Mount Garfield East Peak, situated near Treen Peak, sits on a dramatic multi-peak massif nearly half a mile from its main summit. Named after the 20th U.S. President, James A. Garfield, the peak rises sharply above the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley. With its numerous routes, the mountain has long been an objective for mountaineers seeking challenging climbs.
See more trip photos here.
Mount Garfield East Peak at a Glance
Access: Green Ridge Trail
Round Trip: 7.2 miles
Elevation Range: 1320′-5493′
Essential Gear: helmet, microspikes
Route Info: Erik Schulz
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no
Playlist: Keep Moving
An Early Start on Green Ridge Trail
Snow in higher elevations had melted fast in the past two weeks. Judging by recent satellite images, the ridge appeared to be clear and ready for prime time. Due to the unfavorable weather forecast for Friday and beyond, today was the final day of the week for a more promising and successful climb. The walk began at 6 AM under an overcast sky. An hour later, the sun slowly seeped through the mist, adding more life to the surroundings.
This was my fourth time hiking the steep trail, but the first without dogs or snow. It was also the second trip venturing into the scenic lake basin after Treen Peak, where I got an intimate look at Garfield Mountain. The lower path near Green Ridge Creek had a dozen downed trees until after entering the wilderness above 2000 feet. Starting in the light, the trail seemed much more defined than on previous trips.
Upward Through the Ridge Bumps
The switchbacks on the ascent felt random as they didn’t always cut across steep spots. Vegetation underwent consistent changes throughout the 3000-foot gain over 1.5 miles toward the end of the beaten path. It was the same spot where Connor and I split off for Floating Rock back in January. Also, someone kindly trimmed the thin trees and blocked off several dead-end spur trails with branches.
As the path dwindled, I scrambled to the first of two ridge bumps with a cairn on top. After checking out Floating Rock, a trail soon led me to the saddle toward the next ridgetop. Along the way, I got the first glimpse of the impressive Mount Garfield East Peak. This second, slightly taller bump also had a cairn, but it sat below the top. From here, I glanced toward where I had just come from and across the valley.
Talus Bypass to Mount Garfield East Peak
Soon, the route dropped toward Pond 4662, the first water source since the car. The stagnant pool looked a little murky as I continued along the meadow, but I later fetched some from the outlet. With little snow, crossing the large talus 500 feet down the north side looked unappealing. So, I checked out Peak 4970, which surprisingly worked out well. It only required a quick bypass south of the outcrops over some logs to reach the top.
After a few minutes on the summit scoping out my destination, the route continued west to the saddle. I then rounded Peak 4840 to the col, intending to stop by on the way back. From the ridge, Peak 4900 didn’t look doable or worth the attempt to climb over. So I dropped to the north side via a steep and slick gully. The next part involved hugging the bottom of the cliffs through a couple of thinning snow slopes to the next pass.
Traversing Broken Ridgeline Amidst Boulders
The terrain steepened just before reaching the notch, which offered spotty views. The hidden passage at the headwall continued behind some krummholz and rose sharply to Point 5000. Since I had lost a microspike a few days earlier, I was extra careful on duff-covered slopes. Surprisingly, the terrain here was significantly more forgiving than on Bear Mountain, which featured a constant incline.
From there, the path briefly dropped to a saddle before climbing sharply again toward a gigantic boulder. I rounded it from the north, where the main peak soon reappeared in the distance. Next came the low-incline bouldered crest, where a series of ramps proved to be quite efficient. It was possible to hug the crest but would involve entering a narrow chasm before climbing out of the rock pool. It looked physically taxing, so I avoided it.
Final Stretch to Mount Garfield East Peak
At the end of the boulders, it was a quick drop onto the last saddle. From there, it was tempting to return to the crest immediately. However, it was more manageable to continue briefly via a visible grass ramp before crossing over to the south. Below the final ridge of Mount Garfield East Peak, I stayed on the south, attempting to avoid the cliffs. In turn, I moved through steep, exposed flakes, overlooking deep chasms, which raised the heart rate a bit!
In hindsight, the better option would be to ascend through the outcrops using good holds. While it looked unlikely, it was certainly doable when accessing during the descent. Not only did it skip the exposure on the south, but it also led into a wide open area on the north. Seeing a roomy ridgetop and not as pointy as it appeared from below was surprising. Shortly, an airy walk over sloping slabs and knife edges brought me to the south (false) summit.
Summit Views and an Easier Descent
The true summit, about another 100 feet north, was only visible once I reached the south (false) summit. It was hard to discern the higher point, so I quickly went to check it out after a minute to catch my breath. But of course, the south end looked taller from the other side—a classic mountain optical illusion. After getting pictures of the impressive main peak, I returned to the less exposed false summit to enjoy the rest of my stay.
The views were mainly misty to the west and south, but waiting for a while allowed the clouds to clear. Treen Peak was also the focus of the trip. On the way out, I meticulously retraced my steps and corrected the route in a few places for a smoother descent. I bypassed Peak 4970 from the south but needed to cross a broad slab gully with care. Then, below the wilderness line, I built a cairn on some boulders to help reduce future confusion.
