Trip report by: Denis Du Bois
"I would probably recommend this trip to a friend."
This snowshoe route is only for hikers experienced in cross-country navigation. This was never much of a trail in the first place. I've been going there for years, and I still take a map and compass.
The hike begins on a logging road across private timber company land. It’s crowded all winter and well into the spring. When state-run grooming money runs out, the track becomes a chopped-up mess of footprints and dog droppings, all of which freezes solid nightly. If you don't mind these conditions on the way up, you can hit some good telemark slopes on the way down.
At a big, right-hand switchback, leave the road and go straight up the embankment into the woods. If it’s a clear day, the views will be better if you stay on the road and head for Kendall Knob. If you’re determined to go to the Kendall Lakes, take a deep breath...your next mile is straight up.
You'll come to the lower lake, in a meadow. These three small lakes are so delicate that the Forest Service once declared the summer trail “unmaintained” and let it go—a wiser management technique than restrictive permit systems, in wilderness areas.
Continue up another half mile or so, and you will come to the middle lake, surrounded by forest and boulders. Large Firs, swept into the pond by avalanches, lie submerged in the ice. This is a great place for lunch or camp.
The third lake is not accessible in winter because of the extreme avalanche hazard. It lies directly below the summit of Kendall Peak. The lake is set in a steep-walled hole, bordered on one side by an avalanche slope, and on the other side by trees. On the other side of the mountain is the Kendall Katwalk, an excellent summer trail.
Getting there: Drive I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass to the Hyak exit and park at the west end of the Sno-Park. This is a groomed trail area, so make sure you have all $45 worth (2000) of Sno-Park Passes in your window. From here, walk north a short way on the snowed-in logging road (not east on the main road), then follow the same road as it turns west and climbs gradually around the mountainside.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.
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