Trip Report
Alpine Scramble - Red Mountain (Commonwealth Basin)
Berry munching and panoramic views from a Snoqualmie First Ten peak
Kurt Mallery
- Wed, Aug 20, 2025
- Alpine Scramble - Red Mountain (Commonwealth Basin)
- Red Pass & Mountain (Commonwealth Basin)
- Scrambling
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Plenty of parking spots available at the PCT North Trailhead just before 8am on a Wednesday. The main challenge of this scramble is the loose rock and scree on the final ascent to Red Mountain. Although faint, we found a decent path to the summit and were careful to avoid creating a hazard by paying attention to those beneath us.
The day started off somewhat cloudy, but became magical when we reached the summit. We took the Old Commonwealth Trail and met a group of German hikers near the creek crossing, which seemed unusual for this area. Our progress was slowed by the abundance of delicious berries. The gentle trail steepens at about 2.4 miles, and then only about half mile until leaving the trail. Behind us, there was a nice view of Guye Peak in the clouds.
There was a faint trail that matched CalTopo. We followed it to the summit which made the ascent very manageable. We had several students. It was a great introduction to loose rock and scree.
When we reached the summit, the clouds revealed Mount Thomson in dramatic fashion. After a leisurely break, we decided to return via the PCT for variety, making the total distance 7.6 miles. The adventure ended up being far more enjoyable than I anticipated.
