Dirty Harry's Peak — Saturday, Jun. 16, 2001

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

Sunday morning and the area was bathed in low-hanging clouds. The weather forecast was for the clouds to burn off by afternoon so I expected good views from Dirty Harry's Peak. I left at 8:15 and saw only one other soul on the way up, another solitary hiker whose black lab startled me as I came around a bend. At 3200' the trail is completely covered by a rock slide. Certain individual rocks are still precariously balanced as I found out while crossing. I saw a large pile of coal-like scat in the middle of the trail at 3400' and was unsure of its provenance. Sections of the trail that intersect with creeks were covered with water, the combination of wet slippery rocks and the steep climb made it a difficult hike at times. I saw the first sign of snow at around 4000' but there were very few shallow patches. I reached the top at 10:30 and hung around for a couple of hours, hoping for the clouds to clear, but no such luck! At times I could see gaze down the impressive northeast dropoff to the Granite Lakes below. I left the top at 12:30 and was back to my truck at 2:15, having had the hike almost entirely to myself. Directions: From I-90 Eastbound, take exit 38. Turn right at the exit and follow it along the river, crossing back underneath the highway. Drive through a yellow gate that is locked at 4pm, and over the river again on a one-lane bridge. At a point where the road bends to the left, the trail is off to the right. A small meadow across the road is another indication of the trailhead. At 2500' a trail off to the right is indicated by a rock cairn and blazes, this leads to Dirty Harry's Balcony.