Forum Index > Trip Reports > Otter Slide Falls - Taylor River - (05/25/02)
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polarbear
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Location: Snow Lake hide-away
polarbear
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PostSat May 25, 2002 6:51 pm 
There were few cars in the parking area when we hit the trailhead at 9:00. Maybe everyone was expecting rain. Since I never hike in the rain, I knew that rain was hence an impossibility. As it turned out, the weather might have been classified as Memorial Day Moderato. Three of us hiked up to Otter Slide Falls. We witnessed a large, loud avalanche coming down the peaks across the river from the trailhead. There's a bit of snow on the trail before you hit the turnoff to the falls, nothing to bad though. If there are cairns marking the turnoff to the falls, though, they are buried under this snow. The turnoff is a bit past the *huge* culvert pipe that goes under the trail. On the way back out we met alot more people going up the trail. One of us noted that our dog got more attention from passing female hikers than we did shakehead.gif It's a dog's life. Saw a large garter snake on the trail. Had a couple doughnuts at the North Bend bakery. !Muy excelente!

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C Dog
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PostSun Jun 16, 2002 11:14 pm 
Hey Polarbear -- I had been up the Taylor River trail before, but missed the Otter Falls turnoff. Since it was cloudy today, we decided to give it a try! The snow is gone, and there's only one semi-tricky stream crossing... http://www.washingtonhikes.com/2002/otterfalls Fun little hike!

// Chris Duval // WashingtonHikes.com //
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MtnGoat
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PostMon Jun 17, 2002 9:20 am 
I must have passed you guys at some point, I spent the night at Big Creek-Taylor confluence. I'd have recognized Polar Bear but don't know C -dog, maybe you were one of the many folks headed in as I headed out between 1-2:30 PM. I was solo with my retriever Cooper and carrying an overnight pack. Must get pretty crowded at Lipsey lake, when I stopped by on the way in the water was roaring and the culvert crossing was very treacherous, the lake was so full there was about 50 square feet of shoreline to stand on and that's about it. Since the lake is totally ringed with brush at high water, I found myself wondering where all the hordes of folks were going to stand!

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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C Dog
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C Dog
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PostMon Jun 17, 2002 10:07 am 
MtnGoat wrote:
maybe you were one of the many folks headed in as I headed out between 1-2:30 PM.
Maybe! We didn't get to the trailhead until about 1:45 or so...
MtnGoat wrote:
Must get pretty crowded at Lipsey lake, when I stopped by on the way in the water was roaring and the culvert crossing was very treacherous, the lake was so full there was about 50 square feet of shoreline to stand on and that's about it. Since the lake is totally ringed with brush at high water, I found myself wondering where all the hordes of folks were going to stand!
I don't know if it was the late start, or just the fact that people seem to miss the turnoff, but we were the only ones at the lake for about half an hour -- but you're right, our party of four almost took up the entire shoreline! dizzy.gif

// Chris Duval // WashingtonHikes.com //
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MCaver
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PostMon Jun 17, 2002 1:14 pm 
I was up there once last summer and the water was pretty high -- not much shoreline to speak of. I was there for at least 45 minutes all by myself then a mob of people all showed up at once, including our own polarbear. I blame him. tongue.gif

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polarbear
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PostMon Jun 17, 2002 7:04 pm 
I remember traveling up the road in the back of the station wagon (early 70's) to near Otterslide Falls. For some reason the trail doesn't seem nearly as bumpy now as the road seemed then. I think some people were hurt sliding down the rock that day. It's an otterslide, not a human slide. I also remember my dad slowing down to pick up a hitchiker that day. The hitchhiker had just about jogged up to our slowing down car when we kids started screaming in terror 'cuz we'd heard all sorts of bad stories about them. So dad sped up leaving the hitchhiker with a puzzled look on his face. Oh well, the car was full anyhow. wink.gif I was surprised to see the date inscribed on the first brige you cross (right by the parking lot) as being 1988. It looks like they had plans for the road even up until then. They couldn't have closed it much after that. Was it all part of the proposed highway up to Lake Dorothy?

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