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Commonwealth Basin, Snoqualmie Mountain (6278')

May 20, 2012

by Cascade Liberation Organization last modified May 22, 2012 06:29 PM
Type of Outing
Day hike
Read More in our Hiking Guide
Hike: Commonwealth Basin
Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
Agency: Mt. Baker - Snoqualmie - North Bend District
Trails: Commonwealth Basin (#1033)
Avg Rating: 3.33
Read More in our Hiking Guide
Hike: Snoqualmie Mountain (6278')
Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Snoqualmie Ranger District
Avg Rating: 5.00
Hiking Companions
Hiked with a dog
Be Aware Of
Snow on trail
Log bridge over Commonwealth Ck. I believe it/s SE of Guye Pk. Hard to miss. In the morning, frozen hard, I don't think I could've crossed this without an ice ax. The banks were steep.
This trip did not actually follow Tr# 1033, which is totally under snow.
Commonwealth Ck --> Cave Ridge --> S. Ridge Snoqualmie --> descend E, traverse ENE, then regain the ridge at Snoqualmie's ENE sub-summit --> follow ridge to Lundin --> descend into upper Commonwealth Basin --> out via Commonwealth Creek. I think this route requires good snow cover. Might last another few weeks.

WARNING: Avalanche danger just the previous week was quite high (photo)! Always check http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/6/ , even in the late spring!
Mountaineering trip, not a hike. Ice ax. No crampons (might be handy if frozen hard). Snowshoes were not very useful today. Snow conditions excellent-to-perfect.

Take Exit 52 from I-5 (1st Snoqualmie exit), turn left under I-5, then park immediately. The PCT/1033 trailhead road is still completely under snow. More snow than I've ever seen here.
Start early. I left trailhead at 7:30 AM, and snow was firm and mostly frozen all the way to Snoqualmie Mt. summit. Ice ax was REQUIRED to cross the double-log bridge across Commonwealth Ck in the morning; steep stream snowbanks were frozen hard; dog needed assistance. The second stream, which you need to cross almost immediately, had only one thin snowbridge at that place; perhaps more snowbridges upstream. Crossing the double log was much easier late in the day when snow was softer.

7:30AM Leave trailhead
9:30AM 4700' basin at base of S ridge. NO OPEN WATER at the basin outfall (I was counting on it)! Had to ascend nasty steep terrain to get water at the one stream coming off the S ridge. Not recommended!
11:30AM summit. Snow was not softening much. It was getting soft by the time I left summit about 2:30. Good dlissading and insignificant postholing on the exit.
6:15PM back at car (via Lundin Peak S slopes and upper Commonwealth basin).

From summit, descended the S ridge briefly, then glissaded E. NOTE: you have to be careful about this; if you leave the S ridge too low, you can encounter the steep cliffs that line the basin between the S ridge and Cave Ridge. That would be dangerous! I left the S ridge at the first opportunity, glissaded a few hundred feet to a wide-open, easy bench, then headed NE to the rib running SSE from Snoqualmie Mountains' NE sub-summit. Climbed back up to Snoqualmie's NE sub-summit, and from there, it was easy (sometimes steep) snow travel NE to Lundin.
Experienced climbers without an awkward dog could traverse Snoqualmie's ENE ridge much higher -- skip the glissade -- traverse as high as you can until you reach the ESE sub-summit.
Much depends on how much snow, and what condition. This route would have been suicidal last weekend. We glissaded a recent avalanche deposit.
Commonwealth Creek's upper west fork forms a big basin between Snoqualmie and Lundin Peaks. I descended this, straight South. Lots of foot traffic following the Right (West) bank. Leads right back to the lovely double-log bridge.
Without good, heavy snow cover like there is now, I don't think I'd want to do this traverse from Snoqualmie to Lundin. If it'snot in-shape, just descend the S ridge back to the basin and climb back up to the Guye/Cave Ridge saddle and go out the way you came in.
I've never done Snoqualmie from the Alpental parking lot. I think the Commonwealth Basin route would be more interesting.
Summit view NE.
Descent off upper S ridge of Snoqualmie. Note the avalanche deposit we slid down. Avvy danger was high the previous weekend!
Descent ENE into basin of Commonwealth Creek's upper NW fork below Lundin Pk.
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