Hiking with Annie
Trailhead: N47 25.486 W121 35.007 (NAD83) Elevation: 2180 ft Distance: 6.5 miles Elevation gain: 2940 ft Hike time: 10:39 am to 4:19 pm Total time: 5 hrs 40 minutes Permit required: Northwest Forest Pass
Destination: N47 25 05.5 W121 32 53.2 Elevation: 5120 ft Total Ascent: 3220 ft
Driving directions: From I-90, take exit 45, between North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass, and turn north onto FR9030. At about 3/4 mile the road splits. Veer to the left onto FR9031 and continue for 3 miles to the trailhead.
Hike description: We started out from the trailhead on a beautiful Tuesday morning. The first part of the trail is fairly easy and within 20 minutes we had gone over 3/4 mile to where the trail crosses Mason Creek. Past here the trail gets a little harder as it starts its relentless climb and after 20 minutes and another 1/2 mile we came to a clearing that afforded us excellent views of Mt Kent and McClellan Butte across the I-90 corridor. After snapping a few photos we continued on and from here the trail begins alternating between forest and open spaces. The forest provides much needed shade on days such as this and the open spaces provide the views and wildflowers that we are here for. Just over another 1/2 mile and Mt Rainier began to make its appearance and every 1/2 mile or so got a little larger and a little larger. When we approached the scree slope we were treated to a couple of Anna's Blues flitting around in the heat of the rocks. From here it is only a short 1/4 mile to where the Bandera trail turns off from the Ira Spring trail - and here is where the real work begins. The trail heads straight up the hillside with no switchbacks to smooth out the climb. This last 1/2 mile gains almost 1000 feet of elevation - but the views from the summit make it worth the effort. On clear days, such as this, you can see the top of Mt Adams to the southeast, Mt Baker to the north and the Olympics to the west along with various others in between as well as Mason Lake and Lake Kulla Kulla. After taking in all the sights and a well deserved rest we headed back to the car.
Jul 06 - Little Bandera Mountain
2010
July - September
Trailhead: N47 25.486 W121 35.007 (NAD83) Elevation: 2180 ft Distance: 4.4 miles Elevation gain: 2090 ft Hike time: 11:07 am to 3:48 pm Total time: 4 hrs 41 minutes Permit required: Northwest Forest Pass
Destination: N47 26 10.2 W121 35 22.0 Elevation: 4270 ft Total Ascent: 2105 ft
Driving directions: From I-90, take exit 45, between North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass, and turn north onto FR9030. At about 3/4 mile the road splits. Veer to the left onto FR9031 and continue for 3 miles to the trailhead.
Hike description: Starting out at a little after 11:00 we soon left the Ira Spring trail about a 1/4 mile from the trailhead. The P3 trail is an unmaintained trail that is very steep and often slippery and essentially fades away about 3/4 of the way to the peak. The first mile is fairly easy with only moderate elevation gain. Its at this point that the trail splits and the Little Balcony trail continues straight ahead while the P3 trail switchbacks to the right and begins its steep climb. At just under a mile, and about 8 switchbacks later, a faint trail branches off to the north. This trail was hard to find and we actually passed it a couple of times before we found it (its easy to tell if you've passed it when the trail starts heading downhill again). Once on the right trail the fun begins - it gets even steeper and there are no switchbacks at all to smooth out the elevation gain. In several places I had to scramble on all fours although it wasn't too difficult. Hiking poles helped out a lot here. After about 1/4 mile the trail faded away and we decided to turn around here as there were no views anyway because the weather was so cloudy and foggy. As it turned out, the weather began to lift just as we were getting to the main trail.
Jul 12 - Putrid Pete's Peak or P3 (attempt)
Trailhead: N47 23.864 W121 29.177 (NAD83) Elevation: 1875 ft Distance: 12.2 miles Elevation gain: 2385 ft Hike time: 9:57 am to 4:28 pm Total time: 6 hrs 31 minutes Permit required: Northwest Forest Pass
Destination: N47 25 17.4 W121 32 10.3 Elevation: 4260 ft Total Ascent: 3470 ft
Driving directions: From I-90, take exit 47, between North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass, and turn north. At the stop sign turn left onto FR9035 and drive about 1/3 mile to the trailhead parking lot.
