Snoquera Falls

Last weekend, Pongo and I joined a friend of mine for a hike with her church group.  They were planning to hike Snoquera Falls in the Western foothills of the Cascades in an area we have never explored.  In my quest to fulfill my committment to Pongo by enriching his life with adequate exercise, I was eager to try a new hike close to home.

Pongo and I met my friend in Enumclaw off of Highway 410 and then rode east together on what is known as the Chinook Pass Highway.  We passed through the cute town of Greenwater (the home of Wapiti Woolies - lovely hand knit hats coveted by skiers and snowboarders who head toward Crystal Mountain and Mt. Rainier) and the Dalles campground to Camp Sheppard Boy Scout Camp where we parked.  As the group readied in the parking lot, Pongo caught sight of a wild rabbit.  I love the way he did not pull on the leash, but stood stock still, except for his nose twitching left and right, working the scent of it.

As we entered the forest, though, I let him off leash.  Pongo is an excellent trail dog.  Although I have never figured out what breed he is, and probably never will, I believe he is a German Shepherd-Border Collie mix.  He has the personality and is the size of a Border Collie but possesses some of the markings, coloring and characteristics of a German Shepherd.  At any rate, whenever we hike with a group, he alternates between running to the front, then circling back to check on other members at the rear.  He stays on the trail and checks in with me before running ahead.  A whistle will bring him running back to me.  His personality is definitely a herder.

The trail steepened very quickly through big-leaf maples, scrub oaks, hemlocks and Douglas Firs. Although this hike apparently has lots of water during the spring, there was little more than a trickle now in late July.  Pongo looked for water in creek beds, trying to lap at small muddy pools. The Snoquera Falls Loop is officially listed as 6 miles with the Washington Trails Association, but we did not go all the way to the top, as the path to the last part of the trail to the top of the falls is loose rock. We hiked approximately 4.2 miles, stopping where we could hear the falls, but this time of year, we could not see it. 

At our peak point, we stopped for a snack.  Here, Pongo asks for water and drinks from my hand.  He loved being part of a group, and enjoyed begging for snacks from everyone.

As we made our descent, the trail was rocky.



The terrain on the way down varied significantly from rock to moss to dirt trail. 



Here, Pongo trots back to me among the moss-covered scree.



We followed the switchbacks to the Boy Scout Camp back to the parking lot. We were finished by noon! This was a great morning hike that left the rest of the day for more adventure. Next year, we'll come back in the spring when we can actually see the falls.