Went on a nice sunny day on Monday and there were about 8 other cars parked at the lot. The roundtrip hike took us about 3 and a half hours. There was still a fair amount of snow beginning at the false summit until the summit. Some of the other hikers turned back when there was no alternative to hiking up the snow but we went with just regular running shoes on and were able to make it to the top with some scrambling skills.

After three years it was time for a return visit to Mt.Catherine. The route has very low avalanche danger to Nordic Pass. It also has few folks most days. The summit probably has pretty good views but it's not a trip we do on a clear winter day. It's close in and best for those days that a more ambitious trip won't work. This day was no different. Low avalanche danger but overcast with a chance of rain or snow. Just one week earlier I made a first visit to Radio Mountain on the opposite side of Nordic Pass. That trip was via Windy Pass and mostly on skis. This one was all boots and snowshoes. I have an earlier report with more specific directions for the trip: http://www.kuresman.com/2006/Trip_Reports/Nordic_Pass/Report_Nordic_Pass.html Our group of 7 people and 3 dogs were on the way by about 9:00 am. We walked the road to the leftward switchback and found a six foot tall snowbank. Easy enough to kick steps up. There is a pretty thick snow bridge over the creek. One of the easiest crossings ever. I expected a trench as there has been little snow the past week. Nope. Barry took the lead as we kept our snowshoes on our backs and followed the blue diamonds. Great snow conditions and even a little blue sky. It had rained part way to Snoqualmie Pass. We lost the trail at one point but just headed uphill and soon reached the meadow before Hyak Lake. The lake is well snow covered as expected. We were still on course at the power line swath. After crossing the groomed ski trail we found the big tree in the meadow with the blue diamond. Here we put on snowshoes for the rest of the day. light snow blew on and off but never hard. Our route rounded Frog Lake and made the gentle climb to Nordic Pass. We picked up some snowshoe and ski tracks along the way. We took a short break at Nordic Pass. There was an old track leading up Catherine that made route finding a snap. The climb onto the ridge and first part of the ridge are about the steepest parts of the whole trip. Great traction this day made the climbing easy. It took us just under two hours to reach Nordic Pass. The last mile to the summit gains 1000'. For the most part it stays on or just right of the ridge top. The summit block is always interesting. On our first visit Suzanne and I were stopped by deep unconsolidated snow just below the top. On my second visit we contoured below the summit on the left side to the far ridge then walked up. The next two times we scrambled up a steep gully just left of the ridge before the summit. It seems to vary a lot each time. This time we continued following the snowshoe track as it contoured around the left side. A couple switchbacks below the summit brought us up to the top. Very good snow conditions made for the easiest summit climb so far. Visibility was minimal just like every other time I have been on top. On the positive side, the wind was very light. We arrived on top just before 12:00 pm. Something like 4 1/2 to 5 miles one way. Other than a few skiers on the crossover routes we saw very few folks. Dropping down to Nordic Pass was much faster. Near the pass we met some skiers and snowshoers. The snowshoe folks had gone to Twin Lakes then up and over the ridge of Catherine. They were glad to hear that there was an easy way back down. The rest of the descent was just a slog. Down at the meadow near Hyak Lake a group was having a picnic. The track was much more defined down low. Folks were enjoying the lower part of the route. We took three hours to summit and cut off a half hour on the descent. We were back at the car just before 3:00 pm. More rain on the west side of the pass driving home. We had really good weather all things considered. A little snowfall but no rain and very little wind. The snow conditions were excellent. Really easy walking with just a little soft snow and great traction. Great company added to the fun. Catherine was become a winter staple trip. I'm sure I'll be back in a year or two. I have posted 25 fully annotated photos on my website at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2012" on the left margin.

We found ourselves in this area somewhat accidentally - having searched for the snowshoe trail we'd taken last winter from the Silver Fir ski run at Hyak. It was ungroomed and under-marked this year, so we punched on eastward into the beautiful ridges and slopes towards Mt. Catherine. We got a wonderful sun break in the morning, saw two Douglas squirrels, heard a Pileated woodpecker, and saw many fresh squirrel and hare tracks. Snowflakes swirled down, with a blue sky behind, until we hiked back down into the gray below. We'll have to try this from the correct trailhead next time, but were not disappointed from here.

Thin blanket of snow on the road a little bit before the trailhead, but you can drive almost all the way up. I parked just a bit down from the TH. Trail is almost all covered in snow, though it is only 1-2 inches. Very easy and straightforward hike, and trail is easy to follow even in the snow. 1.2 miles to the top, took me less than an hour. No view for me today, though there is usually supposed to be a pretty nice view. All the other mountains of Snoqualmie Pass and the I-90 corridor on both sides were in the snow. If you plan to go hiking up there anytime soon, expect a thin layer of snow, and cold temperatures.

We made it to the top of Mt Catherine in 45 minutes from the new? trailhead. From exit 54, just under 3 miles down road 9070, the trail is on the right side. There is no mention of Mt Catherine, just a sign marked 1348. This is a very mellow trail with only a few hundred feet of light scrambling near the top, and the only sketchy section is endowed with a cable. Thick clouds with scattered snow and rain meant no view today. After a quick trip up Mt Catherine, Maverick and I headed down the PCT towards Silver Peak. About 2 miles from road 9070 just after passing through a talus field and then losing some elevation with a few switchbacks, a cairn marks the Tinkham Peak/Silver Peak trail. Less than a mile down the trail splits to the North and South, and the one to Tinkham summit gets real steep, real quick. I will never again hike in possible snow without traction devices.