Snow Lake

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that this was my first ever trip to Snow Lake. I hear from people who’ve been, that it’s always super busy and crowded, which is not my wilderness bag. It’s so close to the city, and so crazy gorgeous, that I understand why.

Which is why I felt so fortunate, like the forest gods must be smiling on me, that my hike was so perfect and quiet! It could have been leaving on a Tuesday at 6pm that did it (the teeming masses are smart and left early), but I like to think I’m just lucky.

The trailhead is in the parking lot for the Alpental ski area at Snoqualmie Pass, which means that right out of the gates you’ve gained some solid elevation. Bonus!

Wear plenty of sunscreen if you come in the morning like a normal person. Most of the trail is on a south facing slope with bits of beautiful, scraggly alpine forest, and lots of overgrown, exposed scree fields. All the sun also means lots of flowers though, so that’s lovely.

A series of switchbacks provide lots of great views of the valley below, even over into Eastern Washington. They also provide a super great workout. Maybe it was me trying to be fast and get to the lake before the mandatory turn around time I’d set for myself, but I was beat the next day!

We’ll definitely be back to this one though, it would be fun to linger for awhile and explore the trail that wraps around the east shore of the lake. This might even be a good candidate for a beginner backpacking trip for the boys some day.

For sure worth further adventuring!