Sometimes you have to work for a run. I've lived here for 10 years, and while the NF Snoqualmie is less than 30 minutes from home, I've only run it twice. The main reason is that this run starts with a .3 mile hike and ends with a 1.2 mile hike. That's a long way to carry boats, even with a good system.
My friend Mike and I decided that the flow was good enough to offset the hike, so we gave it a shot. The river starts out with several really long class II+ rapids. After about a mile, we saw a tree all the way across the main channel. We had to portage around it, but that only took a couple of minutes and we were off again. Not long after this, there is a section with several long class III boulder gardens that are a lot of fun. After a couple more miles, the river calms down, but there are a few surprises. On my first run, I got flipped by a rapid with a huge hole in it. We worked hard to avoid the hole this time, but as we went by, it looked like it might have been easier at this flow (which was higher than on my previous run).
The takeout is not easy. There are several ways to get up to the road, but all of them require climbing on tree roots and moss. After that, you have the task of walking 1.2 miles to the gate. I have an IK backpack that I use, which makes it easier, but I can't really stop once I get started, so it's a continuous trudge up to the gate. Still, it's a fun run and the hike isn't all that bad.
BTW, the picture at the top of the blog is my friend Joe at the end of one of the rapids on the NF Snoqualmie.
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