Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books Skyline Lake Snowshoe
Featured In:
Snowshoe Routes - Washington,
by Dan A. Nelson.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. From the parking area, climb north along a groomed road leading past a number of small skier cabins on the edge of the forest above the highway. The groomed snow-cat track angles north away from the highway and ends abruptly near a power shack about 0.25 mile up the slope. Dig your snowshoe cleats into the hillside, and continue straight up the hill. Stay near the trees on the west side of the open slope to minimize avalanche danger and collisions with telemark skiers whooshing down the slope. After nearly a mile of climbing, at the 5000-foot level, the slope tapers off a bit and the climbing becomes easier. Pause here to catch your breath and soak in the views. Turn and look south. At what seems just an arm's length away, the Stevens Pass Ski Area sprawls out across the slopes on the opposite side of the highway. Above and beyond those groomed runs (long, white scars on the dark green forest) stand the summits of the Alpine Lakes peaks. Mount Stuart, like a massive granite wall, looms in the southeast. Mounts Daniel and Hinman, the glaciated peaks in the center of the wilderness, rise like twin towers to the southwest. Nearer in, Thunder Mountain rises on the Cascade Crest just south of the ski area, and Bulls Tooth sits on the southern horizon. After a well-deserved rest, continue climbing the now moderate slope, and in just 0.5 mile, trudge through a young stand of fir to come upon the shores of Skyline Lake. At 5100 feet, this lake is generally high enough that the ice cap on it freezes solid enough to support skiers and snowshoers; indeed, the broad flat surface of the lake is almost always crisscrossed with ski and snowshoe tracks. Unless you have a desperate need to cross a frozen lake, however, it's always a good idea to skirt the lake's shore rather than risk the ice. The combination of generally mild winters and the volcanic nature of the Cascade Range makes all lake ice suspect. Even if temperatures are cold enough long enough to freeze a lake solid, the geothermal activity below the mountains creates a lot of warm and hot springs, some of which can spout out of the ground in the middle of a lake, keeping it warmer than you might expect. In effect, these unseen warm springs sometimes melt the surface ice from underneath. A long, relaxed lunch along the shores of the lake allows ample time to marvel at views to the south as well as the now-revealed vistas to the north, which include views of Glacier Peak and Lichtenberg Mountain. To extend the outing, amble west along the crest of Skyline Ridge for up to 2 more miles before returning to your car. Author’s Rating: More Difficult Some previous snowshoe experience helpful. Some winter survival skills recommended (basic knowledge of avalanche evaluation, emergency shelter construction, etc.). Elevation gain is usually less than 1000 feet with a gradual slope.
Driving Directions:
To get there, from Everett drive east on U.S. Highway 2 to the summit of Stevens Pass. Park in the ski area parking lots on the north side of the highway. Recent Trip Reports
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Skyline Lake Snowshoe
— Jan 27, 2012
— monrovian
Snowshoe/XC Ski
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Skyline Lake route today: snowmobiles went by every few minutes, shuttling skiers & snowboarders to the top of the ridge,...
Skyline Lake route today: snowmobiles went by every few minutes, shuttling skiers & snowboarders to the top of the ridge, requiring us & our dogs to jump into the deep snow off to the side. Also some skiers racing down the same narrow trail we were walking up/down, so although perfect scenery & weather & snow, too much multi-use today on a very narrow trail.
Day hike
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Snow on trail
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We started at the Stevens Pass trailhead with a temperature of twenty two degrees and a slight wind. The trail...
We started at the Stevens Pass trailhead with a temperature of twenty two degrees and a slight wind. The trail up to the lake was frozen hard and even trekking pole yips only went in about a quarter inch. After the ascent the lake with about ten inches of loose snow. We headed foe the west slope and did some off-trail hiking around the boulders and the south rim. The area on the upper west side offers lots of interesting landscapes formed by very large rocks protruding from the snow but the area requires caution due to tree wells, cornices, snow bridges and wells formed around the boulders.
We were there on a Thursday morning and only met three other hikers in the area unlike the last time I was up there on a weekend when I saw several courses being conducted along with other hikers. Day hike
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Reached Stevens Pass at 11am, just ahead of the clouds.
The shortest way to the trail was from the east end...
Reached Stevens Pass at 11am, just ahead of the clouds.
The shortest way to the trail was from the east end of the north parking lot, following the power lines (no need to do a detour through the residential area). The trail to Skyline Lake (and to the peak just to the west above the lake) was packed down, didn't bother with snowshoes. Encountered lots of people (including some large groups), but no one beyond the peak above the lake. The traverse below the ridge beyond the lake crosses a few small but steep and open slopes. If the snow had been icier or slushier, I would have wanted an ice ax, but the conditions today were fine. Put on snowshoes on the last bump before the summit. Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/[…]/SkyMountainDecember2011 Panorama (Summit): http://photosynth.net/view.[…]b40e-46a9-afcc-6571c9f8b1d4 Tracklog: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/133799787 Day hike
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This trail is a pretty good workout, climbing steeply, 1100' in a mile. The trail is in great shape, packed...
This trail is a pretty good workout, climbing steeply, 1100' in a mile. The trail is in great shape, packed firm by lots of snowshoers and telemark skiers and very easy to follow, although you need to watch out for numerous side trails that leave the main route for who knows where. This is especially true at the top of the ridge. I had intended to visit Skyline Lake, but the snowshoe path I followed led me about 1/3 of a mile the wrong direction before I realized I needed to turn around.
I didn't find the views I'd come for either. Low clouds covered the ridgeline, so no shots of Lichtenberg or other nearby peaks, although I did get some photos of the ski area and west along Hwy 2 from halfway up the hill. But the forest walk itself was worth the (not insignificant) effort of the uphill trudge, and although I passed two dozen people coming up and going down, I had solitude for my lunch break at the top. Day hike
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With the good weather forcast for the passes we headed for Stevens Pass and clear skies of the pass. We...
With the good weather forcast for the passes we headed for Stevens Pass and clear skies of the pass. We began at a 26 degree temperature at the parking lot and started up the steep trail to the lake. On the way we ran into several groups: a Mountaineer's snowshoe course and then an avalanche training group and a group from the Everett Parks & Rec' snowshoe outing.
We continued across the lake heading west to begin an ascent of the rock peaks about four hundred feet above the lake. My friend made it to 5,454 ft of elevation. We had a total of 1,755 feet. The snow condition was crusty on the snow off trail and the trail was compacted by previous snowshoers. Even though we packed snowshoes, we used microspikes the whole trip. The average snow depth seemed to be about four feet but some areas near the trail were maybe eight feet near rocks and trees.The lake was frozen and there were several trails across the surface. Our window of weather was not to long and some clouds were coming in from the west and the wind was picking up on the descent. |
Spectacular views await snowshoers on the Skyline Lake Trail in winter. Photo by thebrink.
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