Hike description: Unfortunately I forgot my camera on this interesting hike but luckily had my GPS. We started out from the Pratt Lake trailhead that morning and worked our way along the flank of Granite Mtn. After almost an hour we made it to a small waterfall about 1-3/4 miles from the trailhead. Another mile - and a 1/2 hour later - we hit the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary. Continuing on, we made it to the Olallie Lake viewpoint right at noon. Nearly 4 miles from the trailhead, we took a short break here before pressing on. Ten minutes later we reached the saddle of the ridge and left the Pratt Lake trail, taking the Mt Defiance trail along the flank of Pratt Mtn. About 40 minutes later we reached the Island Lakes area. Island Lakes is made up of 3 lakes - Island, Rainbow and Blazer. We first visited Rainbow Lake which is the easiest to get to as the Mt Defiance trail runs right next to it. There are not many trees around the lake so on a sunny day, such as this, it is nice and warm and there was only an occasional breeze. We sat here and ate lunch, watching ducks swim around the lake and the occasional fish jump from the water. After about 30 minutes I decided to check out Island Lake. This is a completely different lake than Rainbow. The trail seems to be less traveled so is harder to follow. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem except there are swampy areas around the lakes and I really didn't want to try and traverse any mud holes. Eventually we found the trail and made it to Island Lake. Unlike Rainbow, Island is surrounded by forest and I didn't see any areas on the shore that would give easy access to the lake so we only spent a couple of minutes here. The most impressive feature here is the view down the valley into Talapus Lake - I really wish I had my camera with me. After this we headed back.
Jul 19 - Island Lakes
Parking: N47 26 30.2 W121 40 19.5 (NAD83) Elevation: 1250 ft Distance: 8.3 miles Elevation gain: 3155 ft Hike time: 10:13 am to 4:15 pm Total time: 6 hrs 2 minutes Permit required: Discover Pass
Destination: N47 25 33.3 W121 41 57.5 Elevation: 4405 ft Total Ascent: 3335 ft
Driving directions: Eastbound I-90 - Take exit 38 off I-90 east of North Bend. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Homestead Valley road. In .1 mile, after crossing the river, turn right onto a gravel road leading to the parking lot .2 mile away. Westbound I-90 - Take exit 38 off I-90 and, at the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto Homestead Valley road. Follow for 1.9 miles and, just before crossing the river, turn left onto a gravel road leading to the parking lot.
Hike description: We took off from the parking lot on this fine summer morning and quickly made it to the Mt Washington trailhead. By 10:40 we had passed the Climbing Cave and came to the Moses Rock. This is a place where water seeps through the rock wall from above. Though not large, it is a fairly steady stream and seems to run all year. I have never tried it, but I would imagine it could be drank without any additional treatment as the rock wall acts as a giant water filter. We pressed on from here and reached the Owl Spot at 11:15. The Owl Spot is a viewpoint with a vertical rock wall on the uphill side and is open on the downhill side looking over the South Fork Snoqualmie River valley below. After a rather lengthy break we pushed on crossing Washington Creek at 11:45. Just before the 2nd crossing of Washington Creek we came upon a Pica sunning itself on a rock just off the trail. Since it is unusual for a Pica to sit for that long when people are close by, we stopped and took some photos. As we were doing that, a hummingbird flitted by and landed in a nearby tree so I had to shoot several more photos. Ten minutes later we were on our way again reaching Washington Pond at 12:20. After a quick breather we were on our way again shooting photos of blooming Bear Grass and Meadow Groundsel along the way. By 1:00 we made it to the first viewpoint on Mt Washington. We ate our lunch here and took a nice long rest, after which we pressed on toward the top. At nearly 2:00 we reached the meadow just below the summit. With views mainly to the south, I spent a good 5 minutes here shooting photos of Mt Rainier, Chester Morse Lake and Rattlesnake Lake, not to mention the Red Columbine, Yarrow, Columbia Lilies and other wildflowers in the meadow. From here it is only a short 300 feet to the summit. The view from here is basically the same as from the viewpoint below but with the advantage of another 500 feet or so of elevation - just enough to see the top of Mt Baker between Mt Si and Mt Teneriffe across the valley. Glacier Peak was also visible over the mountains of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River valley. After snapping a good deal of photos and taking a short rest we headed back down.
