With the high peaks off limits I decided to embrace the rain and head into the dark, wet forest up the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie. If it's not technically a rainforest (annual precipitation over 55 inches, temperature between 39 and 54F) it's pretty darn close. If it fails the definition it's only due to temperature. Regardless of its formal designation, you don't go to the Middle Fork to escape the rain.

I started in the dark, as usual, at the Gateway Bridge. No pictures of it this time, but it's a gorgeous piece of architecture spanning the Middle Fork. It's been a long time since I've turned left instead of right on the trail on the far shore. It was like saying, "Hi," to an old friend.

I made good time cruising up the well maintained trail as it wound around trees and the filtered sun slowly lit the forest. It's been dumping and every possible waterway was coursing with water. At times, the trail itself became a raging creek and we splashed up the middle.

Until we came to the big creek blocking the trail. "Creek" is probably a bad description. "Seasonal river" or perhaps "floodway" were more accurate. I'm sure we could have crossed, but we had only 15 minutes of hiking left before it was time to turn for home so we called it quits.

On the way back we picked our way through the same blowdowns, but now that it was light we could appreciate the full extent of the damage recent storms have wrought. Trees are down everywhere, but already bypasses are developing.

True to form, it started dumping rain as we got back to the bridge over the Middle Fork and while I'd been sure-footed all morning I lost traction on the last foot of the bridge and fell on my bum. So close to being safe in the car, but no luck.

No peak, no snow, nothing except quiet contemplation and a bit of exercise. Just perfect for a stormy morning in February.