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On skis or snowshoes, Kendall Ridge delivers backcountry fun aplenty
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../art/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
We figured out long ago a person could snowshoe just about anywhere skiers went, and the Kendall Ridge and Kendall Peak Lakes area is a great destination close to home for both activities.
You can take an easy snowshoe tour, a cross-country ski trip as challenging as you want to make it, or snowshoe up and snowboard down.
For those reasons the area often is crowded, and you might have to dodge cross-country skiers, snowboarders or snowshoers.
The main access to the ridge is up an old logging road, and those big craters you might see on the way up are where skiers have tumbled coming down. I've left some craters myself when I skied the road, which is often icy and sometimes better suited for snowshoes.
No matter what you put on your feet, this destination will give you a good workout and, if the weather is clear, you will be pleasantly surprised by the views. If you don't want to share the road with crowds, go midweek. You also can avoid the crowds by simply climbing straight up the slope rather than snowshoeing the road.
Most of the route is on the easy-to-follow road and the climb is gradual. You'll soon be out of earshot of Interstate 90 and the winter quiet will take over. Views begin early on -- you don't have to get to a summit to enjoy them.
Getting to the lakes is more challenging than following the road. Trying to reach the highest of the Kendall Lakes is not recommended, since the area is avalanche prone.
Kendall Peak Lakes are small ponds on the flank of Kendall Peak. At 5,675 feet, the peak can be seen from the last mile of trail that leads into the basin containing the lakes.
There are other peaks in the Snoqualmie Pass area to feast your eyes on -- Alta Mountain to the east, Mount Catherine (laced with ski runs), and the long, lumpy ridge of Rampart Ridge. Gold Creek Valley can be seen as soon as the road begins to climb.
Be sure to get an avalanche forecast before you start out. This area is rated "moderate" for avalanche potential in the guidebooks, but there was a major avalanche along the upper portion of the road a few years ago that went down through the trees. If you are climbing cross country to the lakes (rather than following the road), an ice ax or trekking poles are strongly recommended.
Getting there
Drive I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass and get off at Exit 54 Hyak/Rocky Run (two miles east of the summit). At the exit, turn left, cross under the freeway to reach the Gold Creek Sno-Park (a few feet north of the highway interchange), elevation 2,640 feet.
Trail detail
The trail (road) begins on the west side of the Gold Creek valley after crossing the creek on a bridge. Snowshoe for about an eighth of a mile and look for a logging road going uphill on your left, known as the Kendall Ridge Road.
The road climbs steeply at first but moderates as it continues to make long switchbacks through stands of firs and hemlocks interspersed with open slopes. As you climb, the views improve. At 1.7 miles, another road at a switchback leads to a view of Coal Creek Basin and the ski areas of Snoqualmie Summit, a good place for a rest stop.
The main road continues to climb. At about 3.5 miles the road makes a sharp turn and heads south. Leave the road, turn north and look for a path below the crest of the ridge, which leads to Kendall Lakes. Just past 4.2 miles, the trail approaches Coal Creek and follows it to the first lake at 4,400 feet (the highest lake is a quarter-mile farther and 350 feet higher).
If the lake is not enough, there are other options for more experienced snowshoers and skiers: First Kendall Knob and Second Kendall Knob are frequent destinations for those wanting a harder workout. To reach First Kendall Knob, snowshoe up the Kendall Ridge Road 3 1/4 miles to where the road divides at a switchback. Turn right and climb until the road reaches a saddle on a ridge, turn right and snowshoe to the end of a road to a landing at the 4,400 foot "summit" of the knob.
Second Kendall Knob is the highest of the knobs at an elevation of 4,720 feet. Follow the roads on the route for First Kendall Knob for 3 1/8 miles. Shortly beyond this point, look for a road going off on the left (another road goes to the right). Turn left and continue to Coal Creek. Cross Coal Creek and resume climbing to road's end in an open basin. You may have to break trail the final quarter of a mile to the top.
When you descend, avoid the steep slopes on the south side as there is a higher risk of avalanche. Descending due west is safer. Enjoy views of Keechelus Lake and several of the Snoqualmie Pass summits including Denny, Guye, The Tooth and Chair Peak. Farther away is Mount Rainier.
Trail detail
Mileages in the guides differ but Lower Kendall Lake is approximately 9 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1,700 feet. The map is Green Trails Snoqualmie Pass No. 207. Contact the North Bend Ranger District for conditions at 425-888-1421.
A good description of this and other snowshoe routes can be found in "Snowshoe Routes: Washington" by Dan A. Nelson (The Mountaineers, 237 pages, $16.95). The out-of-print "Snow Trails" by Gene Prater (The Mountaineers) is also useful. Skiers will find information more geared toward that activity in "Cross Country Ski Tours in Washington's South Cascades and Olympics" by Tom Kirkendall and Vicky Spring (The Mountaineers, 223 pages, $14.95). For avalanche conditions, call the Northwest Avalanche Center at 206-526-6677 for an update.
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