North Fork Road out of Snoqualmie

I was up on it yesterday. Man, what a great ride, just perfect for the Uly. I used to have to stop where it was closed, but now they've completed the bridge and I went past that finally. It looks like none of the roads loop out, so it's an ol' in-and-out, but anybody been to the end? Worth continuing? How far does it go and what's up there? And anyone want to shoot up there a week from Saturday?

i was up there a few weeks ago.. few spurs towards the end.. gets a bit gnarly for bigger bikes.. but slow with the uly is no problem.. couple more new bridges.. goes I think 30 miles or so.. dont remember.. I take the dogs up there sometimes and used to do a bunch of riding out that way. During the week watch for logging trucks, during the weekend watch for pot farmers and drunks (Bring a lighter and rolling papers to pay the toll ).. i've had a few near miss head-ons on that road..

oh,.. and how wet did you get up there yesterday? :).. must've been pouring up there..

No, it actually wasn't bad. I'm still getting used to the weather patterns here. I left Woodinville about 11:30, it was gray and misty, but not really raining. It never really rained the whole time, it got a bit darker higher up but I came home dry.

If you cross the new bridge, then keep going and go to the end, then make a left (cross another big concrete bridge) then go to the end and kind of take a right, you can go up a ways into a back bowl. The road was washed out pretty bad last year and I have no idea on if it has been fixed since then.

I haven't even been out to see the new bridge, but I crossed it when it was "out of service"..

Been out there a few times the past few weeks with conditions changing every day. Saturday, good traction - not a single person back there except me. I rode the length of it a couple of times back and forth getting in around 100 miles. No problem with snow until past the last concrete bridge. USFS 57 impassable due to slick snow. Couldn't go much further after that.

Today, different story. COLD, ICY, SKETCHY. 2 partners crashed at the Y at Ernie's Grove due to hard ice. Dogs chased us, old a$$ game warden stopped us and did a plate check after finding probable cause because my buddies headlight went out in the Ernie's Grove crash.

We made it to the Sunday Creek Bridge and decided to turn back. The huge clearing just prior to that was a mixed conditions snow pack with a sheen of ice underneath. Dropped the bike there. GRRRR...

Every swinging richard on the planet was back there either *illegally* shooting or poaching Xmas trees. I've ridden that road 25 times and never seen it like it was today. Hope to never see it like that again.

It's not illegal to shoot on Forest Service land.
The current target shooting closure affects the middle and south fork areas.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/f...t. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest- Projects

I don't doubt that it was a madhouse up there, but that's what happens when they close off land that's been used for target shooting for decades and they don't have an area set aside for an actual controlled target shooting range.

Hey, that sounds familiar, now where have I heard of a similar kind of thing.....

Without getting into it too much, and turning this into a gun thread. I'm a professional firearms instructor teaching federal government clients. I've seen what passes for recreational shooting in a lot of places, and I agree the USFS needs to step up and help others learn in a better environment. When those laws were enacted the population was a fraction of what it is today. It is your right to shoot in certain areas (and where I saw a few folks shooting I don't think those fit the measure of the law), and I have no doubt that with the closure of the Middle Fork and the South Fork to target shooting that it wouldn't take much to shut down that area as well.

Watching the Dakar has got me itching to take the Husky for a spin. Anyone been out on here lately?

Wow!
I can't believe they finally finished all 20 feet of the Sunday Creek bridge.
It's been closed since 2006? Been awhile thats for sure.

All the roads dead end up there but you can go pretty far up several of them to the left after the concrete bridge over the North Fork.

Beaver Creek mine, Lennox Mine and few other old mine sights are hidden up in them there hills. Good summer hikes.

There are still active prospecting claims so be respectful to the old guys solo camping up there. One in particular drives an old yellow Ford with a canopy, he keeps the roads clear of trees with a chainsaw and winch.

Seen a few bears up in higher ground during spring. Just black bears but still, be aware of your surroundings if you decide to wander off into the woods alone.
Pic of a few buddies at the end of the last road.

I'm new to the forums and this is my first post here...

With that said, this seems like a fun place to ride. I'm down in Carnation and not far away. Unfortunately, I'm not really familiar with the a lot of the back roads in the area. Where exactly is this area?
I'd love to get out there and go for a ride sometime.

Thanks in advance.

~maitias

ya it only took them 4 years to finish the "bridge". i think there was somethin else goin on up there. but i was excited that one day i was drivin up thar and it was finally open. supposedly, it was the county workin on it, not the f.s..

if you stay on the "main" road, it goes for about thirty miles or so, then it just ends. you cant legally shoot on any property from ernies grove up to you see the forest service sign, but you still see it. and you cant go up any of the roads cause its all gated and private property. it'd be fun tho.
theres a few roads you can go up as soon as you get into f.s. land. havent been up south fork yet since its probably still closed. it goes up to some hot springs or sumthin. thats a good ride, truck or bike. i like up exit 38 too, but thats probably hasnt been fixed either.

So can you get to the hot springs now? Took the wife out that way a few months ago, and it was blocked off where you made the right off the main road. So I am assuming that is the sport that is open know?

Still blocked off. That road is middle fork.

oops. lived here for thirty years and still get them mixed up. must of been all them keg parties up there

Rallied N and Middle fork today. Middle fork is half paved so it's dual sport heaven. No traffic, plenty of potholes and lots of weather. Good time. If anyone is in the area hit me up, lets ride!

So fun yesterday had to run it again. This time Middle fork then over to North fork. When I was at the end of NFork I found a jeep trail that was pretty loose for the big 990. First time I"ve really gotten into it and she did well. I was only worried about flats... wondering how much abuse all that weight can put on the front tire.

Took three days of dirt riding but feel like finally getting my groove on with this bike.

North and Middle fork

With Tree Farm map layer