It's 11 miles round trip and 2,700 feet of elevation gain with a high point of 5,400 ft. A beautiful run with stunning views - one of the 100 Classic routes in Washington! As always, be safe when crossing high water, and if it seems too much for you, don't be afraid to turn around. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The trail to the Katwalk begins in the mixed fir and hemlock that quickly yield to thick patches of huckleberry and salmonberry flanking the path. Day 2. (Maybe Ill take a few more days and only do 15 miles per day)! The Kendall Katwalk Trail is about 6 1/2 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail Head off of I-90 in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Alternatively, you can continue past the bootpath on the trail to where it crosses a pass on the east side of the ridge. There were two other groups at the lake kendall katwalk. Both have vault toilets. The one pitfall of this adventure was that the campgrounds were packed so tightly that it felt impossible to find a spot large enough for our group. From a camp at Ridge or Gravel Lake, you can day hike about 2 miles round trip to Alaska Mountain or over eight miles round trip to the scenic Needle Site Gap. Let me tell you -- the creek was ICE COLD, but we had already committed. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This week we finally took the opportunity to hike up to the Katwalk and experience it for ourselves. The best feature that the Alpine Lakes Wilderness has to offer is that for most trails, with the exception of a handful of extremely popular routes (I'm looking at you, Enchantments), advanced reservations are not required. Gravel Lake is the larger of the two and is a slightly greater drop from the saddle between them that the Pacific Crest Trail passes through. The views are great, though we highly recommend taking the time to scramble up Kendall Peak, where the panorama dwarfs what you can see from the Katwalk. Why is the data so different than the day in, like elevation gain and loss? After passing through what felt like endless fields of scree, we were able to catch spectacular views of Joe Lake, another lake with an innocuous name. Various trail organizations, land management agencies, and an army of volunteers then worked to link regional trails from Mexico to Canada to form the PCT. It is definitely not a trail for children, but anyone else who loves to hike should put this trail on their bucket list! Mountaineers Books is a registered trademark of The Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. My pack was WAY too heavy. Les infos sur l'aroport, de la carte aux htels en passant par les informations aronautiques. 17.42 miles, 4916ft gain/4782ft loss. Before it was completed, some people were probably going up Gold Creek to Ptarmigan Park, and getting up on the ridge next to Spectacle Lake from there. Friday was quite brisk with hard blowing mist especially along the shale trail below Chikamin. After two miles of uphill climb, you break out into the open, onto a massive rock bed. Though some rate the trail as "difficult", and the sign on the trail fork was labeled "most difficult", for these two sixty something hikers, this trail was what we would call moderate, with beautiful forest and vistas the entire way. Subscribe to our free email newsletter for hiking events, news, gear reviews and more. GO RIGHT - which is the correct path to the Katwalk. The trail continues to side-hill along ridge after ridge, all the while providing excellent views of the surrounding peaks. It's pretty cool. We started on the trail though the forest under sunny skies. PCT Snoqualmie to Pete Lake Images : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering Heading north from near Snoqualmie Pass, it follows the Pacific Crest Trail climbing about 2700 feet over 5 or 6 miles. After our morning ritual of pushing a cup of joe around for a few to open the ol peepers, were watered up, and ready to g We have reviews of the best places to see in Snoqualmie Pass. Backpacking Has Changed a Lot Over the Past 50 Years. There is one traverse of a small talus field (7.3 miles). The most difficult part was blasting a trail through the "Kendall Katwalk", a steep rock cliff on the ridge between Kendall and Red Mtn. What a great experience!! Looking at this for hours is not a bad thing. Contributions to WTA are tax deductible, and we are committed to making the best use of every donation to our mission. It's a fairly modest elevation gain of 2600 feet along. This was a pretty intense traverse- the trail was cut through a huge scree field. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Trip Report. This took me two hours. But the whole package includes old growth forest, gorgeous wildflowers, and stunning views into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness from both sides of the pass below Kendall Peak, where the Katwalk begins. Just another site. They mule-packed in 1,000 feet of steel cables to secure workers and equipment on the precipitous job site, then marked the route along the cliff face by dropping beer bottles full of red paint from a helicopter. We missed the turn to the true peak, but we enjoyed the views from atop the almost-peak. and peak combinations. 93% of travelers recommend this experience. WHERE: Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest & Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington (it is part of Section J of the PCT) WHAT: hiking and backpacking trail, out and back DISTANCE: 12 miles to the Kendall Katwalk, option to go muuuuuuch farther HIGHEST POINT: 5,400 feet / 1,646 meters, at the top GEAR NEEDED: sturdy hiking shoes, a well-sized day bag or backpacking gear (depending on your . As you continue beneath the shadow of Kendall Peak, keep an eye out for a tight set of switchbacks at just over the 4.5 mile mark. The extra 1.5 miles from the Katwalk is well worth the views into the Alpine Lakes region. It seemed like I would never reach the Katwalk, though I was told by several hikers that I was "getting close". Stay to the right; the left is merely the connector trail from the upper parking lot. 95% of travelers recommend this experience. Once you reach the sign to dismount your horses, you have reached the Katwalk. Above a certain altitude, it's common to find scree fields, fields of loose rock in mountainous regions of the Pacific Northwest. I wasnt exactly sure at this point because I was a bit knackered. We saw a lot of vibrant purple wildflowers blooming in this section, which I later learned