12 mi. out and back, 4500 ft. of elevation gain
This gem lies about an hour outside of Seattle, and boy was it a hidden gem! Hike around 4 easy miles with a gradual grade past Denny Creek and some nice waterfalls up to Lake Melakwa, both popular endpoints for short family-friendly hikes near Seattle. After taking in some nice views at the lake and a quick breather, take the trail left to begin the challenging climb to the peak.
The final 1.5 miles gains nearly 2000 feet, alternating between steep foresty terrain, talus fields, and some scrambling. Hike up and over the false summit, down a pretty steep stretch to a long, slow-going boulder field, and then up a final scree-filled section until you reach the base of the final scramble. The last portion to the summit block is definitely 3rd class, but doesn't feel particularly exposed or technical and was super fun!
The views from the summit were spectacular, with panoramic views of peaks including Rainier, Glacier, Stuart, and Chair Peak, in addition to 6-7 beautiful lakes. There was a little plaque on the ground laying out each peak. Super worth the grueling climb!
The descent was tough and slow-going. The section going back up from the false summit was super steep, definitely the most challenging of the entire hike (felt like nearly 60 degree grade at points). We took a dip in the lake, filled up some waters (BRING MORE WATER THAN US), and began the relatively uneventful descent down. It felt super long, since mentally it felt like the hike was over after getting back to the lake.
Overall, would highly recommend this challenging hike. Definitely one of the best hikes I've done close to Seattle, and a mega hidden gem. Check this out, but bring lots of water and be ready for a tough climb. Would also be a pretty crazy trail run (but running up to Melakwa alone would be chill!).
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