From high traverses along craggy crests, to meadowland tours past swimmable lakes, to forest walks near churning rivers, this hike bisects a spectacular variety of Cascade backcountry, making for a classic week-long backpack. This is the land of Alpine Lakes Wilderness, an area that was designated after one of the 70s' most bitter wilderness battles.
From Snoqualmie Pass the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) climbs directly to the crest-top crags and boldly traverses right among them. Confronted by Chikamin Peak and brutal Lemah Mountain it relinquishes the divide, swerving east to where summer storms generally dissipate into clear skies. On this stretch the route dips into and climbs out of two major watersheds, Lemah Creek and the Waptus River. It then works back to and weaves along the descending divide, visiting a number of memorably scenic lake basins on its way to Stevens Pass. In all, this hike will challenge your legs, lift your spirits, and probably confirm your reasons for backpacking.
Snoqualmie Pass, at 3127 feet, is the lowest gap in the Washington Cascades. Its name comes from the local Indian term for the moon, which the natives' legends held to be the life source of their tribe. Hikers starting from here should turn off 1-90 at the westernmost turnoff, signed ALPENTAL ROAD. The first right on the north side of the freeway branches right again to the trailhead parking lot. The actual Pacific Crest Trail heads up the roadcut from the Alpental overpass and in 100 yards merges with the trail coming from this lot.
Embarking east from the parking lot, we promptly meet trails coming from the equestrian lot to the north and from the highway, and then reach the trail register. With fir and hemlock above us, and bunchberry, spring beauty, huckleberry and devil's club at our feet, we cross an abandoned road and before long start climbing three long, well-graded switchbacks. They lift us around a ridge away from the freeway noise and into the valley of Commonwealth Creek. As we traverse above this valley's floor, we cross a tributary right below a spraying waterfall, and then we come to Red Mountain Trail. Heading up Commonwealth Creek, this is the old Cascade Crest Trail, and it used to keep PCT hikers west of the divide until they reached Dutch Miller Gap. From the junction we resume climbing on the newer PCT, heading for high country that was seldom visited before the completion of this PCT segment in 1978.
To the west and north, Chair Peak, Snoqualmie Mountain, Red Mountain and other summits already hint at the alpine terrain awaiting as we next switchback south. Returning in deeper forest, we continue climbing steadily another switchback leg, up to the divide between the Snoqualmie and Yakima rivers. Along her we glimpse Kachess Lake, to the southeast, then immediately angle back onto the west flank of the steepening divide and continue our ascent.
Before long the route emerges onto talus, and the high country opens up all around us. Besides the craggy, multicolored peaks to the west Mt. Rainier rises like a huge apparition to the south. Even if bad weather obscures this view, we can still find our spirits lifted by brilliant pockets of paintbrush, columbine, spiraea, valerian, tiger lily, and other flowers. The PCT continues rising gradually, with dwarfed mountain hemlocks clinging to trailside craglets, while more peaks come into view to the north, including Mt. Thompson and distant Mt. Stuart. We cross to the east side of the crest, from where level hiking shows us Chikamin Ridge at the head of Gold Creek Valley, and Alta Mountain and some amazing cliffs of Rampart Ridge draw our eye across the valley.
Water might seep from late snow patches on this trail, but otherwise this airy section, often just a ledge blasted from the rocky crest, is fairly dry. Soon the trail rounds a narrow spur ridge well above glistening Alaska Lake, and the cuts down to the crest saddle between Ridge and Gravel lakes. Campsites away from the west shore of Gravel Lake, northwestern of the two lakes, are the last sites until Park Lakes, 8.2 miles distant. Camping is not allowed at well-worn Ridge Lake.
From the north side of Ridge Lake our trail takes off on a talus traverse around the rim of cirque holding Alaska Lake, and then climbs some as it rounds the sharp east ridge of Alaska Mountain. Next, steep switchbacks that hold snow into August take us down the north slope of this peak, and then a traverse leads us to a narrow, forested saddle, between Joe and Edds lakes. These lakes lie, respectively, 400 feet below us to the east and 800 feet below us to the west.
We slant off the saddle into a meadowy ravine, and then rise across the open, rocky south flank of Huckleberry Mountain. As we turn north around the east side of this peak 9 which is a summer pasture for wary mountain goats, we enter a beautiful hanging vale. Here, with a full view of Mt. Rainier, we meet a stream that cascades among rock slabs and heather gardens. At the head of this ravine you'll pass a couple of small pools before coming to the crest at Huckleberry Saddle, which is a broad pass with a fragile carpet of bilberries.
