Kendall Katwalk to Ridge Lake, a pretty piece of the PCT.

Exposure at the Katwalk

Back in the 1970s, an alignment of political stars resulted in a half a million acres of Forest Service land in the Snoqualmie Pass area to be designated as the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.  Jerry Ford, a moderate Republican, was our accidental president in 1976.  Congress was controlled by the Democrats where two sons of the Washington State, Henry "Scoop" Jackson, and Warren G. Magnuson, wielded considerable power.  In fact, Jackson was the Chair of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.  With Gov. Dan Evans, our "liberal" Republican governor lobbying for passage, and a certain override by Congress if vetoed, President Ford signed the authorization for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.  

At the Katwalk

The act helped to improve what was then called the Cascade Crest Trail, later to be incorporated in the northern tier of the PCT.   By 1977, crews were dynamiting the danger out of a link in the trail along the Kendall Ridge to create the Kendall Katwalk. By 1979, the quarter mile or so of blasted granite was becoming a hiking destination unto itself.

Yesterday, Ernie, James, and I hiked the Kendall Katwalk and lunched at Ridge Lake  after enjoying the amazing views along the way.  The exposure at the Katwalks is mitigated by a wide trail.  Snow is evident in only a couple of nostalgic patches.  As late as June, hikers were turning back because of snow.  After a heavy winter, fields of white linger late at an elevation of nearly 5400 feet.  Yesterday, the trail was in good shape, especially along the ridge.  

James, a recently retired actuary, and now full-time outdoor enthusiast, suggested a alternative route right at the start of the hike.  Old Harvey Manning must have been smiling down on us from the Happy Trails above as we took the second left a few hundred feet out of the the parking lot, to hike the unauthorized piece of the old trail, that courses along Commonwealth Creek.  

In case you didn't notice . . .

Intrepidly, James took the lead with spiderwebs across his face, and the dewy backlash of salmonberries against his body, but the "secret" trail was an enjoyable alternative to the rerouted, new trail that Manning railed against 40 years ago. Apparently, the old trail crossed at least a sliver of private land necessitating the long detour.

4 K Sign, a vestige of the Carter Years

A few blowdowns to scamper over along the way remind you that the trail is unmaintained, but the boot treads along the path indicate the old way is not that secret.  We guessed it probably saved us up to 3/4th of a mile of ups and downs.  You pop out near the "4K" sign, no doubt put up in the heady early days of Jimmy Carter's administration when we failed in our attempt to move to the metric system like the rest of the world.  

The trail to the Katwalks is long with a steady elevation gain.  Some folks get impatient with the trail through the woods, calling the four miles before breaking out above the treeline, monotonous, but I appreciated the shade of hemlock and spruce, and occasional blasts of wildflowers in small meadows along the way.  

Ridge Lake.  Trout and flies were biting!

Guides call the hike rigorous, but the distant view of Mt. Rainier, and the closer, Chair, Red, and Snoqualmie Mountains distract you from the pain. 

Three things to be prepared for if you are hiking during a hot spell: water, bugs, and traffic.

1.  Bring plenty of water.  It was hot at elevation yesterday afternoon.  While there's water to filter along the trail, it's just smarter to be able to drink immediately.  I froze a 32 ounces of water in a Nalgene bottle the night before that thawed by late morning to help with the heat.  We logged about 14 miles, so you'll need plenty of water.  My total water consumption was close to 80 oz.

2.  The melt out brings the bugs.  They buzzed us along the trail, but didn't become annoying until we stopped near the lake to have lunch with them.  We applied bugjuice and suffered little as we we ate.  They could only circle in a confused fog.  

On the lake, a few trout jumped, and a louder splash drew our attention to the far shore where some hot hiker cooled off with total immersion.  He survived the shock of the snow-fed waters, but didn't stay long in the lake.

The hike out featured a fly over by a couple of Navy Fighters, reminding us all that the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is never as wild as the hearts of a couple of joyriding jet jockeys.   Five years earlier they were probably doing brodies on the lawns of Fort Lauderdale during spring break.  The thunderously impressive display of aviation prowess was over in less than a minute.

Red Mountain

3.  Traffic.  Right now WSDOT is resurfacing I-90 west of the pass.  We only encountered some slow downs in the afternoon, returning to Seattle, but we hiked on a Tuesday for a reason.  I have to imagine it will only get worse as the week goes on.

Despite the heat, bugs, and traffic, this chunk of the PCT is worth the effort. Rainier and all of her lesser deities were out in glory.  Get an early start before the skies get too hazy if you want the postcard shot to make your friends jealous.