Melted Mountain by Philadelphia Mountain rises above Index Creek. To the northwest, Mount Index perches over Lake Serene, the source of the Bridal Veil Falls. Meanwhile, Frozen Mountain sits atop Index Creek’s headwaters to the southwest.
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Melted Mountain at a Glance
Access: Index Creek Trailhead
Round Trip: TBD
Elevation Range: 1240′-5520′
Gear: snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
Index Creek Trail
It was great to be back in the Cascades again after last week. We hiked to the bottom of Melted Mountain Last October before turning around. Then the heightened avalanche danger this weekend led us to Index Creek.
Shortly after leaving the trailhead, I wore snowshoes over poor snow quality. But it let us cross Index Creek to the south side more smoothly. Meanwhile, we avoided much of the brush but with minimal views throughout the trees.
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Traversing the East Ridge
The route up the steep east ridge was direct despite the number of down trees. We sometimes needed to scope the terrain to bypass them with the least effort. The windfalls dwindled at 3000′ as the ridge steepened for the next 200′.
Once we entered the clearing at 3400′, the terrain flattened a bit. But soon, it steepened again between 3600′ and 4000′. Erratic snow conditions throughout, but it could’ve been firmer for the ease of traversing.
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Melted Mountain Summit Views Plus Exit
The final 200′ to the top was rather enjoyable. Cornices draped north and west of the broad summit, with more spaced-out trees. The best views stood to the east and northeast, where I saw Baring Mountain and the Gunn Peak group.
There were also Mount Index, Frozen Mountain, and Palmer Mountain. But Philadelphia Mountain, Crosby Mountain, and Red Mountain were behind the trees. It was a vantage point to view the Skykomish River winding through the valley.
We retraced our steps on the way down and made it to the lower forest in no time. Before long, we had crossed Index Creek and walked back to the car.
See more trip photos here.