Franklin Falls Snowshoe, December 11, 2016

Today I headed to Franklin Falls to try out a snowshoe with my friend Sevin. I believe the last time I tried snowshoeing I must have been about 20 years old or so when I was living in or visiting Tahoe. So, it has been a while. My friend Anne was gracious enough to let me try out her spare share of snowshoes and they worked out great.

Here are the stats per the WTA website:

Franklin Falls

Franklin Falls Trail

2 miles round trip, 400 feet elevation gain, highest point 2600 feet.

Snoqualmie Pass region – NW forest pass required.

For trip reports and driving directions see: wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/franklin-falls

First off, I was glad to be with a driver who is knowledgable about driving in the snow as well as prepared. While we had no problems, we did help out two cars that had gotten stuck when we were on our way out. Do not attempt to go to these trailheads without AWD/4WD or chains. Higher clearance is also a good thing. Check reports in advance for road conditions. There was one spot that was a little iffy going over the bridge right before you get to the trailhead. If you don’t have high clearance, park before the bridge. Sevin had a shovel in her car as well as other traction devices. Good things to have just in case.

I was glad to do a nice easy trail for my first time out. This trail gets a lot of traffic. Even in the winter. It was okay when we first started out, but as the day progressed there were more people on the trail. Today, there were plenty of people hiking in boots some with microspikes, so it was doable without snowshoes. Again, I would recommend checking trip reports before heading out.

Per the WTA site, “The falls are situated between two tall viaducts that allow traffic along I-90 to pass year-round without interference from avalanches in winter.” This makes it a good place to try out a snowshoe without having to worry about avalanche danger.

It was a beautiful outing in a winter wonderland. Looking forward to more.

Don’t forget to appreciate the big trees along the trail