Red Mountain to PCT

[33M]

Has anyone here traversed from Red Mountain to the PCT north of Kendal? In dry summer conditions is this scramble country, or would one want to have protected rock climbing skill? My topo map makes this look like a fun way to get into Snoqualmie backcountry. Thanks for the info.

[downfall]

I've looked at that a few times when I've been back there and though I haven't tried it I think there is 1 substantial cliff you might have to rap. Other than that it didn't look too bad.

[davidjo]

Did it in September. Getting off the summit to the ridge is a bit chossy. Further on there is the cliff. We headed off the ridge quite a ways to find a line we could scramble down. Rapping would have been better.

 

Overall, it was a fun little adventure, but probably not the fastest way to reach the catwalk.

[apound]

I checked it out in the summer from the Commonwealth basin side looking at it from the PCT right before the Kendall Catwalk. It didn't look like a scramble. The entire ridgeline looked pretty technical. It may not be as bad on the other side.

[Ben]

I tried it (a traverse from Lundin to PCT) years ago. Here are my notes:

 

(Early September, 1997). Climbed Lundin (alone) via W ridge (3 hrs to summit). This being late season, it was a mistake to leave the trail at ~4000 ft. I should've used the higher approach. Descended the E ridge (short rap). Then I followed a trail to the pass above the small pond. Then I took the trail down for a short distance, before picking up a faint tread going up the SW face of Red. The W ridge looks really loose. (2 more hrs from Lundin to Red, largely due to backups at the rap station on Lundin.) Then I decended the E ridge (loose) in an attempt to get all the way to the PCT but was stopped by deep notch (5400 ft). A couple of raps, or checking out the N side might get you down here, but I descended the rib on the S all the way to the basin. At this point, it is smarter to head up the talus back to the PCT. Instead I bushbashed (bad, at this time of year) down meet the Com. trail (best to take the stream, probably). Took the Com. trail back to the car (quicker than the pct). Total time 8 hrs. Took a 50m 6mm rapline and harness.