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 the woods before the road crosses Green Ridge Creek. At first,
the trail seems pretty easy; there are a few trees across it, but it’s nice
moss and forest. This ends in about three minutes as I proceed straight up a
rooty track to gain the bottom of the ridgeline. The path is a bit brushy at
times, with salal growing on both sides, but I’ve actually been on far worse
trails. I know there will be snow as I near the lake, but at the lower
elevations, it feels like summer and everything is very dry. The roar of Green
Ridge Creek can be heard to my right, deep below the spine of the ridge.
I’m forced to climb fairly slowly on the steep trail, but the open forest
makes for pleasant hiking, and it’s a warm spring day with no bugs. Through
the tree cover, I get occasional glimpses of Preacher Mountain on the other
side of the Middle Fork, and at one viewpoint I can see Tin Cup Joe Falls with
its impressively tall drop into the valley. After about an hour of relentless
climbing, I reach a junction at 3400’. The fork in the trail would be hard to
notice if I wasn’t looking for it, as the tread is a bit faint in places. The
left fork continues upward along Green Ridge toward Mount Garfield. I take the
right fork, which leads to Green Ridge Lake. I’m unsure at first if I’m on the
right path, since the trail actually descends a bit and gets even fainter, but
a check of my GPS tells me I’m on track. Besides, I think, how many faint
trails are up here, anyway?
Passing over a short talus field, I get glimpses of more distant peaks near
Snoqualmie Pass, specifically their lesser-seen north faces. The trail, which
had diverted away from Green Ridge Creek for a bit, now nears it again, and I
get an excellent view of a narrow canyon filled with the rushing snowmelt
coming from Green Ridge Lake. To this point, the trail has been free of snow,
but at about 3600’ it’s covering everything under the large trees. The trail
seems to hug the edge of the creek canyon, but before long, the snow makes it
hazardous to follow this route. I climb up a steep snow slope for about 50’ to
some talus above, kicking in steps as I go. There are no other boot prints up
here today, which is a sure sign of a real adventure!
I traverse talus for a few minutes, then it’s back into even deeper snow
again, now about 4’ or more. The terrain is getting more gentle, so I can tell
I’m getting close to the lake. Conditions are excellent, as the snow is
completely consolidated and hard and it makes for really easy walking with no
special gear required. I weave my way among the trees heading upward. There’s
no way to know where the trail is anymore, but it doesn’t matter since I can
just follow the creek to the lake. The outlet creek appears to have carved a
huge canyon, but this is an illusion caused by the 8-10’ high walls of snow on
both sides of the creek. I emerge from the trees at about 3850’, and see the
lake extending into the distance before me. Steep terrain rises to the left,
while more gradual slopes are seen beyond and to the right. The trees and
clouds surrounding me reflect perfectly in the quiet water.
I can see that fulfilling my Alpine Lakes Wilderness mission for this lake
today is going to be a problem. Snow surrounds the entire lake and extends
down into the water, which appears to be several feet deep at the edge. I can
even see ice formations under the crystal clear water, like the bottom of an
iceberg. In many lakes, the outlet area will melt out first and provide access
to water at a logjam. However, the outlet here at Green Ridge Lake is in
shade, and covered by a snow bridge that appears to be about 10’ high. It has
also been undercut by the water escaping the lake, so there is no safe way to
get to the water at this point without a boat! I’ll mark this lake complete
conditionally, knowing that I’ll need to make it official on a later trip when
there is less snow. This is not a big deal, since I’ll have to pass this way
again to reach many other lakes on my list. I sit down on an exposed rock and
enjoy some lunch in the spring sunshine.
It has taken me about two hours to reach the lake, which might sound
impressive if it weren’t for the fact that I only walked about 1.5 miles.
Nonetheless, I have time left in the day so I decide I need to head up Green
Ridge for a bit and do some exploring. Perhaps I can get some nice views, or
even spot some of the other lakes in the area. I could descend 400’ back to
the junction and head up the trail that way, but the way to the ridge trail is
temptingly short if I go cross-country. I don my micro spikes for the expected
snow and steep terrain, and set off due west, where I will eventually regain
the ridge trail. The going is pretty slow, as expected, and extremely steep.
