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Alpine Scramble - Putrid Pete Peak, Web and Mount Defiance

Fabulous short scramble of three peaks close to Seattle.

Andy Cahn Andy Cahn
November 29, 2020
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • There are three routes available to descend from Mason Lake: the old and abandoned Mason Creek trail, the old and abandoned Mason Lake trail, and the (relatively) new Ira Spring trail. As nobody in our group had tried the Mason Lake trail, we decided to try that. Our consensus rating was that the Mason Creek trail is the best way to go, that the Mason Lake trail is a nice alternative, and no self-respecting scrambler would subject themselves to the long, boring, and crowded Ira Spring trail. 

Fabulous trip. The scramble up PPP is fun. The scramble along the ridge to Web is fun and photogenic. The scramble over towards Defiance is gorgeous. We recommend descending from Mason Lake via either the old, abandoned Mason Creek trail or the old, abandoned Mason Lake trail. We were on the summit of Defiance by 1 pm and considered adding Bandera to make it a four peak day, but in the end decided that Bandera on a smokey day isn't worth it. We ended the day at Nicolino Italian restaurant in Issaquah -- a fantastic end to a fantastic day.