In partnership with The Mountaineers "Snowshoe Routes: Washington" by Dan E. Nelson This authoritative guide provides complete details on a prime selection of 81 diverse snowshoe routes. Paperback, 256 pages $16.95 For more snowshoe routes, buy the book now. More Mountaineers books

Description:
Hiking through a wide, level valley in the shadow of looming Kendall Peak to the north and Rampart Ridge to the east would be an ideal outing, if only so many people didn't know about it. Fortunately, a few miles up the trail, the crowds thin - or at least spread out - and snowshoers can get on with the business of learning to travel in a beautiful wilderness valley. That's right, just a few miles after leaving the buzzing I-90 corridor, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness unfolds. By mid-December, the snow is usually deep enough for the outing to be enjoyable, making this a great destination for families who gave each other snowshoes for Christmas.

Directions and route:
To get there, from Seattle drive east on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass to Exit 54, found 2 miles east of the pass summit. Exit I-90, turn left, cross under the freeway, and just a few hundred feet north of the highway interchange, turn right onto a narrow paved road and drive east parallel to the freeway for 1 mile. Cars generally line both sides of this road as the shoulder is the primary parking area for the long Gold Creek Sno-Park. Park at the end of the plowed road, near the small bridge over the stream connecting Mardee Lake to Lake Keechelus.

Start the hike by heading north along a narrow access road (Forest Service Road No. 144) on the eastern side of Mardee Lake. The road stays tight to the eastern wall of the valley, but if the snow is deep enough to bury all the ground cover, drop off the road in a few hundred yards - just past Mardee Lake - and snowshoe up the open meadow and through the thin stands of forest. As you hike up the valley, the view of Kendall Peak gets better and better, while on your right, Rampart Ridge rolls majestically along. As the valley tapers in, the meadows give way to wide stands of trees and small forest clearings. The walls close in tighter and tighter on the valley floor, and the views become more dramatic. At about 3.5 miles in, stop and enjoy the scenery and the feeling of power that this winter wilderness emits.

At the northern end of Rampart Ridge is the bulky summit of Alta Mountain; directly opposite is the vertical face of Kendall Peak. The steep walls of these mountains seem to rise from the ground at your feet. Continue to press on up the valley, but only if you know how to evaluate avalanche dangers. Even on the valley floor, hikers are susceptible to avalanches. The mammoth slides can come barreling off the valley walls with enough momentum that they sweep well out onto the basin's floor.

If you are seeking more adventure, continue on up the middle of the valley floor for another 2.5 miles, crossing in front of the mouth of Silver Creek Valley on the north side of Kendall Peak, before reaching a small draw leading off to the left. This is the outlet stream from Alaska Lake. Leave Gold Creek, and begin your ascent of the valley wall here, heading north-northwest. The lake is just 1 mile up the slope, but the elevation gain in that mile is more than 1,000 feet, so take your time.

Alaska Lake fills a small basin directly below Alaska Mountain and Ridge Lake, which both lie alongside the Pacific Crest Trail. Steep walls surround the lake, except at the outlet end, so plan your camp there to avoid potential avalanche chutes. Although the lake will most likely be frozen over, stay off the ice because it is usually thin and subject to cracking.