Avalanche Mountain
- Jun 17
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
6/17/2026
I got out for a quick after-work jaunt up Avalanche Mountain – a peak that exceeded my expectations. I started from the Snow Lake Trailhead at 4:45 and made great time up the familiar trail. I hit the crest above the lake before 5:30 and jogged down the first few switchbacks on the other side, before leaving the trail unceremoniously at the terminus of one of the switchbacks.
I cut cross country through heather and huckleberry bushes, often following small human or goat paths. Despite being so close to the busy thoroughfare that is Snow Lake, the basin immediately felt quiet and wild when I left the trail. The off-trail travel was easy, and I passed a nice tarn (small lake?) on the way.
Before long, I was confronted with a rocky slope that led up to the crest of Avalanche Mountain’s south ridge. I did some rock hopping, but it wasn’t until I got off the rocks that things got interesting. The final hundred or so feet became quite steep, and I found myself grabbing tree limbs and more or less dragging myself up. There were some minor cliff bands to be avoided as well – much more engaging terrain than I was expecting on this mountain.
I found my way through (lots of ways would probably work) and the rest of the climb was much more straightforward. I again found a significant climber’s path on the ridge crest and followed that to near the summit. There were a few minor class 2-3 moves to gain the true summit, which had some spectacular views, definitely better than expected. The lighting on Snow Lake was poor, but the summit was still in a great position to view it and Chair Peak. The real star of the show was the rugged north side of Snoqualmie Mountain.
I went down more or less the same way I had ascended – dropping off the ridge crest was still super steep for a hundred feet or so, but it went ok. I made quick time back to the Snow Lake trail and jogged back to the car, getting back in just over 3 hours round trip. This was a high bang-for-your-buck after work adventure, and I was happy to have got it in.
Final Stats: 7.3 miles / 2298 feet of gain
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