Amanda’s mom Leslie dons a headlamp in preparation for our journey into the heart of the mountain
You know that part in The Lord of the Rings, when the fellowship is making their way to Mordor and they choose to travel through the dwarf mine mountain? I had their same foreboding sense when we approached the entrance to the Iron Horse Trail Snoqualmie Tunnel. Because unlike most hikes, on this day we would be hiking through a mountain, not over it.
One of my favorite aspects of being in the outdoors is that it stirs the imagination.
Perhaps it was the oversized doors at the entrance of the tunnel that got me thinking about Middle Earth. The cool breeze emitting from its mouth, and the seemingly endless darkness ahead hinted at something otherworldly. Who knew what mythical creature we would find within?
The 2.3 mile tunnel trail is one of the most unusual hikes you’ll ever travel in the Northwest. As part of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail system that essentially runs from Seattle to Spokane, it’s part of a converted “rails to trails” corridor that transforms disused railways into biking and hiking trails. This particular tunnel was the last thing skiers saw before emerging at the Hyak ski resort back in the 1930s and 1940s when it was known as the Milwaukee Road Ski Bowl and a train was the only way to reach it.
When you hike through 2.3 miles of darkness, your eyes and ears play funny tricks on your mind. For over an hour, your world is narrowed significantly. In some ways, it’s like a sensory deprivation hike with your world limited to the sound of crunching gravel, the dripping water from the ceiling, the circle of light from your headlamp and the tiny dot of light from the far entrance that grows as you walk – but ever so slowly.
On occasion we would encounter other hikers and bikers – their tiny pinpricks of light dodging and bouncing in the distance. Each time, it took a while for our brains to figure out how far away they were, and how fast they were moving.
For the most part, the tunnel is featureless concrete with occasional abandoned power junction boxes, and discolored stains on the ceiling where groundwater has seeped in. But while the tunnel lacks astounding sights, it excels in creepy weirdness.
While you definitely don’t want to do this hike without a light (and a backup), it’s fun to turn off your headlamp half way through, and find yourself plunged into total darkness. And then imagining how much land is directly overhead.
Once we made it all the way through the tunnel and warmed our chilled bones on the far side, we decided to return without our lights. The eerie blue light from the entrance cast a glow that slowly faded as we walked. We noticed subtle features in the tunnel that we’d missed on our way in – like tiny organic stalactites and algae that showed up like underwater bioluminescence.
It was a challenge to see how far we could travel without light, and how our eyes grew accustomed to the darkroom environment. Even a mile in, our bodies were backlit from the tiny point of light behind us.
At one point we encountered another hiker coming from the opposite direction who was also walking without a light, and we would have crashed into him if not for the crunch of his footsteps moments before we met.
Many hikes are chock full of nature but are forgettable because they look like every other hike. But I can promise you that once you hike through a mountain, while imagining you’re on your way to Mordor, you won’t soon forget the experience.
Getting There:
Even if you don’t feel like hiking the entire tunnel, it’s definitely worth a quick stop. It can be found only a few minutes off I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass. From Seattle take exit 54, turn east on State Route 906 and right on Keechelus Lake Boat Launch Road to the trailhead. From the parking lot, it’s a 5-minute walk to the mouth of the tunnel. The Snoqualmie Tunnel is a state park, so a Discover Pass or fee is required to park.
In the winter the dripping water from the ceiling freezes into life-threatening icicles, so the tunnel is closed from November 1st-May 1st.
You’ll definitely want to bring warm clothes. Even on an 85-degree day, the temperature inside is a consistent mid-50s. Everyone in your group should also have a headlamp or you’ll find yourselves crashing into walls and one another!
