Rampart Ridge - Rampart LakesRecent Trip Reports
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Rachel Lake, Rampart Ridge - Rampart Lakes
— Nov 04, 2011
— TreeLady
Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Blowdowns | Mud/Rockslide | Mudholes | Washouts | Water on trail | Snow on trail
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Played hooky from work to take advantage of one of those rare gorgeous blue sky days in November before the...
Played hooky from work to take advantage of one of those rare gorgeous blue sky days in November before the gloom and snow sock us in! Friend and I hiked up past Rachel Lake to Rampart Ridge and from there along to Rampart Lakes. Still quite a bit of fall color but going to be gone fast - lots of ice, and snow 4-6 inches from about 4500' on up. The trail is well known for very poor condition and this is indeed what we found - lots of exposed roots and water (now ice) running down the boulders and trail surface. Be sure to bring your microspikes! That said, the snow made it quiet and pristine. Though when we crested the ridge the sun turned quickly to fog and a 30-something-degree wind in the face, quite bone chilling! So we turned back after checking out the furthest of the Rampart Lakes and headed back to the trailhead, meeting another hiker who did Alta Mountain. Trail is very easy to find and follow even in snow, and quite lovely, not at all crowded this time of year.
The road is in very good condition and don't pay attention to those Google Map directions - take Kachess Lake road left off exit 62 from I-90, go to the point on this road where it Ts out (to the right is Kachess CG, to the left is FR 4390. Turn left, go to a big fork and turn right, following the signs to trail 1313. The parking area can't be missed. Sorry, no pix this time - camera battery was dead when we got up there! Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns
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I have just a quick update to conditions for this hike: it's still rocky, rooty, steep, and rife with difficult...
I have just a quick update to conditions for this hike: it's still rocky, rooty, steep, and rife with difficult blowdowns, and the Rampart Lakes are still one of the most sublime lake basins in the Cascades.
Fall colors are passing their peak now, though it's still colorful. If you want to see them, go real soon - it started snowing while I was up there. Be aware of conditions up here, as the weather can turn on a dime. I was lucky to get a half hour of sunshine and blue skies before clouds came rolling in from the northwest; within half an hour the skies turned dark, the temperature dropped ten or fifteen degrees, and the white stuff started coming down. At the same time, Hibox Valley was still bathed in sun. There is a bit of ice and snow in the basin, not enough to cause problems, but that will change quickly now. I never noticed it before but, if you take one of the very short boot trails to the right along Rampart Ridge you'll get some nice views of the Kendall Peak area near Snoqualmie Pass. Careful though - there are some cliffs over there. BTW, I've noticed that whatever file compression the website uses turns the colors in my pics rather muddy. You'll have to take my word that the colors are bright, or you can see them with truer color at: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/ Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Blowdowns | Mudholes | Water on trail
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Hike to the Rampart Lakes via the Rachel Lake trail. Exit 62 of I-90 and follow road toward Kachess...
Hike to the Rampart Lakes via the Rachel Lake trail. Exit 62 of I-90 and follow road toward Kachess Lake Campground, then Forest Road 4930 to trail head parking. Road in good condition, though a bit wash boarded. All vehicles should have no problem. Privy at parking area.
First 2.5 miles of trail nice, easy going (after the initial slight climb up). Several creek crossings on logs, rocks, or splashing through. Fall colors at their peak for this year and some past prime. A few blueberries and huckleberries, but not in abundance along this route. After the easy 2.5 miles, the trail heads up for the next 1.3 miles through rocks, roots, mud, and water. More than a dozen trees to climb over in the trail. Really could use a good work crew on this trail just to cut out the downed trees. At 3.8 miles reach the shores of Rachel Lake. Beautiful blue and lots of rocks to sit on and enjoy the view here. After resting a bit, we continued past Rachel on the trail and climbed up to the ridge that towers above Rachel Lake. Actually this was pretty quick and easy with short switchbacks and fast, direct trail. Views of Rachel on the way up were great. At the top of the ridge, we took the junction left to Rampart Lakes. Color is really in full swing once you reach the top of the ridge and enter the Rampart Lakes basin. It was chilly, just above freezing when we arrived and there was some ice on some ponds, and icy spots on the trail here and there. Just a few very small patches of snow as you get to the farthest lake, nearing Rampart Ridge area. The color is amazing right now. Bugs were none existent, except for a butterfly or two. Temps were pleasant for hiking and in the sunshine for sitting around. All in all we ended up with about 10.75 miles and 3200' of elevation for the day hike. More pictures of fabulous color here on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/ Enjoy now, before the snow comes in heavy. Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage | Ripe berries
Issues:
Blowdowns | Mudholes | Water on trail
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The Rachel Lake trail is full of beautiful things to see, but it's really rough. Lots of creek crossings, muddy...
