With our wife/mom spending the weekend at the Summit Lodge on Snoqualmie Pass my daughter and I decided to check in on her and then take advantage of the great hiking weather. She got new trekking poles early for her November birthday and had to try them out; what a difference for her, especially on ascents and creek crossings!
The trail is in great shape with some light mud in places and very busy. We even saw a few trail runners heading up in the cold morning air. Many hikers continued into Commonwealth Basin. Once we were in the sunshine we warmed up considerably and began the short switchbacks that climb the ridge along the SW slopes of Red Mountain. We thought we reached the pass but quickly realized it was the basin that holds the small tarn instead. The ridge was another 20 minutes above the lake and had some very cool breezes blowing across it when we got there. The views to the north were amazing, including Mt Price, Big Snow Mtn, Iron Cap Peak, Overcoat Peak, and especially Mt Thomson - this peak seems to look the same from every direction, no? A number of hikers scrambled up Red Mountain and were visible on the southwest slopes.
We were on the trail for 6 1/2 hours and my daughter was relieved to reach the pass just as her patience was about to wear out. She was a trooper the whole way and had a blast on the way down. She even circled the lake before descending. A 10 mile hike RT according to the Green Trails but the lower PCT only has one set of switchbacks now instead of two. From the pass remnants of the old CCT trail are visible on the lower northeastern slopes of Lundin Peak.
The late fall colors always seem to turn the deepest reds in the deciduous trees. The devil's club is prevalent near the TH and bright yellow turning brown on the edges. Snoqualmie Pass looked alive today, even though winter is only a month or so away.
A red letter day, my hiking buddy even wore red!
More red along the trail (my daughter's pic)
From the PCT Red Mountain looms ahead with it's signature soils and slopes
Red Mountain from PCT
A four pic panorama taken from the pass shows the far off distance northward
Pano north from Red Pass: Price, Big Snow, Iron Cap, Overcoat, Chimney, and Thomson
The closer peaks also show steep faces from this approach
Red Mountain's western flank
Lundin Peak from Red Pass
And the hike back down reveals Commonwealth Basin in a whole new light
A shimmering reflection of color
Mount Rainier from across Snoqualmie Pass
Guye Peak and Snoqualmie Mtn in PM light
Footprints on the sands of time will never be made sitting down.
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Footprints on the sands of time will never be made sitting down.
Thanks PhillyJon!
SB: This is a pretty rewarding hike only accented further by the fall colors if you wait to go later in the season. My daughter was enthralled with the small lake, almost to the point where she didn't want to climb a little further to the pass. But the view from the pass took her breath away. And I got to tell her, "See that peak way out there? I was on that summit just a few weeks ago!"
Footprints on the sands of time will never be made sitting down.
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Footprints on the sands of time will never be made sitting down.
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