Jul 26 - Mount Washington
Trailhead: N47 24 54.2 W121 26 36.4 (NAD83) Elevation: 2280 ft Distance: 9.5 miles Elevation gain: 2240 ft Hike time: 10:00 am to 5:10 pm Total time: 7 hrs 10 minutes Permit required: Northwest Forest Pass
Destination: N47 27 12.5 W121 28 13.8 Elevation: 4520 ft Total Ascent: 2830 ft
Driving directions: Westbound I-90 - Take exit 53 and turn left at the end of the exit ramp. After crossing under the freeway, take a right on Highway 906. Shortly after crossing under the freeway again Hwy 906 becomes FR58. At just under 3-1/2 miles, turn right onto FR5830. The trailhead is at the end of the road, about 1/4 mile away. Eastbound I-90 - Take exit 47 and turn left at the end of the ramp. After passing under the freeway, turn right onto FR9035, follow for 1/4 mile, then turn left onto FR58. At just under 2-1/2 miles, turn left onto FR5830. The trailhead is at the end of the road, about 1/4 mile away.
Hike description: We started from the trailhead on a cool and misty morning. Twenty minutes later, and just over 1/2 mile, we crossed under the elevated portion of I-90 - an odd sight in the middle of the forest. Continuing on we reached the Denny Creek crossing 25 minutes later. At 1-1/4 miles from the trailhead, this spot is a popular attraction in the warmer months of summer as it is a good place to cool off. It can get pretty crowded here. On days like this one though, it was deserted. Pressing on, the trail begins to get a bit tougher from here as it begins the climb into the canyon between Low and Denny Mtns. At just under 3/4 mile we came to the Keekwulee Falls viewpoint. Keekwulee is a Chinook word meaning "to fall down", an apt name for this falls as it falls over a couple of 20 "stair-steps" before plunging 85 feet into the lower canyon. After shooting a few photos, we pushed on. The trail really begins to climb here as it switchbacks its way up a shoulder of Low Mtn. About 1/2 mile up from Keekwulee is Snowshoe Falls but unfortunately there are no good places to view it from - we did a little bushwhacking to try and find a good place to view it, but to no avail. Giving up, we pressed on and at a little after 1:00 reached Hemlock Pass. This is the pass between the Denny Creek valley and the Pratt River valley. From here it was only a little under 1/2 mile to Melakwa Lake. Melakwa is another Chinook word meaning "mosquito". Fortunately, it was too cold for any mosquitoes to be out so we didn't have to worry about them. After checking out the lake, we hiked around the far end to Upper Melakwa Lake, a much smaller lake. After eating lunch and doing a bit of exploring we started back. Between the two lakes, in a pile of rocks, a Pica sat and chattered at us as we went by. After taking a few photos we headed back.
Aug 09 - Melakwa Lake
Parking: N47 21 51.4 W121 21 30.5 (NAD83) Elevation: 3520 ft Distance: 8.5 miles Elevation gain: 1370 ft Hike time: 10:24 am to 4:52 pm Total time: 7 hrs 28 minutes Permit required: Northwest Forest Pass
Destination: N47 23 56.9 W121 20 21.7 Elevation: 4890 ft Total Ascent: 2965 ft
Driving directions: From I-90 take exit 54 and turn north onto Lake Mardee Rd. After a few hundred feet, turn right onto FR4832. At about 4 miles, at a fork in the road, keep to the left onto FR4934. The trailhead parking lot is on the left in about 1/4 mile.
Hike description: Leaving the parking lot, we quickly reached the trailhead about .2 mile up the road. At 1 mile from the parking lot, the views began to open up for a short distance before heading into deep forest cover. Just after noon, we passed the cutoff trail for Margaret Lake and shortly after saw the lake below us. About 1/2 mile up the trail I looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of a fox darting off the trail. Continuing on, we were soon on our way down the north flank of Mt Margaret into the Twin Lakes basin. We reached the lakes at about 12:50 and decided to eat lunch here. Thirty minutes later we were on our way again and a little over an hour later reached Lake Lillian. After a short stay we headed back down, reaching the car at 4:50.
Aug 16 - Lake Lillian
Trailhead: N47 26.689 W121 25.403 (NAD83) Elevation: 3120 ft Distance: 2.5 miles Elevation gain: 1760 ft Hike time: 10:08 am to 3:08 pm Total time: 5 hrs 0 minutes Permit required: Northwest Forest Pass
Destination: N47 26 40.8 W121 24 35.5 Elevation: 4880 ft Total Ascent: 2060 ft
Driving directions: Westbound I-90 - Take exit 53 and turn left at the end of the exit ramp. After crossing under the freeway, take a right on Highway 906. Shortly after crossing under the freeway again, at about 3/4 mile, turn right onto Alpental Access Rd. Follow for about 1-1/4 miles and turn left into the large parking lot for Alpental Ski Resort. The trail is across the street. Eastbound I-90 - Take exit 52 and turn left at the end of the ramp.Shortly after crossing under the freeway, turn right onto Alpental Access Rd. Follow for about 1-1/4 miles and turn left into the large parking lot for Alpental Ski Resort. The trail is across the street.
