Philadelphia Mountain via Lake Serene

Trip Report

Atsuko and I parked at the Lake Serene trailhead and headed up the trail. We were the first to the lake and enjoyed the spectacular views of Mount Index, trying to imagine climbing up those sheer walls.

We backtracked a couple hundred feet up the trail and left the trail to follow the ridge that runs SE above Lake Serene. The first fifty feet were the worst, passing through a slightly brushy boulder field. We followed the ridge as it contoured SE above Lake Serene, the drop down to the lake was satisfyingly vertical. We had some very nice views of the lake and Index as we followed this ridge.

At 3,200' we turned east away from the lake and followed easy slopes up the west ridge of Philadelphia Mountain. Except for a few meadows, the ridge was uniformly covered in trees. By sticking to the north side of the ridge we caught sporadic views of the Monte Cristo group, Gunn Peak, and Merchant Peak before reaching the summit of Philadelphia Mountain.

This was a nice winter trip. Although if I could do it over again I wouldn't choose a rare, blue-sky day to climb it on, the views aren't worth it.

References

• Book: Seattle Outdoors: Hiking & Cycling-Puget Sound and Cascades

Maps

• Greentrails map: Index (#142) (shows Lake Serene trail)

Travel Times

• 24 minutes driving there from Lower Queen Anne to 164th St SW Park and Ride
• 52 minutes driving there from 164th St SW Park and Ride to Lake Serene trailhead
• 1 hour 52 minutes ascending from Lake Serene trailhead (590') to Lake Serene
• 2 hours 49 minutes ascending from Lake Serene (2,545') to summit of Philadelphia Mountain
• 1 hour 22 minutes descending from summit of Philadelphia Mountain (4,265') to Lake Serene (2,605')
• 1 hour 28 minutes descending from Lake Serene (2,605') to Lake Serene trailhead

Visited

• Highway 2 Corridor
• Index USGS quad
• Philadelphia Mtn.
• Snohomish County
• Washington State

Merchant Peak from W ridge of Philadelphia Mountain

West Skykomish Valley from Lake Serene trail