Kendall Katwalk — Friday, Sep. 16, 2016

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

We arrived at the trailhead by 10am, and the parking lot was already almost full! We were able to find a spot though, and there's also an auxiliary lot, so parking shouldn't really be an issue. This hike is very easy to get to: just a short, paved road off of I-90. We started off in the wrong direction, and hiked towards the freeway for a few hundred feet before we realized -- don't make the same mistake as us! It's a left at the first T, a right at the second. (If we had read the sign more closely, we'd probably have noticed that, whoops). The trail is long and meandering, but it is very well-maintained save for a single fallen tree a few miles up. It it very pleasant gradual uphill slope the entire way. After emerging from the woods at the beginning, we saw glimpses of Rainier, as well as the rest of the smaller Cascades. We were lucky enough to score a sunny day, just with a bit of haze. When we got to the exposed, rocky part, we began to see some awesome fall colors, though I imagine they'll be even nicer in a couple of weeks. Beautiful reds and oranges abound, and make a nice contrast against the grey rocks. From the other side of Kendall Mountain, we caught views as far off in the distance as Mt. Stewart (I think) as well as of the adjacent valley, which revealed more spectacular early fall colors. A couple of bugs landed on me when I was eating lunch, but otherwise I had no problems. This is a great hike for a clear day, if you're after big views for not too much effort. It's definitely a bit of a trek, but the gradual grade makes it a nice and fairly easy journey. It offers a nice variety of terrain, with forests, berry bushes, and rocks.