Lodge Lake

I've been dragging my toes on writing this post, and I'm not quite sure why. Probably because I'm not really in a writing mood, but I'm going to get it done today!

On the 4^th of July, I joined a friend for a short hike up at Snoqualmie Pass. I had always wanted to hike around the Snoqualmie Pass ski area during summer to see what the terrain looks like without the snow, and I finally got my chance. 

 

 

We started out in this little parking lot off the side of Snoqualmie West, then hiked up to the ski slopes and under the chairs. There was still quite a bit of snow in the shade that we hiked over. Once we got to the ski slopes, there wasn’t any snow and it was rather hot out in the open. I was fascinated by all the landforms I had skied over and never knew where there, like the board walk shown above.

We got across the ski slopes and headed back towards Beaver Lake. Along the way we met an older gentleman who was planning on fishing at Lodge Lake, and was so proud of himself for carrying all his gear, including an inflatable raft. We chatted with him, as we walked over some snow patches, then he slowly trailed behind us. We met him again as he was setting up for fishing at the lake later in the day.

Beaver Lake is a small pond on the edges of the ski area. I would have never known it was there since its usually covered with snow! It was quite picturesque, but I was still wanting to get to Lodge Lake. We trekked along further into the forest, along the PCT, until we came to Lodge Lake. There were a few creek crossing, and we both had a few mishaps involving slippery rocks, but we made it there in one piece. 

Beaver Lake

Lodge Lake

The lake was absolutely stunning against the view of the mountains (I believe that is Denny Mountain in the background), and we lunched on a log that jutted into the lake. After a quick snack, we headed further along the trail, just to see how far we could get. We got to a small unnamed lake, then decided it was time to head back.

The trail was rather easy to follow, except for the snow covered parts. It was not very difficult and  didn’t have much of an elevation gain. This would be a perfect hike for small kids, or anyone who wants a stroll in the forest, without the crowds. I can’t wait to visit again!

Total time: 4 hours 

Distance: 4 miles, 400 ft elevation gain
Passes: NW Forest Pass required
Location: off Snoqualmie Summit West exit, turn R into parking lot, then follow to west end. There are no markings, but park there and follow the main trail to the ski slopes.

Thanks for stopping by!