Alpine Washington

I’ve been itching to get up to Green Ridge since I first saw it on the topo maps last fall. This little-known area north of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River is not easy to get to, but it’s the gateway to over 10 alpine lakes, not to mention the high summits of Mount Garfield, Treen Peak, and Galleon Mountain. The trail is a rough mining and fishing path that is infamous for its steepness, in one stretch climbing 2000’ in about 0.8 miles. This rivals such well-known steep ascents like Aasgard Pass, which rises 2100’ over the same distance, or Putrid Pete’s Peak, which has a stretch of 1000’ in just 0.3 miles! Fortunately, I successfully hiked PPP a week ago with no ill effects, so I think I’m ready for this one. I navigate the 4.6 miles of bone-rattling potholes on Forest Service road 5620, also known as the Dingford Creek Road, and park in a pullout just past the trailhead. Not that there is a trailhead, per se - just a path that leads straight into