Cedar Butte — Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026

Walked Cedar Butte Thursday morning in the windy sunshine with a side trip around Christmas lake on the way back.  Temps were crazy warm today, 60 in North Bend, mid 60’s at the top of Cedar Butte.  Parking at the Palouse to Cascades lot at Rattlesnake lake requires a Discover Pass as per normal.  Pit toilets were open, functional and in average condition.  I know there has been some confusion regarding the initial routing - when coming from the parking lot cross the initial old paved private access road (do not follow it) and continue up along the gravel trail to the Palouse to Cascades right of way turning left (east) once you get there.  The initial approach and much of the climb up once you turn off the P to C are in good condition, but there are several, maybe a dozen,  small to medium recently downed trees on the Cedar Butte trail and secondary route back down that runs past the Boxly Blowout.  Somebody with a saw has taken care of some small stuff and limbed the larger logs so basically everything is just a relatively easy stepover now - makes a big difference, super kudos.  The trails around Christmas lake have a few muddy/squishy spots but nothing blocking.  However, the bit of old logging road on the east side has recently been completely brush hogged - makes for easy walking but wonder what else is planned over there…  Not much wildlife out at all given the wind but there were a few ducks on the far side of Christmas lake, looked like mergansers maybe.  Views off the top up the middle fork Snoqualmie valley were as good as usual though there sure isn’t much snow up there.  A really nice walk with some vertical but not the mobs of crowds like the Rattlesnake ledges.