Huckleberry Mountain/East Face

A basic alpine climb reached by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail past Kendal Katwalk to near Edds Lake and Joe Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near Snoqualmie Pass.

Getting There

Take Exit 52 off of I-90. At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn north and cross under the freeway. In ~100 yards, turn right onto a paved road leading to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Trailhead (3,000 ft).

Approach

Hike the Pacific Crest Trail roughly 11 miles and leave the trail just past the low angle east ridge after Kendall Katwalk to find easy heather and talus slopes leading up to the base of the climb at 6,000 ft.

Climbing Route

The route generally consists of Class 3 to Class 4 scrambling along the ridge crest, generally trying to link clumps of trees. About 50 feet up the climb, there is an intimidating Class 4 step across a dark flake. Once over this, the terrain gets easier to travel, and there is a solid tree with a rappel anchor that doubles as belay station. 

Scramble up to the false summit, then downclimb into a large notch. Climb about 60' of 3rd/4th class to the broad ramp. Climb the low Class 5 crack just below the summit, which is well protected with a Black Diamond #1 or #0.75 cam.

Descent

Rappel from the "choss bollard" back down to the notch. One more rappel lower on the ridge descends the Class 4 step and leads back to the base of the climb. A 60m rope is needed.

Information FOr leaders

PermiTS

As of 2017, the Snoqualmie Ranger District considers Mountaineers trips and courses to be "nominal use". Leaders should print and copy this designation letter to show rangers they may see on trail or carry a digital copy on their phone.

  • Suitable Activities: Climbing
  • Climbing Category: Basic Alpine
  • Seasons: June, July, August, September
  • Weather: View weather forecast
  • Difficulty: Basic Alpine Climb
  • Length: 22.0 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 6,320 ft
  • 6,230 ft
Map
  • Green Trails Snoqualmie Pass No. 207
  • Green Trails Snoqualmie Pass Gateway No. 207S
  • USGS Snoqualmie Pass
  • USGS Chikamin Peak
Activities

Upcoming Activities

There are no activities scheduled at this location.

Trip Reports
Resources

There are no resources for this route/place. Log in and send us updates, images, or resources.