Meadow Mountain by Loser Ridge is the highest point in the Cedar River Watershed. The peak rises above Stirrup Lake and Meadow Pass south of Snoqualmie Pass. At the same time, the northeast summit straddles the King-Kittitas County border.
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Meadow Mountain at a Glance
Access: Road-5078
Round Trip: 3.3 miles
Elevation Range: 4240′-5440′
Gear: none
Route Info: Julie Myer
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
En Route to Meadow Pass and Beyond
While the pups rested from yesterday’s trip, I took a stroll up Meadow Mountain. I haven’t had a chance to come up before the snowfall. Otherwise, the five-mile walk from the main road to Meadow Pass would’ve been tough to swallow.
The road became rockier after the first couple of miles. Along the way were a few groups of campers out enjoying their day. From the pass, I drove uphill and later parked by the last fork off Road 5078.
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Meadow Mountain West Soute
According to some reports, a trail starts from the last road bend. But I didn’t see an entrance anywhere, so I walked up the grassy slope still damp from last night’s rain. At times, the dense second-growth was a bit annoying.
Soon, I found the trail above 5000′ by the Cedar River Watershed sign; it paralleled the boundary for a bit. Later the path went up through a couple of open fields and ended on Meadow Mountain’s south peak.
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The Old Lookout on South Peak
Granite rock piles made up the top of the south peak. There was even a walkway that led up to the former lookout. Too bad it’s been cloudy all day. Judging by the open space, the views would’ve been phenomenal!
I stayed a few minutes to enjoy the silence before leaving. Then I followed the ridge trail north toward the actual high point taller by a whopping 26 feet! The path mainly stayed below the east of the crest.
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Meadow Mountain Summit Plus Outro
The two peaks are just a little over a quarter of a mile apart. Before long, I was on top, looking out at nothing. Tall trees lined the north side, and another 400′ down the north ridge would take me to the northeast peak.
Later I returned to the trail fork and down to the watershed boundary. Then the path disappeared under the tree debris where I had found it earlier. Another 300′ scrambling soon took me back on the road to hike out.
See more trip photos here.