[Scrooge]

Early June is the best time for the West Fork Foss River. This year, instead of heading straight for Delta Lake, with the waterfalls picked up in passing, I've decided to concentrate on the falls. What I plan to do is try to get a look at, and photograph, the whole length of both sets of falls. This will probably mean crossing the Foss several times and doing a lot of bushwhacking and scrambling. I haven't a clue as to whether the falls that can't be seen from the trail are anything like as good as the ones that can, but there's a lot of elevation loss involved and this is the only way I know to find out. Anyone who'd like to make a day of it is welcome.

[Stefan]

I was just on top of a hill Sunday at Palmer (Peak 1720+) in East King County. When I looked east and down, I saw a waterfall--it looked cool from above. The TOPO! coordinates say it is at 47'17'57' N and 121'52'56' W. This looks like it is an easy place to get to. Just thought you might like to know.

[Scrooge]

Thanks, Stefan. Bryan Swann's really the man who needs to know about this. He's the waterfall collector. The Delta outfall hike I've advertised is more one of those special, personal places. However, your "Palmer Falls" looks so easy to get to that it's probably a good thing to do on one of these rainy Saturdays. It does look like it's extremely seasonal. There's no drainage area at all.- So now's probably the time to go. Otherwise all we'd see would be a damp cliff.

[Sore Feet]

See, now I'm kicking myself for not getting farther back away from the Lower Falls on the Foss. I don't think at the lower falls there is anything else to see, I've looked on the maps and Terraserver (where you can see the whole thing BTW), and it looks like there is a small bit on top that isn't visible from the bottom, but I don't think fording at the lower falls is necessary. HOWEVER, to see the lower bits of the Upper falls, one must cross the river. And I know where it can be done totally dry. When do ya want to go Scrooge? Stefan, I know exactly the falls you're talking about, but I haven't gotten out there yet. It actually may have a name (I found it labeled in a big atlas put out by the Army Corp of Engineers @ the BCC library).

[catwoman]

Scrooge, isn't it a shame that when you post a message in search of a hiking partner, you get all sorts of other replies but nobody's actually replying to your intention?! Yes, I know, I'm now one of them, but I was trying to make a point.

[Scrooge]

Bryan, you've got more of the top falls on your website than I have in the attached pic, but it looked to me like there was at least as much out of sight down below as we could see from our vantage points. For the rest of it, I just don't know. It may turn out to be just cataracts and rapids. The trail does a lot of climbing where I can't see the water. As far as timing is concerned: a nice Saturday near the height of snowmelt is close as I can call it now.

[Backpacker Joe]

Ebineezer, I'm in on the Delta hike if you'll have me! AND, I'll even supply 4 Mr. Walter/Brian Curtis rafts sos we can zoom across the lake and cut down on the bushwackers syndroam! TB

[Scrooge]

Dang, Joe, I thought you were gonna offer to drive us up the Foss, but your on, anyway. However, it does sound like we're turming it into a real workout. My original proposal was to do a thorough job of exploring and photographing the two big steps of the Delta outfall. I wasn't even concerned about getting all the way to the lake. You obviously have targeted the Angeline and Big Heart outfalls for inclusion. That's okay. If I can't keep up I can't keep up. I can spend a lot of time soakin' up the rays on the Delta logjam. One of my favorite places. The attached snapshot should show why Joe feels some close-up work is needed (although a good telephoto might be more to the point). Anyway, I think Bryan will appreciate the opportunity to get down the lake without having to scramble along the shore. I know I do. ..... I'm going offline for the weekend, but I'll be back Monday.

[Dean]

Scrooge, just a question. I've been into Big Heart and Angeline and looked down at Delta. Is there any kind of a trail down or do you bush beat it all the way down to the lake?

[Sore Feet]

uhhhh.... I've pondered that a many times too, thinking a Delta to Big Heart to Copper to the trailhead loop (either direction) may be fun, but there is most definitely a cliff band just below the outlet of Big Heart, at least 200' high. IF there is an easy way around said cliffs, then that loop would likely be feasible. You certainly don't want to come down any closer to Angeline, because the cliffs just get steeper the further east you go (until you're near Otter Lake). Since I've seen it from the bottom, one of these days I ought to out to Big Heart and start down from the top just for the hell of it, regardless.

[Sore Feet]

[Dean]

Twin Falls Lake question: Quite a few years ago, a friend and myself saw in the book "Lakes of Washington, Western Wa. V1 2nd edition" a pic of a lake on page 456 called Twin Falls Lake. There was no trail to it, but it was down from the outlet of Ashland Lakes (near Pilchuck) on Wilson Creek. We had to see this lake as the description had a waterfall going into the lake (200 feet)and a waterfall going out (350 feet). We found it (no trail at that time, just followed the creek down thru brush). Pretty lake with the waterfalls coming in but we hit it a little late in the season so the water fall was thin. Anyone else been into this one? If so, any pics?

[Sore Feet]

The trail to Ashland Lakes continues down to Twin Falls Lake. I was there a while back, been wanting to do it again, but I hear the trail is a mile or so longer now (so like 4-5 miles one way). Pretty falls, impressive falls. The lower falls aren't accessible without bushwhacking though. And I have to contest the 350 foot figure (topo maps indicate probably not more than 250, if that even). Twin Falls - http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/falls/twin1.htm

[Dean]

Thanks for the info. I was there about 1972 and the only trail at that time was a faint path. The book on Lakes of Washington makes the claim about the lower waterfall but we didn't go down any further to check it out since not a lot of water was flowing. We did pick up some old cans that someone had left. I never cease to be amazed that some people can leave trash at places like this. Looks like it is worth another visit, when the water is flowing more.

[Scrooge]

CH. The Ashland Lakes/Twin Falls trail is now a major tourist route with more than a mile of boardwalks. Ashland Lakes is a popular camping area. Bryan. I have to contest your figures. The upper falls looked to me like about 80'. The lower falls is maybe a 200' chute/cascade, but it's almost impossible to see. I've tried from directly above and from both sides without much success. I also tried to access it from below one time, coming up a spur road from the Pilchuck, but my canine companion couldn't handle the talus so we bagged it. You can't see it from below, either, witjout climbing up into the ravine of Wilson Creek (I think that's what it is). CH. Delta Lake is usually reached from below, via a fisherman's trail that closely follows the Foss. However, the loop is possible. I think a couple of people on this forum have done it, but they're probably not following this thread. You might want to take a look at WTA's trip reports for Delta Lake. Check the one by Alpinejo. He did a series of bushwhacks from Otter Lake up into the upper Foss Lakes area. I don't recommend trying an approach from the top until you've looked at it from below.