The destination was Rampart Ridge, and a new TNAB classic was born. Last year, Don introduced Rampart Ridge as a late season filler hike, and to this point I was the only one who actually got to "see" it. This time, eight of us were there to bear witness: Damon, Drew, Jason, Larry, Mark, Matt, Russ, and Shu-Chih. Matt actually got to meet one of the "new" crew in Drew (where you guys been?) and thus convince him that I wasn't faking all the reports from earlier this year. :)
Rampart Ridge is easily the furthest east for a TNAB hike, accessed by taking the Hyak exit at Snoqualmie Pass and crossing over to the north side of I-90, like the way to Kendall. Instead of going straight (Kendall), you take a right and follow the road as it first parallels I-90, then turns to gravel and starts switching up into the hills. At the Y where there's a sign for Lake Lillian, take the left up the valley. The trailhead is at a bend in a switchback on this road.
The first part of the trail is overgrown logging road, then it goes UP. Fortunately, for it's steepness, it's very direct and fairly short. We passed the trail to Lake Laura within 20 minutes of our 6:20 PM start time, and reached Lake Lillian 15 minutes later. The lake was too much for Matt, Larry, and Damon to resist, as it was a warm and sunny day, so they jumped in for nice swim. A couple packed for camping came through from the official Lake Lillian trailhead, lamenting how far they had to hike. They eventually made their way to the north side of the lake.
The trail from Lake Lillian travels the right side of the lake, then cuts up to and behind a ridge. Once beyond that, Rampart Ridge reveals itself: wide, rolling hills, short vegetation, and awesome views. Trails, and the hint of trails, meander all over the ridge. At a critical point, we took a right instead of a left, and ended up climbing a short rise to get back toward the high point of Rampart Ridge. This route gave us an excellent view of the Rampart Lakes and Rachel Lake. As we continued the traverse, suddenly we were confronted with a cliff between us and the ridge! Fortunately, Matt found a gap a short distance away that enabled us to continue our trek.
Next stop: Rampart Ridge. The group set their sights on rocky outcrop somewhat beyond where I'd been before. It took a bit of scrambling to get to the top of it. From there, the dramatic west face of Rampart Ridge drops hundreds of feet - cause for a small case of vertigo! At this point, we were barely 90 minutes into the hike. We enjoyed the views for while, then got ready to depart around 8:00 PM. I followed Matt on a tour of the ridge line on the way back, while the rest of the group took the more direct route back toward Lake Lillian. I doing so, we found another trail that lead down to the northside of the lake. Matt and I ended up skirting the other side of Lake Lillian (it is possible), which added several minutes to our descent time.
By the time we reached the parking lot, the consensus was that Rampart Ridge was a great experience, many claiming it to be a new favorite. I couldn't agree more! It was only 9:20 PM. With time on our hands, we decided to end the evening at the Outback Steakhouse in Eastgate.
If you missed it this time, there should be ample opportunity to revisit this hike later this season. I'll be there!
Next Hike: West Granite. West Granite lays directly behind Granite Mountain. The approach involves some bushwhacking and talus. Instead of returning the same, and alternate way out is to traverse over to Granite proper and take that trail out, saving some knees. We'll make it a gametime decision...
On Deck: Labor Day Hike Holiday! Let me know if you want to hike anyway - I missed McClellan's Butte earlier this year and wouldn't mind another go...
In the Hole: Tentatively schedule was an overnight to Teakham Peak. My gut feeling is there isn't enough interest to do that, so I'm up for suggestions. One alternative would be to switch highways and try Lake Serene. Small traffic nightmare getting through Monroe, but doable, especially if we left a bit earlier (from Woodinville). Also available off Hwy 2 is Mount Persis. Again, open to ideas!
TNAB T-Shirt: We have a whopping two (2) ideas for this year's t-shirt. 1) "Will Hike for Beer/Food/Money"; 2) "It's a Hiking Thing, You Wouldn't Understand (and Neither Do We!)". Cast your vote, or offer a better alternative - we need to get this squared away soon to be in time for Rattlesnake Ridge!
Happy Trails, -Mark
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