation gain

Forest Service Pass required 

 

 

Cheese Rock, Teanaway Community Forest, 2026

  

 

 

 

 

New signs going up in the Teanaway Community Forest!

 

The various fascinating rock formations in the Teanaway Community Forest are mostly sandstone with wind erosion holes.  The surface of the rock looks like it should be smooth and soft to the touch but feels like coarse sandpaper when tested with a finger or the palm of the hand.  We hiked to Cheese Rock in October 2023.  [To see that report, put Cheese Rock in the blog search box.]   

 

This time we went with good friends who had not been here before.  It is a 3.5-mile RT with ups and downs, some quite steep. Total elevation gains about 400 feet that feels like more than that in a couple of places due to the steepness.  There is one double outhouse and a brand new additional single outhouse in the enlarged trailhead parking area.  There are two approaches to Cheese Rock, one goes up the Vesper Rock slab, the other is on an old logging road for most of the way, branching off to the left on a rutted wide path up to the rock.  Both times we have been to Cheese Rock we have used the old logging road.

 

   

Charlie checking out the llama’s packs

 

 Dot and Peggy

  

Dot has longer legs and a wider body than Peggy but both are Ccaras llamas, a special breed used as pack animals.

 

Last time we were here we saw llamas on an exercise route and their handlers.  Imagine the delighted surprise when I saw the llamas again.  This time the animals were wearing packs and getting used to carrying extra weight before the official hiking and camping season begins about a month from now.  We talked with Charlie, the handler, and found out that he has 6 of these llamas on a ranch/farm close to the community forest.  It makes a convenient and ideal place to exercise and train the llamas.

 

 Jack the horse and rider

 

This is wild turkey hunting season.  We encountered a total of 4 hunters, dressed in camo gear, with shot guns, and two of them had plastic turkey decoys strapped on their backpacks.  They had not seen any turkeys; however, and were on their way out back to the trail head.  Shortly after talking with the second group of two hunters, we met a woman who was riding a horse.  She told us the horse was named Jack.  She asked where we were headed and we said Cheese Rock and she raised two thumbs up.  She said she had been riding all over the forest trails that day.  She smiled and said she had seen turkeys but didn’t tell the hunters.     

 

 We made it to Cheese Rock

 

 

Ron and Bob smiling in front of Cheese Rock

 

We had no rain, only high clouds, peek-a-boo sunshine, and 15 to 20 mph winds at the top by Cheese Rock.  The temperature stayed around 55 degrees F.  From the top we could see down the rock slab route up to where we were.  Someone was going down.

 

 

 Someone going back down the slab route

 

  

When I took this picture, we could not tell if the person was male or female, only that they were walking down the rock slab.  Later when we reached the main trail back to the parking area, we met the woman who turned out be the one in this picture.  She was hiking by herself and had taken the alternate route up the slab then got about this far when she thought it was not safe to continue up and turned around.  She then went back down a bit, took another trail, and ended up going up to Split Rock instead.  While we had encountered other people on our hike, we were the first people she had seen all day.  

 

   

View looking toward Mt. Stuart from Cheese Rock

 

Bonus for the day was meeting and talking with a volunteer on a bike who was posting signage all along several of the trails.  He provided some historical information as well as answering our questions, then letting us know that a new section of the forest would be open beginning in June. 

 

Spring is a good time to look for and admire the wildflowers.  What did we find along the way?

 

 

 Ballhead Waterleaf

 

 

 

 Arnica

 

 

 Arrowleaf Balsam Root

 

 

Glacier Lilies

 

 

Larkspur

 

 White Lomatium and Ponderosa Pine Cones

 

Spring Beauty

 

 

 White Rhododendron, Alba Albiflorum

 

This rhododendron is found in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia, Canada.   Here it is growing almost out of the rock on a windy high spot.

 

 Pink Lupine

 

 Purple/Dark Blue Lupine

 

The purple or blue lupine is more common.  We had not seen a pink lupine in the wild before this.  Commercial garden lupine can be almost any color.

 

Count for the day:

 

13 people, 5 dogs

RT 3.5 miles

Elevation gain:  400 feet

Discover Pass required