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Best scramble near Seattle

Original Post
Marc-Andre Giasson · · Arlington, MA · Joined Jul 2018 · Points: 0

I will be in Seattle on family vacation in two weeks. I will have a week day on my own to do whatever I feel like, so I am looking for a good scramble (summit is optional, but preferred) or at the very least a great hike. It would have to be doable in a day from Seattle. I will have a small rental car, so difficult logging road driving or anything requiring high clearance to get to the trailhead won't work. I have been climbing technical rock for 20 years at an easy to moderate level, but I am way out of shape these days.

Any tip, advice, or recommendation would be very appreciated!

Marc

JoshW · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 6,541

This could provide some options, plus has trip reports (road conditions, etc): https://www.wta.org/go-outside/hikes

Or if you don't mind buying a guidebook, 75 Scrambles in Washington is a good reference for technical scrambles.

Or just head to Leavenworth (2.5 hrs from Seattle), since you're a climber tons of rock to drool over (and plenty of easy boulders if you take a pair of shoes/don't mind not having a crash pad), very scenic, plus some great hikes and shouldn't be crowded on a weekday.

Bill Enger · · Seattle, WA · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 456

You could go to Snoqualmie Pass, park at Alpental, hike up and over Mt. Snoqualmie, scramble the ridge to Lundin Peak and down the other side to trails out.

Julia Wilkins · · New York, NY · Joined Mar 2019 · Points: 5

Kaleetan Peak ( wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/kal…)  is an awesome hike with some fun scrambling to the summit, and 360 views of surrounding peaks and lakes just about 1 hour from Seattle. Hidden gem! Hike 4 easy miles up to Melawka Lake, then it's about 2 miles of pretty steep terrain (mix of forest and boulder fields) to the final scramble to the top. Super fun, would also be a sick trail run!

Marc-Andre Giasson · · Arlington, MA · Joined Jul 2018 · Points: 0

Thank you all for the suggestions. It looks like the Snoqualmie pass area is the place to go. I still have to make a final decision on the exact peak, but I am psyched to visit the area.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Pacific Northwest
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