The Summit at Snoqualmie, Pacific Crest

Heading north into Wenatchee National Forest, I follow the trail past a series of lakes scattered across a broad valley, with Fryingpan Mountain rising to one side. This vast forest spans over 1.7 million acres, sheltering ancient trees, roaring rivers, and deep wilderness. It also encompasses six designated wilderness areas, three of which are part of the PCT’s rugged path.

Crossing Bumping River, I begin a steep 820ft (250m) climb, zigzagging through switchbacks. On the way up is Crag Lake, framed by the jagged silhouette of Crag Mountain in the distance. The route weaves between Mount Rainier National Park and Wenatchee National Forest for several miles, passing quiet alpine lakes before reaching a narrow stream that links the sprawling Dewey Lake with a smaller, nameless pond.

Climbing over a crest, the trail skirts the foot of Naches Peak before momentarily running alongside Highway 410. The path soon veers away, climbing again past Sheep Lake and over Sourdough Gap. From here, it traces the edge of a ridge, eventually reaching Brown Gap, the midpoint of a horseshoe-shaped mountain range within Norse Peak Wilderness. Peaks rise and fall along the horizon, with Pickhandle and Crown Points standing out among them. However, what catches my eye is the unmistakable network of ski trails carved into the slopes of Crystal Mountain in the distance. The neat, winding runs funnel toward the ski lifts below, starkly contrasting the untamed backcountry I’ve been trekking through.

Mount Baker and Snoqualmie National Forests were established separately in the early 1900s but merged in 1974, forming a massive stretch of protected land. Nearly half its 1.7 million acres is designated wilderness, with old-growth forests covering 42% of the landscape. It also boasts the largest number of glaciers outside Alaska—287 recorded as of 1998. Many have disappeared since, their retreat warming rivers and disrupting fragile ecosystems that rely on the cold, steady meltwater.

The PCT cuts through the Norse Peak Wilderness, threading along the eastern flank of Norse Peak before winding through a pass and across the ridgeline of Blowout Mountain. The descent begins long and steady from its crest, passing a string of landmarks until it reaches The Summit at Snoqualmie.

Snoqualmie is a well-known ski resort with nearly 2,000 acres of skiable terrain spread across four areas. More than half of its 62 runs are advanced or expert-level, with the longest stretching 1.2mi (1.9km). The PCT stays mostly to the west of the resort, avoiding the busiest runs, but in its final half-mile (800m), it dips beneath the ski lifts, briefly sharing space with winter’s well-worn paths before disappearing back into the wilderness.