Hike description: We started out from the parking lot at a little after 10:00 on a sunny morning and found the "trail" (actually a rough-cut service road) about 40 feet east of the Snow Lake trailhead. About 500-600 feet up the road the trail cuts off to the right across a drainage ditch. From here it heads up the steep, rough hillside for almost 1/2 mile before coming to the Snoqualmie Mtn/Cave Ridge split. After a short rest here, we headed east on the Cave Ridge trail crossing the talus field before actually finding the trail. After a little over 1/4 mile we came to a 4-way intersection. Turning left here is the Cave Ridge trail heading north. Going straight through, the trail continues to the east, dropping down into the Commonwealth Basin. Turning to the right, the Guye Peak trail heads south - and so did we. After a few minutes we came to a small pond and a short distance from it a nice vantage point for Snoqualmie Mtn. From here the trail gets much harder to follow. We managed to get through a large brushy area and came to a talus slope. We climbed the slope and managed to find the trail at the top but it quickly led us to a rocky outcrop that I assume we would have had to climb as there was no easy way around it. It wasn't too high and wouldn't be too tough to climb but no way could I get Annie up it - so we turned around here. As we got back to the talus slope, there was a large Hoary Marmot sunning itself on the rocks. It kept a close eye on us as we passed. The hike back was almost as tough as the hike up because of how steep and rough the trail is.
Aug 23 - Guye Peak (attempt)
Trailhead: N47 21 47.5 W121 25 20.5 (NAD83) Elevation: 2950 ft Distance: 6.0 miles Elevation gain: 2105 ft Hike time: 10:25 am to 3:12 pm Total time: 5 hrs 13 minutes Permit required: Northwest Forest Pass
Destination: N47 22 20.4 W121 25 36.1 Elevation: 5055 ft Total Ascent: 2260 ft
Driving directions: From I-90, take exit 54 and turn south toward Hyak Ski Resort. At the stop sign, drive straight through the intersection onto Hyak Dr E. Stay on this road for about 3.5 miles. It changes to FR9070 just past the water treatment plant. Park on the right side of the road on the first hairpin corner.
Hike description: We took off from the trailhead on a sunny Thursday morning. The trail follows along Cold Creek for just over 1/2 mile to the outflow of Twin Lakes. However, we turned north on the Mt Catherine trail just before reaching Twin Lakes. After nearly a mile, the trail crosses NF9070 and begins its ascent up the west ridge of Mt Catherine and shortly after the views begin to open up. While on the south flank of the ridge, the views are mostly of Tinkham and Silver Peaks. But once we crested the ridge the views to the north opened up with a panorama from Granite Mtn to Alta Mtn. Just before reaching the top we came to a small clearing that had evidence of fire at one time. Upon closer inspection it appeared that there was once some kind of structure here that burned down - most likely a small shed. This is where we stopped and ate lunch and enjoyed the sunshine. From here the summit is only about 500 feet away. The views from the summit are even more spectacular - Cascade peaks to the north, Keechelus Lake and Roaring Ridge to the east and Mt Rainier and the Cascade Range to the south. After taking in the sights we headed back, making a stop at Twin Lakes. While I was talking to a couple of other hikers here, Annie decided to go for a swim, pack and all. Luckily it was warm enough for her to, mostly, dry off before we got back to the car.
Sep 09 - Mount Catherine
Trailhead: N47 29 09.8 W121 42 03.5 (NAD83) Elevation: 950 ft Distance: 9.5 miles Elevation gain: 3800 ft Hike time: 9:57 am to 5:59 pm Total time: 8 hrs 2 minutes Permit required: Discover Pass
Destination: N47 30 32.2 W121 41 42.7 Elevation: 4750 ft Total Ascent: 4420 ft
Driving directions: From I-90, take exit 32 and turn north on 436th Ave SE. In about 1/2 mile (at the stop sign), take a left on SE North Bend Way. Follow for .3 mile then turn right on SE Mount Si Rd. In nearly 3.5 miles (Just before 480th Ave SE) take a left onto a wide gravel area with a blue gate. Park here but don't block the gate.