At times I detour around brush patches and hoist my way up slopes with veggie
belay, always favoring gaining elevation rather than losing it. Along the way
I get some amazing views of Snoqualmie Mountain and other summits to the
south. After a final steep push, I reach the ridge trail at about 4200’. It’s
amazing how even such an ill-defined trail is a luxury after a bit of intense
bushwhacking. I didn’t end up traversing much snow on this south-facing slope,
but my spikes and poles were very helpful on the steep duff.
I’m only on the trail for a few minutes when the ridge widens and I’m in
snow-filled open forest. On the map, I recall seeing a plateau containing a
tarn at about 4400’, so I decide this is a great target for the afternoon. I
head east off the main ridge and find the plateau in just a few minutes, after
taking note of a few unique trees in case I need to find my way back without
aid of my GPS. Arriving at this snow-covered plateau is a bit like entering
another world after the dry, steep ridge I have climbed. This type of terrain
is one of the most enjoyable parts of high alpine wandering. I imagine it
would be a very pretty area once the snow melts as well, though the snow does
an excellent job of eliminating any brush.
I walk for a few minutes and reach
what I am calling
Tarn 4472, so named based on its elevation. The tarn is a
beautiful aqua color with a ridge and a small peak on the far side. This color
comes from the fact that it’s not exactly melted out. Instead, the snow on top
has melted, but is trapped by the deep snow all around it. It looks like a
very chilly wading pool.
I make my way up to the ridge next to the tarn, hoping for my first real view
to the north. I am not disappointed, as just on the other side of this ridge I
see a huge drop down into the bowl containing Carole Lake, almost 1500’ below.
I can just make out a sliver of the lake in the distance. Dominating the
skyline to my left is the south face of Treen Peak, with the cliffy slopes of
Floating Rock to my right. Far in the distance, I can see Dream Mountain and
Cascade Mountain, across the Taylor River Valley that I hiked on my way to
Snoqualmie Lake. I was hoping to have a view of Garfield Mountain and the
three lakes behind it, but it appears Garfield is not visible unless I travel
further up Green Ridge. It seems odd to be so close to such a massive mountain
without being able to spot it, but it’s the nature of mountainous terrain.
The small peak of
Point 4595 is just to my right, and I kick steps up about
100’ of deep snow to reach the apex. The sights from here are even better,
since I now have a 360 degree view that includes the imposing Snoqualmie peaks
to the south. I can see Green Ridge Lake directly below, in addition to Hi-Low
Lake just a bit farther up the valley. This area definitely needs more
exploring, though I can’t decide if it would be better with or without the
snow - travel on the snow-covered slopes has been a real joy today. I
plunge-step my way down the steep slope past the blue tarn and onto the
plateau, heading for the trail. I have GPS to keep me on track, but the
simplest thing to do is just follow my footsteps in the snow.
Once I’m back on the trail proper, the long descent begins. I should clarify:
the descent is only long because of the time required - the actual distance is
less than two miles. The path is faint in places, but it’s hard to get lost
because it’s a ridge trail, always within 10-15’ of the spine of the mountain.
Descending this trail is not exactly fun, but I use my trekking poles to help,
and apparently my knees are conditioned well enough to take just about
anything. I stop occasionally to cut blowdowns with my saw, giving my knees a
breather. It’s very satisfying to clear the way for my future self and any
other intrepid adventurers who brave this wild but beautiful area. It’s been a
successful recon mission to Green Ridge, and I can’t wait to return!
Stats
Time: 6.5 hours
Distance: 4.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 3350'
Summits: Point 4595
Alpine Lakes Mission
Lakes visited: Green Ridge
Total lakes: 25
Percent complete: 8.4%
Photos and Videos
360° Photo: Green Ridge Lake
Stats
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