was Fireweed. This was a pretty common view. Want to See the Best of Winter? My knees were getting pretty sore, but I just couldnt stop. Just ahead of Alaska Mountain, we found a white-furred marmot hanging out on the scree. Kendall Katwalk, Ridge Lake, and Gravel Lake. Traverse a steep hillside through beautiful old-growth forest, eventually breaking out into open talus at about 5000 feet of elevation. This is looking back towards Snoqualmie Pass/Alpental, just prior to the Katwalk. The forest opens up after the switchback pair into open talus and reaches a summit at the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary (2.0 miles, 3830 ft). Starting at Snoqualmie Pass, follow the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) first through forest then climbing to a scenic ridge crest and then along Kendall Katwalk, one of the most impressive walks on the Washington state portion of the PCT. Past the Katwalk, the high airy ridge changes gradually to less rock and more soil and vegetation. The trail spit us out on the road just ahead of Cooper Lake campground. That didnt happen. It is a 12 mile round trip hike with 2600 feet of elevation gain but no special equipment is required if you go after the snow has melted. This is a more difficult dangerous route (Class 3-4) and there is plenty of loose rock. The meadows are full of fireweed, lupine, and columbine just to name a few. We took off our shoes and socks, then tied them to our packs. carrie.liang122 4 months ago Kendall katwalk. Robinsons Head Office Contact Number, The trail through the campground was a little difficult to navigate with many little offshoots on the rim trail leading straight into other people's campsites. We reached Ridge Lake shortly before dark and found it to be just as packed as Spectacle Lake. Here is some brief history of the trail. Along the Kendall Katwalk, the PCT traverses a thin, near-vertical rock ridge. Photo by ZhuckYu.jpeg, Summer Trail Work: Be Ready for WTA's Backcountry Trips. Recommend continuing past the catwalk to see some views! Off highway 90, exit 52. We passed around my handy dandy PackTowl to dry our feet off. Jun 11, 2018 - If the name Kendall Katwalk conjures up an image of a narrow pathway blasted out of a steeply sloped rock face, thats part of it. Heading up towards Park Lake, I grabbed this photo of Spectacle Lake with some amazing peaks in the background. The trail winds around at first, then heads into a series of lengthy straight sections. From here it was a long switchbacking hike down to the Lake. Its pretty amazing. In the distance to the south, Mt. While we never got to enjoy Glacier Lake, we enjoyed views of Park Lake to the south after reaching the junction. Then go across a steep hillside in old growth forest until you break out into open talus and heather at 5.1 miles and 4850 ft. The trail junction is right after the stream crossings. The approach is long, never leaving the hum and scattered views of I-90 until around 2 1/2 miles. Near Riverbend, Washington. A Day Hike on the Dungeness Spit Trail on the Olympic Peninsula, The Coziest Sleep System for Winter Backpacking, A Weekend Backpacking Trip to Reflection Lake and Beyond in Mount Rainier National Park (Winter), A 3 Day Backpacking Trip in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness - Salmon La Sac to Kendall Katwalk, After assessing a couple of options, we decided to use, The Route: from Salmon La Sac Trailhead (east) to Kendall Katwalk Trailhead (west), We started off our journey by meeting up with our party at the, Pete Lake - a breathtaking spot for lunch, We hit Lemah Creek shortly after Pete Lake. The next stretch of the journey grew a bit steeper. I ran into a unique problem that I had never considered would be an issue. For many hikers, it was their last few nights on the Pacific Crest Trail. After the last series of switchbacks past the rock ridge off the main peak of Kendall Peak, look for bleached stump of tree on left of trail. I gathered a group of 5 together for a backpacking trip on Labor Day weekend with skill levels ranging from 2nd time backpacking to backpacked every weekend this summer. Blasted in the granite with dynamite, the Katwalk is wide and safe to cross. Gravel Lake - Ridge Lake - 15.2 Miles Round-Trip Gravel Lake is located 7.6 miles from the Pacific Crest Trailhead, just off Exit 52 on I-90 west of Snoqualmie Pass. Snow Lake Trail Kendall Katwalk with Erin. Mt. I was moving too fast. Pass through a small talus slope, staying at about 5400 feet of elevation for most of a mile, then dropping 150 feet to small Ridge Lake, beside the trail. updates, images, or resources. Our group, already exhausted from over ten miles of backpacking that day, decided to take our chances with the creek crossing. This is a section of the Pacific Crest Trail so you will find everything from day hikers to people backpacking end to end on the trail. Chikamin Ridge. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. It's pretty amazing. Leave the trail just before the catwalk to scramble to the summit of Kendall Peak. Kendall Katwalk, Snoqualmie Pass: See 4 reviews, articles, and 5 photos of Kendall Katwalk, ranked No.4 on Tripadvisor among 8 attractions in Snoqualmie Pass. At the Cooper Lake trailhead, we met up with the 5th member of our party. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. From here this section of the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Kendall Katwalk, a striking span cut into a curtain of rock. The "katwalk" is found where the trail narrows to a thin ridge, featuring steep rocky slopes along either side of the path. Advertisement. There are also great views of Mount Rainier in the distance as you ascend in elevation. We followed a primitive trail to reach Alaska Mountain. But I cant wait until next summer to do something just like it! However, once we reached the junction to Glacier Lake we knew that the rest of our day would be relatively flat. We saw a couple horses on the trail on Day 1, and we suspect that these horses carried inflatable kayaks all the way here. June 10, 2022; By: Author bloomberg fields dictionary You are always responsible for informing trusted friends and family about your planned route and planned date of return. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Catherine and Silver Peak. Rainer. Wear good ankle supporting hiking shoes.there are roots and rocks. Before it was completed, some people were probably going up Gold Creek to Ptarmigan Park, and getting up on the ridge next to Spectacle Lake from there.