Run -> Climb -> Run
Over the last few years, the Middle Fork Snoqualmie has seen an impressive amount of new route development for rock climbing. As I have started to explore the new crags, I have found that the rock is closer to the immaculate granite of Index than the rather mediocre rock of Exit 38. In reality, some of the crags are actually geographically closer to Index to North Bend! One new route that caught my attention was Poppy’s Peril, a moderate 5-pitch bolted slab climb right next to Otter Falls. With a flat 4 mile approach, I thought it might be a good candidate for a “run-climb”, combining two activities that I enjoy!
After spending Saturday in the Olympics, Jack and I decided Sunday midday that Otter Falls could be a good use of our Sunday afternoon. It was cloudy, keeping temperatures moderate. By starting late, we hoped to avoid the crowds. So we crammed some climbing gear into our running vests and headed up the Snoqualmie Lake Trail!
We made it to the base of the climb in under an hour, and found a few parties rappelling and one party still climbing. Otter Falls was subdued in summer fashion, but it was still a beautiful slab of granite!
Jack led the first pitch (5.2) without even using his hands, but the climbing got more interesting after that.
The 5.8 crux on the 3rd pitch was 20-30 ft of legitimate friction slab, if you decline to use the ramp to the right. The bolting was nice – just enough to get your hands sweating on lead, but never too scary.
The climbing was very enjoyable, with a few cruxes and mostly easy climbing on wonderful granite. The trickle of water next to us made for some nice ASMR sounds. We finished the 5 pitches in a little over an hour and rappelled down, making 6 rappels down a super clean, safe rap line.
We then packed up and had a lovely jog back down the trail, finishing a mere 4 hours after we started. We felt a sense of summer ease, packing so light and moving quickly through both the horizontal and vertical. It looks like Poppy’s Peril is destined to become a classic, and for good reason! Huge thanks to the route developers for this one!