[pipedream]

It's been 10 years since my last snow-free summit of Snoqualmie Mountain. Not much has changed. The rocks are still omnipresent, the tread is loose with poor footing and the pitch is relentless without a single flat stretch between the parking lot and the peak. It might be a thousand feet of less vertical but I swear it's as, if not more, taxing than the old trail up Mailbox Peak. What started out as a plan to go for a nice hike in this incredible fall weather we're having with a single requirement to take out the recycling on the way to the TH resulted in a grueling, 8 hour grind up and across the Alpental high country. I hit the trail at 10am and despite the telemetry reading a brisk 38F was quickly satisfied with my choice of shorts and a lightweight longsleeve shirt. By the time I started up the portion of the trail shared with the creek I was down to just my t-shirt and sweating profusely. I made good time to the waterfall crossing where I realized I'd missed the trail junction to my intended destination of Guye Peak (which I swore was signed but is no longer, apparently). But I was making good time and I had plenty of provisions so I figured, what the heck, why not go summit Snoqualmie. Yeah, the next time I decide to do that just go ahead and break my knees. The climb up was how I remembered it - forever working up a steep climbers' path along the SE ridgeline. The sun was blazing, the shade was limited but there was an intermittent breeze which made grinding through the warm, inversion-created weather satisfying. I reached the summit in a hair under 3 hours - not bad, considering I typically pace myself at an hour per 1000'. On top, I crossed paths with a backcountry skiing buddy and we conversed while we rested. He informed me of where I'd missed the trail but provided an alternative solution which I will not share publicly. We departed the summit together and he directed me to a nice, cross-country route across Cave Ridge which spat me out at the foot of Guye Peak. To say it was beautiful would be an understatement. I made my second summit push of the day, which was much easier than the first and found myself standing atop Guye Peak around 3:50. Not quite 6 hours in, I was doing great on timing. I ran into some neighbors of mine on the north summit of Guye who graciously shared some of their extra "provisions" with me. We departed together around 4:30, intending to be back at the parking lot no later than 6. Things were going well until I hit the boulder field above the trail junction I'd missed in the morning. My legs were shaking. My knees were creaking. I was spent but still 1000' above the valley floor. My pace slowed to a crawl, my acquaintances disappeared down the trail ahead of me. I was alone and suffering. Every big step elicited quiet cursing. A few groups caught-up and passed me. They offered encouraging words before disappearing downhill. Finally, at 6:15, I reached the road and breathed a big sigh of relief. My neighbors were sitting at the picnic table enjoying some beverages and ice cream. I declined the offer to join them, fearing if I stopped moving I wouldn't be able to walk across the parking lot to my car. I kicked my boots off, crawled into the driver's seat and looked at the thermometer - it still read 38 degrees.

H*ck this trail portion, in particular