Mileage: 10 miles
Elevation Gain/Highest: 3300ft/6151ft
Map: Green Trails Snoqualmie Pass 207
Favorite Eats After Hike: Garlic Crush, Agave Cocina, North Bend Bar & Grill, Chang Thai & Pho, The Commonwealth, Basecamp Books & Bites, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
My Hike:
9/27/2015 This was another great Meetup hike to Alta Mountain via Rampart Lakes, although some of us came in Rachel Lake and my group came in the backdoor via Lake Laura, Vivian and Rampart Lakes.
The trail is basically a fisherman’s bootpath and straight up and over Vivian Lake to Rampart Lakes and then up on the ridge over Rachel Lakes (the more popular access point). Think Tuck and Robin Lakes, Chain Lakes or Minotaur.
Then things level out a bit until your climb up Alta Mountain. Expect to use your hands as you make your way over what I believe are 5 false summits to the top!
My favorite part of visiing Alta Mountain via Rampart Lakes (aside from the easy scramble to the top) was being able to look across to the Pacific Crest Trail, Kendall Katwalk and Alaska Lake. Pretty cool.
Directions: Drive I-90 East to Exit 54, signed for Hyak. Cross under the freeway, then turn right onto FR 4832. Continue until the pavement ends and the road turns uphill, then proceed to the fourth sharp turn, where road FR 136 branches off to the left. Continue on FR 136, keeping right at a fork. At the first sharp right turn there is a parking lot. Park here. The trail starts from the parking lot.
For more hikes on I-90, click HERE.
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