03-01-25
Gary
was free for a Saturday trip.
We had two ski trips in February but had not yet had a snowshoe trip
this year. We talked about Mt. McCausland near Stevens Pass and the
Blewett Pass area. We decided a trip to Kendall Lakes would be the best
bet. A shorter drive and more time to recreate. There would be a hard
packed track too. We planned to arrive at Gold Creek at 8:00 am and
arrived a few minutes earlier. There were very few cars there. I
expected more on what would be a sunny and warm day. We got started at
8:02 am. There was some fog near the start but we were quickly above
it. We stowed our snowshoes and put on microspikes at first. The
walking was easy. The route starts flat then begins the moderate grade
all the way up. We had not had snow in a while so the trees were all
green. I missed the flocking but the blue sky made up for it. The
temperature was 44F at Denny Creek and 28F at the start. The going was
much easier in boots than with snowshoes.
We hiked at a moderate speed and expected to be passed a few times by quicker hikers or skiers. It did not happen. Part way up we had our first views out. Denny Mountain peeked through the trees. Then we had a clear look at Granite Mountain. With my zoom lens I could see the lookout building. We had some glimpses of the ski areas. We passed through the two sets of switchbacks. At one switchback we were out in the sunshine. It was time for a break. It felt like 65 degrees now. The wind was light to non-existent all day long. After the switchback we had a long traverse to the "T" junction. The knob to our left came into view between trees. Two to three decades ago I skied or snowshoed up the clearcut slopes. Now the forest is back. The track began to soften a bit. If I stepped to the edge of the track I could sink in a bit. There were some deeper post holes from hikers coming down in boots when the snow was soft. We were still doing fine. We took another short break at the "T" junction. It no longer is a junction. Now there is just the main road switchbacking right and uphill to the ridge top. Gary and I often turn left here. The bridge is gone but the creek can usually be crossed with snowshoes. On the other side we leave the road and go cross country to the lower Kendall Lake.
This day we were not going to be breaking trail alone. There were no tracks heading that way. The snow was soft enough away from the tracks to sink in quite a bit. The packed road was as much better plan. Up we went. At the ridge top we stopped to discuss heading out to the end of Kendall Knob for the views with the morning sunshine or going on to the lakes first. I favored getting the views with good light but the path out to it was not pounded out. We decided to get to the lakes before the crowds arrived and check out the views on the way back. The ridge walk was once a big open clearcut but the trees have grown back. We had some forest and some open spots with views. Going up the road I looked back and saw the top of Mt. Rainier now showing to the south. We reached the spot where the trail leaves the road for the walk over to the lower lake. The snow was still firm enough to support us so our snowshoes remained on our packs.
The lower lake is really just a snowy meadow under snow. There was a track coming from the right side of the lake and a bigger one heading around the left side. The basin is very scenic. We headed around the left side. The path continued uphill, heading towards the middle lake. The route is much like the end of the cross country route we take from the "T" junction. It was getting a bit soft again but we made it to the middle lake. And there we found three hikers about to leave. We saw nobody on the route but did see three people at the lake. They left and we had the lake to ourselves. The shore was part in sun and part in shade. We sat in the sunshine. The lake is completely under snow. A set of ski tracks went across the lake. The upper lake is about 300' above. I have not been there. Gary has been there twice. We had no ice axes and no desire to head up the steep slope. It was very comfortable at the lake sitting in the sunshine with no wind. We have been here many times and it is usually sub-freezing and windy. We could not have had better conditions this day.
We arrived at 10:32 am. It was a little early for lunch but after 2.5 hours we were ready for a food and water break. We were in no hurry to move on. Later on a lone hiker arrived. We were about ready to go when a group of three arrived. We had a lot of solitude and it was coming to an end. We decided to continue along the middle lake and then drop to the lower lake. We put on snowshoes here. There were signs of a track but it was old and covered with new snow. We headed back at 11:24 am. We spent nearly an hour at the lake. Our route down was short and steep. We reached the lower lake and headed around it. We crossed over to the track we came in on. On the way back to the road we passed another hiker. So far most folks were still booting it. Some did not bring snowshoes. At the road we met a group of four or so. It was not surprising to see more folks nearing the lake. The walk down the road was easy enough. We had some more good views. The sky was still all blue.
Mt. Rainier was still in sight. We stopped to look back to peaks over the lakes too. At the low point on the ridge the trail out to Kendall Knob now had a track set in. We headed off on it. It was not well packed but was fine with snowshoes. We slogged along until the trees parted and the viewpoint appeared. A family with a small child were there. We went out to the end of the drop-off. The whole meadow was bathed in sunshine. It now felt much warmer. I had on polypro and a light shirt that was barely enough in the morning but it was more than enough now. The views are pretty great. Behind us was Hibox Mountain from an angle I do not recall seeing. The ski areas were below. To the left we could see all of Lake Keechelus. Silver Peak and Mt. Catherine were ahead of us. Granite Mountain was a bit farther right. It is a terrific viewpoint on a rare clear winter day. We arrived at 12:17 pm. Again, we had no great desire to move on.
At 12:42 pm we headed on down. Twenty-five minutes was hardly enough time enjoying the views and the sunshine. We headed back to the junction where there were a couple groups. Gary decided to switch back to microspikes but I am heavier and was concerned that the sunshine would have the track much softer. Snowshoes are more work than just boots but sinking in often is much more work. I headed down to the "T" junction while Gary switched to spikes. There were two people ahead of me going down. At the junction I took off the polypro layer. It was a good decision. I was much more comfortable with just a light shirt on. Gary soon arrived. The junction is exactly 3 miles from the trailhead per several GPS tracks we have made.We had 6 miles done and almost all the elevation gain and had just those 3 miles to go. We had people ahead and behind us going down. We saw two skiers start moving as we neared and they were out of sight quickly. It was warm in the sunshine and not that cool in the shade. It was so much warmer than usual for the first day of March.
The slog down seemed much longer than the hike up but that is not unusual. I was glad when we were in the last mile. We made it back to the car at 2:09 pm. On previous trips the bridge at the start was mostly gone with just a narrow part to cross on. Now it has been replaced and the crossing is wide and easy. It felt a lot warmer than the forecast high of 44F. Mt car registered 55F. On the drive home it read 68F in North Bend and 67 in Issaquah. Seattle had some thin high clouds and was 59F. Winter still has three weeks to go. This was a very warm day of snow travel.
This trip turned out great. It was much warmer than forecast and sunny all day long. The morning cold kept the track frozen so we did not need snowshoes going uphill. Gary made it down the last last 3 miles without them. I chose not to risk a lot of post holing. With snowshoes I did not sink in at all. The views were really good. Even the afternoon at Kendall Knob was had less glare than expected. We saw people while coming down but nobody while going up to the lakes. That's not a bad trade off when you go to a very popular place. I am always a little sore after the first snowshoe trip of the year but it was well worth it.
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We hiked at a moderate speed and expected to be passed a few times by quicker hikers or skiers. It did not happen. Part way up we had our first views out. Denny Mountain peeked through the trees. Then we had a clear look at Granite Mountain. With my zoom lens I could see the lookout building. We had some glimpses of the ski areas. We passed through the two sets of switchbacks. At one switchback we were out in the sunshine. It was time for a break. It felt like 65 degrees now. The wind was light to non-existent all day long. After the switchback we had a long traverse to the "T" junction. The knob to our left came into view between trees. Two to three decades ago I skied or snowshoed up the clearcut slopes. Now the forest is back. The track began to soften a bit. If I stepped to the edge of the track I could sink in a bit. There were some deeper post holes from hikers coming down in boots when the snow was soft. We were still doing fine. We took another short break at the "T" junction. It no longer is a junction. Now there is just the main road switchbacking right and uphill to the ridge top. Gary and I often turn left here. The bridge is gone but the creek can usually be crossed with snowshoes. On the other side we leave the road and go cross country to the lower Kendall Lake.
This day we were not going to be breaking trail alone. There were no tracks heading that way. The snow was soft enough away from the tracks to sink in quite a bit. The packed road was as much better plan. Up we went. At the ridge top we stopped to discuss heading out to the end of Kendall Knob for the views with the morning sunshine or going on to the lakes first. I favored getting the views with good light but the path out to it was not pounded out. We decided to get to the lakes before the crowds arrived and check out the views on the way back. The ridge walk was once a big open clearcut but the trees have grown back. We had some forest and some open spots with views. Going up the road I looked back and saw the top of Mt. Rainier now showing to the south. We reached the spot where the trail leaves the road for the walk over to the lower lake. The snow was still firm enough to support us so our snowshoes remained on our packs.
The lower lake is really just a snowy meadow under snow. There was a track coming from the right side of the lake and a bigger one heading around the left side. The basin is very scenic. We headed around the left side. The path continued uphill, heading towards the middle lake. The route is much like the end of the cross country route we take from the "T" junction. It was getting a bit soft again but we made it to the middle lake. And there we found three hikers about to leave. We saw nobody on the route but did see three people at the lake. They left and we had the lake to ourselves. The shore was part in sun and part in shade. We sat in the sunshine. The lake is completely under snow. A set of ski tracks went across the lake. The upper lake is about 300' above. I have not been there. Gary has been there twice. We had no ice axes and no desire to head up the steep slope. It was very comfortable at the lake sitting in the sunshine with no wind. We have been here many times and it is usually sub-freezing and windy. We could not have had better conditions this day.
We arrived at 10:32 am. It was a little early for lunch but after 2.5 hours we were ready for a food and water break. We were in no hurry to move on. Later on a lone hiker arrived. We were about ready to go when a group of three arrived. We had a lot of solitude and it was coming to an end. We decided to continue along the middle lake and then drop to the lower lake. We put on snowshoes here. There were signs of a track but it was old and covered with new snow. We headed back at 11:24 am. We spent nearly an hour at the lake. Our route down was short and steep. We reached the lower lake and headed around it. We crossed over to the track we came in on. On the way back to the road we passed another hiker. So far most folks were still booting it. Some did not bring snowshoes. At the road we met a group of four or so. It was not surprising to see more folks nearing the lake. The walk down the road was easy enough. We had some more good views. The sky was still all blue.
Mt. Rainier was still in sight. We stopped to look back to peaks over the lakes too. At the low point on the ridge the trail out to Kendall Knob now had a track set in. We headed off on it. It was not well packed but was fine with snowshoes. We slogged along until the trees parted and the viewpoint appeared. A family with a small child were there. We went out to the end of the drop-off. The whole meadow was bathed in sunshine. It now felt much warmer. I had on polypro and a light shirt that was barely enough in the morning but it was more than enough now. The views are pretty great. Behind us was Hibox Mountain from an angle I do not recall seeing. The ski areas were below. To the left we could see all of Lake Keechelus. Silver Peak and Mt. Catherine were ahead of us. Granite Mountain was a bit farther right. It is a terrific viewpoint on a rare clear winter day. We arrived at 12:17 pm. Again, we had no great desire to move on.
At 12:42 pm we headed on down. Twenty-five minutes was hardly enough time enjoying the views and the sunshine. We headed back to the junction where there were a couple groups. Gary decided to switch back to microspikes but I am heavier and was concerned that the sunshine would have the track much softer. Snowshoes are more work than just boots but sinking in often is much more work. I headed down to the "T" junction while Gary switched to spikes. There were two people ahead of me going down. At the junction I took off the polypro layer. It was a good decision. I was much more comfortable with just a light shirt on. Gary soon arrived. The junction is exactly 3 miles from the trailhead per several GPS tracks we have made.We had 6 miles done and almost all the elevation gain and had just those 3 miles to go. We had people ahead and behind us going down. We saw two skiers start moving as we neared and they were out of sight quickly. It was warm in the sunshine and not that cool in the shade. It was so much warmer than usual for the first day of March.
The slog down seemed much longer than the hike up but that is not unusual. I was glad when we were in the last mile. We made it back to the car at 2:09 pm. On previous trips the bridge at the start was mostly gone with just a narrow part to cross on. Now it has been replaced and the crossing is wide and easy. It felt a lot warmer than the forecast high of 44F. Mt car registered 55F. On the drive home it read 68F in North Bend and 67 in Issaquah. Seattle had some thin high clouds and was 59F. Winter still has three weeks to go. This was a very warm day of snow travel.
This trip turned out great. It was much warmer than forecast and sunny all day long. The morning cold kept the track frozen so we did not need snowshoes going uphill. Gary made it down the last last 3 miles without them. I chose not to risk a lot of post holing. With snowshoes I did not sink in at all. The views were really good. Even the afternoon at Kendall Knob was had less glare than expected. We saw people while coming down but nobody while going up to the lakes. That's not a bad trade off when you go to a very popular place. I am always a little sore after the first snowshoe trip of the year but it was well worth it.
 Foggy Morning |
 Or Is It? |
 Getting Started |
 Heading Up The Road |
 Into The Sunshine |
 Denny Mt. In Sight |
 Granite Mountain |
 On Up The Road |
 Previous Destination |
 Ski Area In Sight |
 Granite Mt. Lookout |
 Hiking Up The Ridge |
 Rocky Ridge |
 Gary At Work |
 Mt. Rainier |
 Ski Area & Peaks |
 Trail To Lakes |
 At Lower Lake |
 Gary At The Lake |
 Look Back |
 Nearing Middle Lake |
 Middle Lake |
 Another Visitor Arrives |
 Off Trail Descent |
 Gary At Lower Lake |
 Looking Up Lake |
 Sliver Peak Close Up |
 Close Up Mt. Rainier |
 Gary On Ridge Route |
 Wide Angle Ski Area |
 Gary At Kendall Knob |
 Me At Kendall Knob |
 Denny Mt. From Knob |
 Hibox Mountain |
 Lake Keechelus |
 Chair Peak |
 Ridge Top Meadow |
 Gary Comes Into Sight |
 Snowshoeing Down |
 Back At The Sno-Park |
Trips - 2025
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