I have a rule: when it’s sunny in Washington State, I hit the trails. Especially in non-summer months, the sun seems to shine so rarely that I can’t help but take advantage of the blue skies. While Washington has no shortage of hiking trails along with well-maintained national and state parks, my favorite place to go hiking is the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which begins in the mountains about one hour east of Seattle off I-90.
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is home to Snow Lake, which I discovered back in July and have talked about extensively here on this blog ever since (read my full-length write-up here). Three months after hiking to Snow Lake, Kevin and I found ourselves back in the Seattle area with a day or two of mostly decent weather, which I’ve learned is the most one can expect from autumns in the northwest. On a whim, I decided we would spend an afternoon hiking the Talapus Lake Trail, a path I learned about only an hour before while studying Google Maps.
It’s always a gamble, using a valuable vacation day on an activity I didn’t adequately research. I’ve had some serious victories with impulsive travel – riding a ski lift to the top of a Scottish mountain, day tripping to Teotihuacan from Mexico City – and some memorable failures, like when Kevin and I tried to take a ferry out to an island off the coast of Istanbul but instead wound up near Topkapi Palace in the city’s main tourist district. Luckily, I’d easily declare Talapus Lake to be a winner…as I’m sure the photos below will prove!
Before we parked at the trailhead, however, we had quite the adventure off-roading in a twelve-year-old Chevy Cavalier with a front tire of the verge of blowing out. How were we supposed to know the road leading from I-90 to the trailhead was, well, barely a road? We made it in one piece, but I definitely recommend driving out to the Talapus Lake trailhead in a car with four-wheel or all-wheel drive, especially after a light snowfall or rainstorm.
I have the tendency to add an hour or two to every hike because I spend so much darn time taking photographs. Doesn’t this bother Kevin, you ask? Yes, it sure does, but he’s since grown accustomed to my determination to find just the right angle and lighting for trees and waterfalls and panoramic views. What can I say? Photography is a large part of why I love to hike – in addition to the quiet and solidarity, because despite my lifelong love of cities, busy urban spaces still wear me out.
Everything and everywhere in the greater Seattle area is crowded these days. Traffic is abysmal and rapidly becoming more and more like Los Angeles, while twenty-four grocery stores in the ‘burbs are still busy well after ten o’clock at night. While Seattle is a fun city with lots of unique attractions (from the super-scenic Alki Beach to the world-renowned Museum of Flight), every traveler needs a break once and a while. And Talapus Lake is the perfect trail to escape to! Relatively flat, this is an easy trail for families or travelers who lack hiking experience. We hiked on a weekday afternoon in mid-October, and had nearly the entire trail to ourselves.
Seriously, we passed maybe only six or eight fellow hikers the entire time. Meanwhile, frustrated commuters found themselves trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic along the 405. Isn’t this a much nicer way to spend a vacation day (or, if you live in Seattle, a “sick” day)?
Oh…and there’s a waterfall! Did I know about this feature when I selected the trail? Nope, but I think it makes the Talapus Lake trail worth hiking in of itself.
By the time we reached Talapus Lake, the weather had turned from sunny to sunny-ish. Even so, the view was serene and stereotypically Northwestern. Evergreen trees! Mountains! A grey-blue sky! What I remember most, however, was the quiet.
We decided to continue along the trail to Olallie Lake, an addition that added approximately two to two and a half miles to our hike (bringing the total to somewhere between seven and seven and a half miles). While we didn’t plan on extending our time on the trail, the choice turned out to be yet another fruitful spur-of-the-moment move. While I liked the scenery leading up Talapus Lake better – guys, remember that waterfall? – Kevin and I agreed Olallie Lake was the prettier of the two lakes.
Interestingly, Kevin grew up in a suburb east of Seattle and, despite an outdoorsy childhood, had never hiked Talapus Lake Trail before. He barely even knew of its existence; despite the trail’s heavy usage on summer weekends, this still remains rather off-the-beaten-path.
If I’ve learned anything from my many trips to the Seattle area, it’s this: avoid, at all costs, hiking on a warm and sunny weekend. Parking is a nightmare, trails are packed, and the peacefulness of nature is more a myth than reality. Rather, hit the trails on a weekday or during the off-season; I also hiked Snow Lake on a weekday, and what a difference the decision makes. Also, the temperature in the mountains can be ten or even twenty degrees lower than the temperature in Seattle or nearby North Bend – even during the warmer months, dress in layers and arrive prepared for fickle weather.
A pass is required to hike any trail in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest; before departing, simply purchase and print out the Day ePass, available at this website. This is not to be confused with the Discover Pass, Washington State’s permit used to enter state parks and hike on a number of state-maintained trails. I know, so many passes, but the waterfalls and lakes along Talapus Lake trail are well worth the effort, believe me.
