Trip type: scramble
Elevation gain: approx. 2,540 feet
Car-to-car time: 5 hours 27 minutes
USGS quad: Lake Philippa
In area: Middle Fork Snoqualmie Drainage
*** Garfield Mountain alpine route, south approach
I parked on the Middle Fork Road 2.6 miles from the Taylor River Bridge. This is the site of a wash that looks like it is used as a gravel pit.
I hiked up the wash to the falls. The falls ran down a series of water-sculpted, granite slabs. This is a great destination in itself.
There was a boot path that started to the right (east) of the base of the falls. It ran along the east side of the creek until it faded out at a spot with a good view of Garfield's impressive rock faces.
*** Infinite Bliss approach
I parked on the Middle Fork Road 1.1 miles from the Taylor River Bridge on a parking spot on the right (south) side of the road. 50 feet up the road (east) a trail headed north toward Garfield.
When the trail crossed a slabby creek bed, I decided to follow the slabs up. The slabs went on for a few hundred feet, they were fun. At the end of the slabs I cut right (east) back to the trail. The trail is decent and well-traveled, toward the end it becomes very steep and has one scrambly spot.
The base of the climb was an excellent viewpoint. The views of the rock walls above were excellent, and the views of the Middle Fork Valley were nice but far from sweeping. Choirboy, the Fee Demo Wall, and The Seven Beauties were in sight.
I tried to spot the bolts, but only caught a glimpse of one. When I got home I found a report that said the bolts had been chopped. Despite this, there were two climbers a few pitches up the climb when I was there.
*** Fee Demo Wall
I parked at the Middle Fork Trailhead and hiked up the Middle Fork Trail. There are fantastic views of Garfield Mountain just a few minutes down this trail. The turn-off for the Fee Demo Wall was pretty obvious, I could see the wall through the trees and the trail seemed reasonably well traveled.
The path to the wall forked left and right, the left fork didn't seem to go to any climb but according to the topo there are climbs there. On the right fork I found half a dozen bolted, slabby, fun-looking climbs.
References
- Book: Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes: Vol 1 - Columbia River to Stevens Pass
- Book: Middle Fork Guide: Seattle's closest mountains
- Cascade Climbers: Fee Demo Wall
- Cascade Climbers: Infinite Bliss flame war
- alpinedave.com: Infinite Bliss TR and topo
Travel Times
Car-to-car time: 5 hours 27 minutes- 1 hour 20 minutes driving there from Lower Queen Anne to Garfield Creek falls trailhead
- 1 hour 49 minutes ascending from Garfield Creek falls trailhead to past top of the trail above the falls
- 1 hour 47 minutes descending from past top of the trail above the falls to Garfield Creek falls trailhead
- 36 minutes ascending from Infinite Bliss trailhead to base of Infinite Bliss climb
- 24 minutes descending from base of Infinite Bliss climb to Infinite Bliss trailhead
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