Elain on the summit of Silver Peak
The forecast for today looked good, so Elain and I decided to try and summit Silver Peak and Abiel Peak near Snoqualmie Pass. We started out at 9 AM under clear skies and warm temperatures. After a few miles on the trail, we veered off the trail and started climbing up the forested slopes towards Silver Peak. After ascending for about 1500 feet, we reached the north ridge. The snow along the ridge was wind-blown and icy. We climbed along the ridge, venturing out onto the west side occasionally. At 12:30 PM we reached the summit. After a short break, we started descending the south ridge towards Abiel Peak. We had to descend about 800' to reach the saddle between Abiel and Silver. The east ridge of Abiel was a bit steeper than Silver Peak, but the snow was good for step-kicking. We reached the summit of Abiel at 2:30 PM. For variety, Elain suggested that we descend Abiel's west ridge. Along the ridge, we saw placards on the trees indicating the boundary of the Cedar River Watershed, so we tried to avoid veering to the south of the boundary line. We reached Lake Annette at 3:30 PM. For the hike out, we opted to try descending straight to the valley floor. We were slowed down a bit by variable snow conditions and some ice, but we eventually reached the valley floor. Fortunately, most of the devil's club was covered by snow. We reached the car at 6 PM.
Gear we used: ice axe, aluminum crampons
Elain on the summit of Silver Peak
Steve, on the summit of Silver Peak
Both of us, on the summit of Silver Peak
Steve, on the summit of Abiel Peak
Humpback Mountain, with Mount Rainier in the background
Silver Peak, as seen from the summit of Abiel Peak
The north face of Abiel Peak