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Trip Report    

Alpine Scramble - Preacher Mountain

Successful summit of Preacher Mountain

Andy Tangsombatvisit Andy Tangsombatvisit
May 27, 2018
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • Parked at Middle Fork Snoqualmie parking area and took the Rainey Creek Trail to the lake. Snow was encountered at 3100 ft but didn’t use ice axes until after the bushwhacking on the ridge above the lake. Took the ridge to the tarn and ascended another ridge to the summit, giving wide berth to lingering cornices.

I finally obtained the summit of Preacher Mountain with a strong group of scramblers. It was a long day, 13+ hrs car to car. The Rainey Creek trail is easy to follow and only a few blowdowns, we encountered snow at 3100 ft, but only used the ice axes above Rainey Lake. We stayed on the ridge and dropped toward the tarn at 5200 ft. Where we took another ridge to Preacher Mountain, giving wide berth to lingering cornices. No views because we were hanging out in a cloud. Happy to have bagged this summit on the third try, thankful for my team!

We did not bring snowshoes or crampons, snow was consolidated enough. Watch for postholing near rock faces. 

Fun glissiding with safe runout from the summit ridge to the tarn. Then cautious glissade to the ridge from the lake. Bushwhacking is a little annoying but great veggie belays and the huckleberries will be prime in the summer.