My friend and I tried going up to Kendall Peak nine years ago. Despite being a few hundred feet shy of the summit, we turned around because of the snow. Recently, I went through my “unfinished business” list. Then I realized I had forgotten all about the peak.
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Access: Pacific Crest Trailhead
Elevation Range: 3000′-5784′
Round Trip: TBD
Gear: helmet, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Pacific Crest Trailhead
What the black pup and I didn’t finish back then, the yellow pup and I completed it today. I wanted to make good use of the beautiful weather. So this way, we would avoid the weekend crowds. But we didn’t leave home until the late morning.
Surprisingly, only two cars in the parking lot when we arrived. I thought more people would be out today since the weather was so gorgeous. But that sure was not the case! Shortly, the pup and I left the Pacific Crest Trailhead (PCT).
See more trip photos here.
Hiking Through Commonwealth Basin
I wanted to avoid the long switchbacks in the lower sections of the PCT. So we took the Commonwealth Basin Trail instead. There was still lots of snow in the forested basin, and it was mostly firm. So I didn’t need to use snowshoes. But I had brought them just in case.
Soon, we got on the PCT right before the trail junction. Then we hiked up to the open meadow at 4200′. There were lots of tracks in the snow. But none was going near the summer trail. So we scrambled east and stayed close to the stream in the meadow. Then we got back onto the PCT again at 4800′.
See more trip photos here.
Kendall Peak Climb
Some of the trail through the talus was still visible up until the 5200′ switchback. The snow was slushy past that point, and so I put on snowshoes there. Afterward, we scrambled northeast toward Kendall Peak’s north ridge. Then snow dwindled at 5500′. From there, we found the steep trail and followed it up to the top.
This peak was another vantage point in the Snoqualmie Pass area. Views were beyond excellent! Notable summits included Alta Mountain, Red Mountain, Lundin Peak, Snoqualmie Mountain, Chair Peak, Mount Roosevelt, and Denny Mountain. The beautiful Keechelus Lake was just on the other side of the pass. I bet this place is full of crowds during the high season!
See more trip photos here.
We followed our tracks on the way down. It was yet another beautiful day in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness!