Enumclaw, Washington

The West Ridge of Thomson is rated 5.6 and is 4-5 pitches depending on how you break it up. The East Ridge is some spicy 4th class and although people do scramble it, it is recommend to use a rope on the descent. The Approach Starting at the PCT trail-head you have two options.  You can take the ...

It's always a good idea to check the weather, but when it comes to getting a peak at Mt. Rainier you might be better off just showing up and hoping for a miracle. To do this from Seattle, you'll have a 2 hour 20 minute drive down I-5 and WA-167. After a couple turns here and there (you can follow...

The trailhead to Skyline Trail is located at the north side of the upper parking lot near the Visitor Center and Paradise Inn. You'll see that it breaks off into many other small trails if you want, as well. However, this 5.5 mile hike alongside Nisqually Glacier is classified by the rangers at...

Possibly one of the greatest loop hikes in the Lower 48, this trail sees a lot of use. You won't be alone out there, but opportunities for solitude are abundant with a little effort. The crowds show up for good reason - it's incredibly beautiful, relatively wild, and about as close to feeling l...

Mt. Rainier is a technical climb on all routes and is covered with glaciers all four seasons. It is not a mountain to learn mountaineering unless you hire a guide service who will help guide you up the mountain. With good weather and previous mountaineering experience, Mt. Rainier's Disappointmen...

Although this hike is possible if you’re looking for an all-day training hike, it’s much more enjoyable if it’s an overnight backpacking trip. Head up the trail past Snow Lake toward Gem Lake. En route to Snow Lake will be a little crowded, but should lighten significantly as you continue hiking...

The trail to Gem Lake lies along the same trail that passes by the incredibly popular Snow Lake. While the masses typically stop the first place they can along the shores of Snow Lake, fewer make the short trek from there up to Gem Lake. Park at the giant lots at the end of the road to Alpental (...

Starting at the Snow Lake Trail Head you climb up the boot pack or ski track of those before you (hopefully) from ~3120 ft. to ~4400 ft. at the ridge line where Snow Lake becomes visible. If there are no tracks, follow the South Fork Snoqualmie River NE and aim just east of the lowest point of t...

Hike or snowshoe to the ridge below Chair Peak and above Snow Lake and camp among numerous Snoqualmie Pass peaks.Drive to Snoqualmie Pass WA via I-90 and park at the Alpental parking lot (exit 52). Take the Snow Lake trail, which initially climbs 200 feet with wooden steps and eventually evens ou...

This hike shares the trailhead for Snow lake at the Alpental Ski area in Snoqualmie Pass. You'll start out with a great warm up, walking through dense green underbrush and a brief wooded area. Before too long the trail increases in inclination slightly and begins to offer up some small rocky sect...

This hike gets crowded fairly quickly so get there early. The parking lot is very large so parking is not really a problem.  There are bathrooms at the very beginning of the trail so I highly suggest using them. However at the top there is also a designated restroom area. Starting at 2600 ft, thi...

We backpacked our way to Lillian Lake and set up camp. There is a trail that lead around the lake and a trail that leads up to Rampart Lakes and Rachael Lake as well. We found a few more camps spots on Lillian Lake, then we noticed that only ONE other camp spot was being used. If you want peace ...

Driving Directions: From Seattle drive east on I-90 to exit 54 (signed "Hyak"). Turn left (north) under the freeway and right on the frontage road marked "Gold Creek." After about 0.5 mile turn left (north) on Gold Creek Road (Forest Road 4832), and in another 0.5 mile reach a junction. To the le...

There are 2 ways to get to Blake Island: private boat or via the Argosy Cruises tour boat (or if you're ambitious, I guess you can swim there!). If traveling by private boat, there is a marina with limited dock space as well as buoy moorings around the island for a moorage fee. Blake Island is ...

This is an abandoned trail that heads south along Rainy Creek, off of the downstream section of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail, and up to Rainy Lake. The lake is popular among fisherman, since it is home to lots of trout, but be warned -- route-finding skills are a must on this trip. I do my be...

Snow Lake is a beautiful lake in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. You can do the 2.6 mile roundtrip hike to the lake as either a day trip or as a backcountry camp. To camp at one of the two sites on the lake you must secure a permit from the permit office at Longmire. The hike to the s...