Lost Lake, Loser Ridge loop

Trip Report

Carla and I parked at the Price Creek rest area and followed the trail (shown on Greentrails) that heads NW to the Keechelus Lake dam. We crossed the dam then headed NW up the John Wayne Pioneer Trail (no snowmobiles allowed on this trail). After crossing Roaring Creek, we left the John Wayne trail and traveled a short distance west cross-country until we hit the road (road 5480?) that leads to Lost Lake. We followed this road to Lost Lake.

At Lost Lake we followed the road that runs above the south side of Lost Lake. Right before the first creek crossing shown on USGS, we headed SE to the saddle west of little point 4,200'+. From the saddle, we went SW up the subridge that leads to the top of Loser Ridge.

We descended via logging roads to point 4,480'+, this is the start of the long, bald part of the ridge that can be seen over Keechelus Lake from I-90. From point 4,480'+ we descended east about 400 feet to the logging road, then descended logging roads to the Meadow Creek road.

Although the snow was an inch of powder over icy, frozen spring snow, we encountered no real difficulties other than skinning up a couple steep, slippery spots. I had a blast skiing down the cruddy snow, especially the frozen snowmobile-churned roads, it was a real learning experience.

Maps

• Online map with route drawn on it: Lost Lake, Loser Ridge loop route

Travel Times

• 58 minutes driving there from Capitol Hill to Price Creek rest area
• 2 hours 43 minutes ascending from Price Creek rest area (2,540') to Lost Lake
• 1 hour 55 minutes ascending from Lost Lake (3,200') to summit of Loser Ridge (4,800')
• 51 minutes descending from summit of Loser Ridge (4,800') to Loser Ridge point 4480'+ (4,645')
• 2 hours 3 minutes descending from Loser Ridge point 4480'+ (4,645') to Price Creek rest area
• 1 hour 4 minutes driving back from Price Creek rest area to Capitol Hill

Visited

• Kittitas County
• Loser Ridge
• Lost Lake USGS quad
• Washington State
• Yakima Valley