|
Boetzke Creek sprays down a dark cliff off of Mt. Washington in an attractive display, within a small grotto overlooked by an old railroad trestle. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and St. Paul railroad used to run over Snoqualmie Pass, until the early 1980s when the railroad went bankrupt. The Washington State Parks service purchased the old right of ways and turned the railroad grade into Iron Horse State Park and trail (also known as the John Wayne trail). The trail travels from Rattlesnake Lake across Snoqualmie Pass via the 2.5 mile long Snoqualmie Tunnel and ends at Easton. The trail is scheduled to eventually be extended all the way across the state. Iron Horse Falls is located approximately 3 miles along the trail, near Ragnar (a massive gravel extraction site the railroad conducted for track ballast). The falls are viewed easiest from the bridge, but when the surrounding trees are in leaf, the falls may be obstructed. It is possible to scramble down the steep slopes to the base of the falls, but the route is steep, crumbly, dangerous and not recommended.
- Iron Horse Falls is the Proposed name of this waterfall.
This waterfall doesn't appear to have any official or historical designation so I've named it for the trail.
The falls can be reached from easy walks in both directions from the Iron Horse trail, the shortest is as follows. Driving east on I-90, turn off at Exit 38 and turn right. Almost immediately, turn right to the upper Twin Falls trailhead and park. The trail climbs steeply but quickly up to the railroad grade. The falls are then 2.2 miles west (right) along the trail; Washington Creek (not labeled) is passed at 1 mile, Ragnar is reached at 2 miles (signed). The falls and the Ragnar trestle are .2 mile beyond Ragnar. One can alternately start at Rattlesnake Lake and walk 3 miles east along the trail to the falls. A third, but longer and more difficult option, is to start at the lower Twin Falls trailhead (see direction to Twin Falls), and then continue to the Iron Horse trail and the falls. This route would entail about 3 1/2 miles of hiking, with at least 700 feet elevation gain.
|
