Donned skis at Alpental and skied up to Source Lk. Decided to use skins up to the ridge above Snow lake even though it would have been just as easy without them. Wonderful firm snow for telemarking down into the lake. After trying to follow the normal trail we decided to ski on the lake to access a point where we could ascend to the ridge above Gem lake. This worked well and soon we were on Wright's summit. Well worth it for incredible 360 degree views of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Saw many surface sluffs in Chair Pk basin along with ski tracks. Probably a good place to avoid for awhile. Saw no other folk after we left the ski area even though the weather and conditions were superb. A day to remember.

The trip to Snow Lake is usually one to be avoided due to the crowds but every so often I just have to return to the beauty of this area. Leaving the Alpental parking lot at 8:30 made the switchbacks up to the first pass tolerable. Views off to the Tooth and Denny Mountain were just the warmup. Snow Lake is the next viewpoint with a nice stopping point at a rock outcrop. Then on up to toward Gem Lake with progressively better views to the north including Glacier Peak and all the Cascade crest peaks. At Gem Lake, the peaks of Kaleetan, Chair, and Roosevelt dominate. The boot path up to Wright Mountain is well worth the extra effort for a wonderful 360 degree view of everything in the Snoqualmie Pass area.