Snoqualmie Mountain by Guye Peak sits north of Snoqualmie Pass above Alpental Ski Area. It’s one of the few places accessible from its foothills in winter. Moreover, Snow Lake Trailhead directly accesses this peak beside the freeway.
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Snoqualmie Mountain at a Glance
Access: Snoqualmie Alpental Ski Area
Round Trip: 3.2 miles
Elevation Range: 3120′-6278′
Gear: microspikes, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Snoqualmie Mountain
Today was the fourth and final day of our Thanksgiving week hiking streak. So the pup and I went to one of my Snoqualmie Pass favorites. It’s been four years since my last visit, so it’s long overdue.
Snoqualmie Mountain is the tallest peak in the area. It overlooks South Fork Snoqualmie River with its awe-inspiring views. The nearest higher neighbor is still three miles away.
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Breaking Trail
Someone had carved out a trail since the recent snowfall. So we followed the path past the junction. But it soon faded before the 4400′ gully by the headwall. It looked like everyone had turned around there.
I put on snowshoes on the other side of the gully. Then we went up the steep slopes. Soon, we went out of the forest at 4800′. Then for the next 1500′, we plowed through fresh snow on the south ridge.
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South Ridge
The wind started as the terrain steepened. So we would sometimes dodge the gusts by moving over to the leeward side of the crest. But then we would be in deep powder.
The wind was more tolerable in the final 300′. So we were able to stay on the crest in shallow snow. Later from the summit ridge, we traversed northwest and reached the top shortly.
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Summit Plus Views
This mountain remained an excellent vantage point near Snoqualmie Pass. It views many places in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, including the neighboring Red Mountain. It also sees the dramatic peaks in the Stone Kingdom.
Oh my! Some nearby high points from the top were Chair Peak, Kaleetan Peak, and Mount Thomson. We also saw Alta Mountain, Mount Rainier, and all peaks in the Stone Kingdom.
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Outro
Kimber and Carl from Tacoma came up an hour later and thanked us for our tracks. The weather was so great that we stayed for a long time on top. Afterward, we plunge-stepped our way down the mountain.
The inversion swept over Snoqualmie Pass and Snow Lake Basin. It grew even more dramatic as the day progressed. As the rising clouds slowly overtook the low places, we soon returned to the misty forest.
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