Palmer Mountain and Crosby Mountain share a ridgeline by Bing Peak. It sits across the Skykomish River from Baring Mountain. Moreover, the peak boasts an expansive valley view, including Mount Index and Tonga Ridge.
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Palmer Mountain at a Glance
Access: Lowe Creek Road
Round Trip: 9 miles
Elevation Range: 800′-5043′
Gear: snowshoes, microspikes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
Walking to Lowe Creek
We approached the gate on Lowe Creek Road, 1.3 miles from Highway 2. From there, it was another 1.5 miles to Lowe Creek. Since the bridge had been out for quite some time, the pups and I crossed at 100 feet downstream.
After crossing the water on a log, we left the road another .1 mile past the creek. The part from the roadway up to the quarry felt like the crux of the trip. There was a large number of down trees to bypass.
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En Route to the 2600′ Quarry
We went through lots of brush in the trees, including more down trees between 1800′ and 2400′. As we moved uphill, we crossed an old road several times. The path was now under new growth and barely recognizable.
Soon, we came upon a run-down cabin 200′ before the quarry, which was larger than I expected. We bypassed the pit from the right before taking the steep ridge with a faint trail. Then we followed it to a flat area at 3800′ before it faded into the snow.
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Palmer Mountain East Ridge Route
As the terrain steepened, I put on microspikes at 3900′ for traction. Then I put on snowshoes at 4150′ on soft snow, and we traversed below the crest. Soon, we were at the saddle between Point 4800 and the summit.
After seeing dry rocks ahead, I left the snowshoes and poles 100′ below the top. Then we slowly moved up the east ridge on solid holds. Soon, we weaved through giant boulders and loose rocks to the top.
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Palmer Mountain Summit Views Plus Exit
The summit was mainly flat with cornices on the north, which we avoided entirely. It was another vantage point with excellent views. Hard to believe I hadn’t noticed the mountain before, as I’d driven past it several times.
Crosby Mountain was the main attraction and dominated the southern skyline. To the west were Index Peak and Philadelphia Mountain, plus Baring Mountain, Townsend Mountain, and Gunn Peak to the northeast. Then Cleveland Mountain and others were to the east.
After staying an hour on top, we scrambled back to the snow. Then we continued down the mountain and out the way we came.
See more trip photos here.