Route Description

General Information

With snow a mile after the
Heather Lake trail head,
we decided to use some
mechanical advantage
this year to get up the road.

8:00am

Click any image
to enlarge it.

Expedition Members

Chris - Mark

Chris at the trail head.
Mt Three Fingers in the background.

8:45am

.Location

Mt Pilchuck is located in
the Baker-Snoqualmie National
Forest, in western Washington
State.

With six feet more snow that last
year, crossing the creek with
dry feet was not a problem.

Chris finds a new hat!

9:00am

Phone Numbers
Baker-Snoqualmie National
Forest Ranger Station
( 800 ) - 627-0062

Our view stretched out into
Gardner Bay, the Olympic
Mountains and even south to
Seattle.

9:30am

Getting There

From Granite Falls,WA travel
11 miles on the Mountain Loop
Highway, to the Mt Pilchuck
road. Turn right and continue
7 miles up the road to the
parking lot. The trail head
is on the south side of the
parking lot.

Chris took a new route up the north
face of Little Pilchuck.
This new route puts you at the
Saddle about an hour faster that normal.

10:10am

Altitude

Starting Altitude - 3,500 ft
Summit Altitude - 5,324 ft

This is looking from Little Pilchuck
across the saddle to the west
face traverse. AKA... "Randy Pass"

10:45am

History

First trail access - 1909
Cabin construction - 1919-1920
The cabin was a fire lookout
from 1918 to 1956.

Chris half way through Randy Pass.
Little Pilchuck can be seen on the
left and Mt Baker is on the skyline.

Out on the west face, we run the
ridge to the cabin. If you look closely
the cabin is above Chris's head.

11:15am

Permits

No permit is required for day
trips to Mt Pilchuck. However
a parking pass is required to
park at the trail head.
The Forest Service manages the
road and Washington State
owns the Summit.

The near record snow fall this
year makes the cabin almost
unrecognizable. It has even been
called " Super Pilchuck "
this year by some climbers.

11:30am

Getting There

Altitude

History

Permits

Links

Reference Books