Mohawk Falls

This afternoon's adventure exploring Mohawk Falls made for a great day!  It only required an hour drive, the hike itself only took about 25 minutes to the falls, we were the only folks on the trail and we didn't hear any road noise so it felt like we were a world away. At one point, Jake was pretty sure we had entered the magical land of Tumble Leaf (a cartoon on Amazon Instant Video set in a magical forest.)

Getting there, the road conditions were great.  The last 3.25 miles was on an unpaved forest service road, but it was in pretty good shape.  Here's a picture of the road between Money Creek Campground & the Mohawk Falls trailhead:

However, the trailhead is almost completely unmarked.  Fortunately, I had e-mailed myself some trip reports & had the mail on my phone, ready to go since I knew that there wouldn't be any internet service.  In a nutshell, I knew that I was supposed to drive 3.25 miles and look for some "conspicuous rocks" and/or "flagging" and/or "a marker with tape" and/or a culvert, depending on which report I read.  Someone had noted that if you reach a bridge you've gone .3 miles too far.

If I didn't have this info downloaded I never would have found it.  Right around 3.25 miles I came across this corner.  There were rocks, but they certainly weren't the only rocks in the forest.  If you look at that horizontal log going over the rocky ditch, you'll see a lighter vertical line in the middle of a tree to the right.  This is the pink vinyl "flag" tied to a tree branch.  I didn't see it on my first pass.  I thought this relatively rocky nook might be the right place, but I kept going, just in case.  I figured if this was the spot, there'd be a bridge up ahead to confirm, which would give me a little extra confidence. 

Pretty soon, I reached the bridge, which I knew meant I'd gone too far.  When we got there, Jake wanted to get out & take a look.  He loves bridges, but who doesn't, so I stopped.  Plus, at this point I wasn't totally sure that I'd find the trailhead on the way back, so I wanted him to get in some kind of water view this afternoon.

After a bit, we headed back.  I set my tripometer again, and around .3 miles I saw this particularly "conspicuous" pile of rocks & ditches on either side of the road that could indicate a culvert.  I pulled over, put the NW Forest Pass on the dash, and we got out to explore.  Looking around carefully, I did see a wooden stake with some colored tape and guessed that meant the trailhead.  Sure enough, it was!

It's actually a good thing that the trailhead isn't better marked.  While parts of the trail have a clear path through the brush, there are enough downed trees & lack of use that most of the time there was no visible trail on the ground at all.  Periodically, there were plastic ties on branches indicating the way.  However, we weren't always within sight of one.  Since this is a hike with a waterfall as a destination & it's possible to hear a river along the way, I felt confident we wouldn't get lost.  However, people should only venture on this hike if they're confident with their footing in the woods and their internal compass.

It only took about 25 minutes up & 25 minutes back, so it was a pretty quick little hike.  I don't know what the elevation change is, but while it was uphill the entire way, it was not steep or strenuous.  The WTA site indicates it rises 200 feet and neither Jake nor I broke a sweat.  The most challenging part of this hike was navigating the downed trees & brush over the trail that must not get much use.  With all of the leaves on the ground and decomposing tree trunks & chunks, it was sometimes difficult to know what was the safest way up.  With the river nearby we never strayed too far from the trail.  Other than the work of trying to keep our footing safe, it was a pretty easy hike.

Once we figured out our plan and headed on our way, we had fun - it really felt like an adventure!  At one point, Jake thought that this must be a "lost trail" and that we'd become famous explorers.  I'll give it time before I tell him I found out about the hike from already published info on the WTA site.  :) 

 

 

 

Getting there:

There's no official address to plug into GPS and no signs at the trailhead.  So, as best as I can, here are the directions I'd give to a friend:

1. Check out recent trips reports for Mohawk Falls on the WTA site: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mohawk-falls-and-mohawk-mine
2. Make sure you have a Northwest Forest Recreation Pass. You buy a day pass online for $5, print at home, and put the pass on your dashboard: http://www.discovernw.org/store_recreation-passes_1PASS/
3. Make sure you print out directions or download them to your phone ahead of time.  There is no cell service at the site.
4. There are no restroom facilities on site of any kind, so pack a roll of TP in your backpack in addition to water, snacks, and a basic First-Aid kit.
5. From Seattle, take Highway 2 East.
6. Between mileposts 45 & 46, take the exit for the Money Creek Campground and the Old Cascade Highway.
7. You'll see a sign indicating that the Old Cascade Highway is closed in 1.1 miles, but continue on.  
8. In about 1.1 miles, just before the road closure sign, turn right onto Miller River Road.  This is initially marked as Forest Service Road 6410 and becomes FS 6412.
9. When you turn onto Miller River Road, reset your tripometer.  In about 3.25 miles, when the road curves around to the right, there will be a dried river bed on the right side of the road with a downed tree across it.  There will be a pink ribbon dangling from a tree branch, and if you look closely, there will be a small wooden stake with a piece of blue & orange tape.  The shoulder is a little wider here on the left (east) side of the road.  Make sure your Northwest Forest Recreation Pass is on display and take all valuables with you. 
10. If you cross a little bridge, you've gone about .3 miles too far. 
11. The wooden stake with the orange and blue tape marks the start of the trail.  Along the way, keep an eye out for colored ribbon dangling from trees.  Also keep an ear out for the river.  Be safe and keep the river on your left and you should find your way to the falls!

 

 

Map: http://binged.it/1zhDyBA