Avalanche Mountain via Snow Lake trail

Trip Report

I parked at Alpental and took trail 1013 (Snow Lake trail) to the pass just south of Snow Lake. At the pass I left the trail and followed a bootpath east on the ridge. I was planning to go to point 5,200+ on the ridge and then go north on another ridge to Avalanche Mountain. But at around 4,975' the ridge became very rocky and steep so I turned around. (Maybe I could have contoured below it, at the time the rainy and foggy conditions didn't let me see low enough to tell.)

On to plan B.

I returned to the trail at the pass and followed the trail to the low, broad ridge that runs east from Snow Lake to Avalanche Mountain. I pushed through tolerable amounts of huckleberry bushes on this ridge until I reached the base of Avalanche Mountain. Inexplicably, I turned around here and took the ridge back to Snow Lake.

On the way home I took the Source Lake loop trail, it has great views of Bryant Peak, The Tooth, and friends.

References

• The Northwest Peakbaggers Asylum: Trip reports

Maps

• Greentrails map: Greentrails (Snoqualmie Pass)
• USGS 1:100,000 map: Skykomish (good for identifying distant peaks)
• USGS 1:100,000 map: Snoqualmie Pass (good for identifying distant peaks)
• USGS quad: Snoqualmie Pass

Travel Times

• 2008/05/08: 5 minutes driving there from Lower Queen Anne (250') to Larry's Market (225')
• 15 minutes driving there from Larry's Market (175') to I-90 and I-405 (135')
• 43 minutes driving there from I-90 and I-405 (135') to Snow Lake trailhead (Alpental) (3,080')
• 1 hour 2 minutes ascending from Snow Lake trailhead (Alpental) (3,145') to pass S of Snow Lake (4,450')
• 54 minutes ascending from pass S of Snow Lake (4,450') to unpassable section of ridge (4,975')
• 20 minutes ascending from unpassable section of ridge (4,975') to pass S of Snow Lake (4,380')
• 27 minutes ascending from pass S of Snow Lake (4,380') to turn off trail onto flat ridge E of Snow Lake (4,065')
• 39 minutes ascending from turn off trail onto flat ridge E of Snow Lake (4,065') to base of Avalanche Mountain (4,485')
• 49 minutes descending from base of Avalanche Mountain (4,485') to turn off trail onto flat ridge E of Snow Lake (4,040')
• 1 hour 37 minutes descending from turn off trail onto flat ridge E of Snow Lake (4,050') to Snow Lake trailhead (Alpental) (3,075')
• 57 minutes driving back from Snow Lake trailhead (Alpental) (3,060') to Lower Queen Anne (160')

Visited

• Alpine Lakes Wilderness
• Avalanche Mtn.
• King County
• Middle Fork Snoqualmie Drainage
• Snoqualmie Pass USGS quad
• Snow Lk.
• Snow Lake trailhead
• Washington State

Avalanche Mountain, just visible from Snow Lake trail