Description

Join us for an easy overnight backpacking campout on the trails of the Snoqualmie Pass.

This event is designed for backpacking beginners. We will meet Saturday morning, hike 8-12 miles, camp out overnight, and hike back Sunday morning. We expect to be back in Seattle by Sunday afternoon/evening.

This event is free! Limit 6 people plus organizers. BYO gear or we can refer you to our friends at Gearhouse for an affordable backpacking rental package.

From hike organizer Christy:

For the basic overnight backpack, plan is to go to Mirror Lake off the PCT with fallback to Cottonwood Lake a little further if the location is full. There are two ways we can get there...the "easy route" with only a mile of hiking, or a harder way which is a very pretty hike. We can decide which we want to do as a group. The WTA links for each are below. This lake is great for swimming and floating if you are inclined to bring extra creature comforts like floats in your pack.

https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mirror-lake-and-cottonwood-lakes#hike-trailhead-and-map

https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mirror-lake-via-the-pct

There is currently snow on the trail, but it is expected to clear by the time we do the backpack. If not, our backup location will be Olallie Lake (WTA below) or something with similar gain/distance on the I-90 corridor. Olallie Lake WTA link: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/talapus-and-olallie-lakes

We will meet at Eastgate park and ride off I-90 for carpool. Link: https://goo.gl/maps/DKL7MvDN5chbgbv1A

Note that the road up to the trailhead requires high clearance vehicles and limited parking so carpooling is highly recommended. I have one that can fit a driver and 4 other people comfortably with packs.

Since these trails can fill up early, plan is to meet fairly early @0730 at the park and ride. Please send me your phone and email if you plan to join so I can contact you if there are issues.

It is expected that everyone bring there own gear to be self sufficient. We can always triage or combine gear if necessary when we gather at Eastgate.

I will be checking that everyone has the 10 essentials before heading out.https://www.wta.org/go-outside/trail-smarts/ten-essentials

If you do not have gear, I recommend Gearhouse as a rental service. They have complete packs available for beginners. If you have any questions let me know. You can either contact me directly via the Mappy Hour website, or chat with me in person at Mappy Hour events this month!

If you can't make it, check out our Map of the Month by Gaia GPS and follow the itinerary!