Kendall Peak Lakes Snowshoe
Feb 07, 2010
by
john deer
—
last modified
Feb 07, 2010 06:43 PM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Kendall Peak Lakes Snowshoe
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
- Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Mount Baker Ranger District
- Avg Rating: 4.14
Snowshoe enthusiasts seem to have taken over this route from the skiers. 20 years ago, it was 95% skiers; 10 years ago, it was about 50-50; and now it is about 90% snowshoe people. The first mile or two of the road walk are packed out well for skiers or snowshoers. Above that point, there are 2 tracks which are exactly snowshoe width which would make a skiing descent rather exciting. On the way up we followed the road to the T-junction and then tried to follow the summer trail to the lakes. That involved some unpleasant and steep side-hilling and then...
Well, we were less than 1/4 mile from the lower lake and breaking our own trail when it happened. It has been a long time (one year) since I experienced a bottomless postholing incident. I punched in up to my crotch with only air below my foot. Fortunately my chubby butt and big pack stopped the descent. This was followed by a minor face plant in the snow. I had to wiggle, squirm, and roll over in the nice, cold Cascade cement to free my dangling leg. Fortunately, nobody had a camera to "document" the incident.
We did enjoy a nice lunch at the lower lake with giant snow flakes coming down on us. We went to the upper lake after lunch to get warmed up and then followed the main track back until...
We could see the road below us so why switchback on a perfectly packed out track when we could skid down the untracked hillside. There were only 2 minor problems with this decision: first a giant log created an interesting bergshrund to get around and then the skid marks we left sliding down the last 20 vertical feet to the road. We found 2 more opportunities to cut the road switchbacks on the return trip but they were uneventful...fortunately.
This really was a nice trip in spite of my snow clumsiness.
Well, we were less than 1/4 mile from the lower lake and breaking our own trail when it happened. It has been a long time (one year) since I experienced a bottomless postholing incident. I punched in up to my crotch with only air below my foot. Fortunately my chubby butt and big pack stopped the descent. This was followed by a minor face plant in the snow. I had to wiggle, squirm, and roll over in the nice, cold Cascade cement to free my dangling leg. Fortunately, nobody had a camera to "document" the incident.
We did enjoy a nice lunch at the lower lake with giant snow flakes coming down on us. We went to the upper lake after lunch to get warmed up and then followed the main track back until...
We could see the road below us so why switchback on a perfectly packed out track when we could skid down the untracked hillside. There were only 2 minor problems with this decision: first a giant log created an interesting bergshrund to get around and then the skid marks we left sliding down the last 20 vertical feet to the road. We found 2 more opportunities to cut the road switchbacks on the return trip but they were uneventful...fortunately.
This really was a nice trip in spite of my snow clumsiness.
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