Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington

This is a great side trip from Backpacking to Marmot & Jade Lakes. Check out the Adventure linked above for directions on how to get as far as Jade Lake.  I would recommend 2 nights at either Marmot or Jade to allow for a full day of exploration from your camp.  From Jade what is described be...

Starting Elevation: 3400 Feet Ending Elevation: 6178 Feet Round Trip Run: 17 Miles Total Elevation Gained for the Day: 4100 FeetIt's best to drive to the trailhead the night before and camp out (I slept in my Jeep to get an early start on the next morning). The parking lots are jammed full on the...

You start out at Stevens Pass just across the street from the lodge. The trailhead is slightly hidden but it is located to the left of the substation. Parking is plenty before ski-season.  Once you are all geared up, you wanna hit the trail running cause this is a long one to snowshoe. With short...

Both trails start at the Esmeralda Trailhead, Trail Number 1394. Lake Ann has a handful of folks that you will run into, whereas Lake Ingalls is a well-traveled trail. Both offer camping spots along the trail, and Lake Ann has spots where you can camp by the lake. NO CAMPING ALLOWED at Lake Ingal...

Start at the Stuart Lake trailhead, which at 3400' is a full 2000' higher than the Snow Lake trailhead you'll finish at. Put 2.5 easy miles under your feet along Mountaineer Creek before turning left on the trail up to Colchuck Lake. The trail steepens for the next 1.5 miles before popping you ou...

Getting There From Seattle, drive Interstate 90 to Exit 62, Signed Kachess Lake/Stampede Pass. Turn left and head north over the interstate; you'll reach Kachess Lake Campground in five miles. Turn left where the pavements ends and drive four miles on Box Canyon Road (FS Road #4930) to the Rachel...

Getting There: From I-90 East, take exit 62. Take a left, heading over the highway. After 5.2 miles, the road veers left, passing Lake Kachess Campground. Go another 0.3 miles on the gravel road and take a right at a sign for Rachel Lake/Trail 1313. At this point, the road gets a little rough, bu...

Start off at Trail #1313 to Rachel Lake. The first 2.5 miles is a flat, slow uphill hike till you get to a river crossing. From there, the next 1.3 miles will be a 1,000 foot elevation gain to Rachel Lake. Once you arrive, this is a good spot to rest, eat some snacks, and replenish your water sup...

It's an easy day hike to the Ridge of only 2.5 miles. On the ridge you can relax and enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains and a view of Leavenworth. I went into the Rangers office to ask for a good spot to take night time photos and this is one of the areas they suggested. Make sure you ge...

At the Snow Lake Trail, you start at a elevation of 1400 feet and run up to Nada Lake 5000 feet at 5.6 miles. From here, you make your way to Lower and Upper Snow Lake, 2.2 miles. There are a lot of campsites in this area, but you have to apply to stay the night at these lakes. You will need to...

Friday after work I headed out to Snow Lake Trail and found my perfect camping spot. There is a sign that says no Camping but I broke the rule since I got the ok from the Forrest Department of Agriculture. Spent the night at Snow Lake and then Saturday I ran over to Gem Lake and notice no one t...

Starting at the Snoqualmie Pass PCT trailhead, you start hiking through an old growth forest. This hike has a nice gradual incline with views starting near a talus field. Late June, early July wildflowers are growing like crazy along the trail. This field offers a up close view of Mt. Rainier alo...

Kendall Peak is an easily accessible summit hike just off of Exit 52 of I-90 that offers spectacular 360-degree views of the entire Snoqualmie range. You’ll start out in the PCT parking lot where you’ll need a NW Forest Pass to park, or pay the daily fee. A permanent bathroom and backcountry acce...

There are quite a few ways up Guye Peak ranging from a simple walk up to multiple pitches of technical rock climbing.  Both of the routes described here start from the PCT parking lot north of exit 52 of I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass.  Some of the scrambling described would be treacherous in wet or sno...

If you want to visit multiple lakes, get a view of or tackle a peak at Kaleetan, Chair, and Bryant, campgrounds for overnight or weekend adventures, fish in the lakes, explore off the trail and natural waterslides and picnic area waterfalls, this is for you. Denny Creek Trail offers it all! Afte...

The hike begins at Snoqualmie Lake Trailhead, but you'll actually have to start your hike about a half mile down the road from the trailhead as some cement barricades are up. There is plenty of room to park below the barricades, and the walk up to the trial head is easy and quick. Once at the tr...