Philadelphia Mountain dwells in the shadow of Mount Index’s dramatic cliffs above Lake Serene. To the south sits the obscure Melted Mountain. No grand views on top, but one can instead find solitude away from the lake seekers.
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Philadelphia Mountain at a Glance
Access: Lake Serene Trailhead
Round Trip: 11 miles
Elevation Range: 600′-4258′
Gear: snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface
The lack of summit views has put off my visit to Philadelphia Mountain for years. I wanted someplace new and decided to visit the mountain midweek. Not that the partly sunny weather mattered since I wouldn’t see much on top.
But oddly, the weather significantly improved after I arrived at the trailhead past noon. Unsurprisingly, I’dould see many cars at the Lake Serene Trailhead on a Thursday. But I was happy thatwasn’tsn’t a packed lot.
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Lake Serene Trail
Despite the number of cars in the lot, I didn’tdn’t see hikers on the lower trail. My mind must’ve been off someplace else as I’d somehow taken the wrong turn at the fork. Soon, I found myself approaching Bridal Veil Falls.
Before returning to the trail fork, I briefly talked to three guys by the falls. Then I went onto Lake Serene Trail and walked two more miles up to the toilet sign by the lake. Shortly, I turned left into the brush and continued.
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West Ridge Route
The massive down trees had made it tricky to reach the west ridge. But once on the ridgeline, the route was straightforward. Meanwhile, I followed a faint trail en route and soon put on snowshoes at ‘400’ in soft snow.
Higher up, the dense foliage slowly reduced the views. But the few clearings to the north gave views of the expansive Skykomish River Valley. Though, I still saw the top of Mount Index on the west.
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Philadelphia Mountain Summit Plus Exit
The flat and woodsy summit with spotty views was what I’d expected. I walked around the east, hoping to see across the valley but to no avail. Then I peeked through trees to, Frozen Mountain, Palmer Mountain, and Crosby Mountain,
I saw nothing to the east, disappointing for a peak at a prime location. After scouting, I went down to Lake Serene. A girl with her dog on the boulder left right after. Later, I caught up to them on the trail and returned to the cars together.
See more trip photos here.