Hike description: This "trail" is actually an old road that goes up the ridge between Mt Si and Mt Teneriffe before sweeping along the ridge toward Mt Teneriffe. We headed up the road/trail past the gate on a somewhat cloudy but extremely pleasant Monday morning. We passed the Kamikaze Falls trail 25 minutes later and the Lower Mt Si Connector trail 15 minutes after that. Nearly an hour later, and another 2 miles up the hillside, the views started to open up. Rattlesnake Lake and part of the South Fork Snoqualmie valley popped into view. By now we were over halfway to the summit so we continued on, passing the Upper Mt Si Connector trail 45 minutes later. Just past here the trail begins to swing around to the east around Blowdown Mtn and we soon came to a large clearing giving us fantastic views to the south. After a short rest and several photos we pushed on for another 3/4 mile before stopping for lunch at a small rock quarry. We left the quarry 25 minutes later and soon came to an abandoned house. I looked inside the open doorway but it was pretty well trashed so I didn't bother going in and as it was getting late in the day we pressed on. Soon after, the main road crests the ridge and turns back to the west over the other side - but our destination was the other direction so when we hit the top of the ridge we headed up a seemingly fresh logging track headed east. Luckily we were only on this track for less than 1/4 mile as it was pretty miserable for hiking. At the end of it, an actual trail would take us the rest of the way to the summit, although near the end it kind of fades away and gets very hard to follow. Once on the trail it is a good 1/2 mile through the trees before reaching the "hump" of the summit. Once there the trail fades away and its a matter of picking the best way up to the top. There is no way that I can describe the view from the summit that will do it justice. To the north, there was a huge fog bank coming up the valley from the North Fork Snoqualmie valley that was so thick it looked like you could walk on it. It made me feel like I was standing on Mt Everest, way above the rest of the world. Across the Middle Fork and the South Fork Snoqualmie valleys the view was clear for the most part, with Russian Butte and Mailbox Peak across the Middle Fork and Rattlesnake Mtn across the South Fork. After enjoying the view for a good 25 minutes we decided to head back down. I was hoping to go back down the Kamikaze trail but had so much trouble finding it that I decided to go back the way we came. With a pretty uneventful hike down, we reached the car at almost 6:00 - a 5 hour hike up and a 3 hour hike back down.
Sep 13 - Mount Teneriffe
Trailhead: N47 30 34.0 W121 50 37.3 (NAD83) Elevation: 1060 ft Distance: 8 miles Elevation gain: 2025 ft Hike time: 9:58 am to 1:40 pm Total time: 3 hrs 42 minutes Permit required: Discover Pass
Destination: N47 28 17.9 W121 49 15.4 Elevation: 3085 ft Total Ascent: 2120 ft
Driving directions: Eastbound I-90 - Take exit 27 off I-90 just west of North Bend. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right and follow the road up the hill. The parking area and trailhead is to the right at the top of the hill. Westbound I-90 - Take exit 31 off I-90 at North Bend and take a right, at the end of the ramp, onto Bendigo Blvd S. Follow Bendigo for .6 miles and take a left onto W North Bend Way. Follow North Bend Way for 3.3 miles, then follow the road under the freeway and up the hill to the parking area.
Hike description: We started out from the trailhead on a Monday morning in the middle of a downpour. Within an hour we were entering Cedar Alley and the rain had finally stopped. Another 20 minutes and we passed through Sally's Swale. By noon we were at Grand Prospect - for what it was worth. The area was so socked in with rain clouds there was absolutely no view at all. We stayed less than 10 minutes before heading back down. Within 45 minutes we were back at Stan's Overlook and the clouds had lifted somewhat. We rested for a few minutes, took some photos then headed back to the car, arriving at 1:40 - a record time for me.
Sep 20 - Rattlesnake Mountain: Grand Prospect
A note about the Google maps: Because of the way the Google maps work, the marker for the parking lot or trailhead is not always in the right position on the map. However, there is a way to find the exact position. First copy the GPS coordinates from the description below the map. Then click on the word Google in the lower left corner of the map. This opens another window with a full sized map of the area. Paste the coordinates into the search box and hit enter. A red marker appears at the exact coordinates of the parking lot or trailhead. You can also get directions to it by clicking the word "Directions" - just under the box you pasted the coordinates into - and then entering a starting location.