The Rachel Lake trail is full of beautiful things to see, but it's really rough. Lots of creek crossings, muddy creek walking, and steep, rooty paths. There seemed to be more water on the trail and less water coming down the creek compared to when I did this hike in the summer. However, I'd choose this time of year to hike the trail over the summer hands down because the crowds are gone. Didn't see any groups bigger than three, and I probably saw only about 8 parties all day.
From Rachel Lake, you want to head right to go up to Rampart Ridge. Before you hit the lake, there's one sign in the network of social trails that says "Trail ->" and that is the one you want. I found the hike up to Rampart Ridge to be a lot more pleasant than the hike to Rachel Lake because the trail is nicer and you get views the whole time. When you hit the ridge, you can go right for Alta Mountain and Lila Lake or left for Rampart Lakes. I went for the lakes. Lots of social trails here, too. First you'll hit a bunch of tarns, which are not the lakes. Keep going and you'll see the lakes. I think there are five of them - I explored four. You could wander around in this lake/tarn area for quite awhile. Fall foliage makes the whole place look like an autumn wonderland. There were some berries up there that were decent, but they're definitely not in their prime. There were also hang gliders in the sky to gaze at. It is worthwhile to traverse the lakes - some of the nicer views I got were from the less popular side. This hike is a MUST for any lake bagger! Due to the condition of the Rachel Lake trail, though, it does feel worse than the numbers make it seem, so be prepared, especially in the fall as the days shorten. Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns
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This was to be the last beautiful day in a stretch of great weather, before showers would move into the...
This was to be the last beautiful day in a stretch of great weather, before showers would move into the Snoqualmie Pass area. My husband, faithful dog and I set out to reach the trailhead by 9:00am, knowing it would be a popular destination for westsiders. The trailhead parking lot was stuffed with vehicles upon our arrival - though there ended up not being too many folks on the trail. Perhaps the bulk of vehicles represented backpackers already at their destinations. I had hiked the trail 3 years ago, but was reminded of the grueling last mile before reaching Rachel Lake - "rocks and roots" best describes this segment of the trail. It's essentially a stair-step of rocks and roots, which seemingly never ends until the beautiful, glissening water of Rachel Lake appear. It was a sunny, 65 degree day with not a breath of wind. The fall colors were just barely beginning to turn and the only flowers in bloom were hanging on the rock wall dripping with water about 3/4 of the way to Rachel Lake - a most unique water feature! We watered the dog and had our lunch at the lake before leaving the bulk of hikers in order to climb another 500 feet and meander through the Rampart Lakes, adding roughly 3 miles total to the day. This addition is ABSOLUTELY necessary - non-negotiable!!! Having not been to the Ramparts on my previous visit, I didn't realize how many trails break away at the near side of the lakes. We figured we had time to poke around and explore; and were so glad we did! Nestled aside Rampart Ridge, with distant views of Alta Peak and other ridges, the lakes are a special, special place in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. There are about five scattered about, including at least one small waterfall and several wonderful rocky perches. Heather lines the trails. And though the lakes receive countless visitors and pets per season, the lakeshores and camping areas are in remarkably good condition. We waited for the afternoon sun to change position and offer long shadows for perfect picture taking opportunities. The only complaints were the LONG haul down, over "rocks and roots", having hiked 11 miles that day. My dog, who is a fine trail companion and in great condition, was nearly crippled by the time we reached our car - essentially having run twice the distance up and down the trail, as dogs do. A ""must do for everyone who appreciates the wonders of Alpine Lakes!
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