Directions: From Seattle take Interstate 90 east to Exit 52/Snoqualmie Pass. Turns left, and in one-quarter mile, turn right and drive two miles to the Alpental Ski Area. The trailhead is to the right of the Road Closed sign in the parking lot at the roads end.

Trail notes: Wright Mountain and Gem Lake are accessed via the Snow Lake trail. My plans this weekend changed at the last minute so I decided to do a hike closer to Seattle. Since, I had been to Gem Lake in the past without my camera I thought it time to give it a hike review of its own. I have listed the effective gain as 3700 in/out. Net change is 2400

Snow Lake has always been a popular hike destination since it is close to Seattle, very beautiful, and not terribly difficult to do. My past experience had led me to believe that not many people make the full trip to Gem Lake, however it appears more and more people are doing so. From the outset I knew today wasn't really going to be a day of solitude, though I was reluctant to admit it to myself. Starting at Alpental Ski resort around 10am I started off on the conveyor belt of people en route to Snow Lake. Making my way up to Snow lake saddle took about an hour and proved none too difficult save for the warm temperatures and stagnant air. I had erroneously thought that by going up to the pass and gaining a couple thousand feet the air would be cooler and hopefully somewhat breezy. Such was not the case, with highs by my estimation around 85 degrees.

Having gained the Snow lake saddle one starts a 700 foot or so descent to Snow Lake, which is quite beautiful, and usually snow covered late into July. Today there were scarce remnants of snow there, and people were actually cliff jumping from the Northeaster side into Snow Lake. Actually, I couldn't really believe people were doing this - it seemed kinda sketchy to me. I continued on the Gem Lake trail on the Northeast side of the lake where the crowds normally thin out. The crowds did thin out a bit, but found myself hiking along the trail with about a half dozen or so people.

The trail from Snow Lake to Gem Lake is currently being improved, meaning there are trail crews there at least during the week doing blasting etc. There are ample warnings along the way to be conscious of them and their activity. Once the Gem lake trail shoots away from Snow Lake one is given a view into the Middle fork of the Snoqualmie River and peaks to the Northeast. Once you begin the traverse along the ridge you will be offered the option of continuing on to Gem Lake or opting for the Middle fork of the Snoqualmie trail which then descends towards the valley.

I opted for Gem Lake obviously. From here the trail begins to get more rugged, though the trail crews are making the trail more level and tame it is still not really very level. The trail undulates quite a bit gaining 50 feet here and losing it there. Ultimately you will arrive at a downed old growth tree which acts as a bridge spanning the outflow of Snow lake. From here the views to the West off the wall are quite remarkable. I estimate the cliffs across the way are 600 feet or so having many vertical grooves which are generally lush with vegetation. The light wasn't right today, and there was quite a bit of haze so the pictures of this wall are not the best. Still on a good day they seem like they are right out of Lord of the Rings.

After crossing the foot bridge the trail begins a more earnest uphill, though still gains and loses a bit in several sections. There are occasional views up toward Chair peak and down into the Middle fork of the Snoqualmie river. As the trail winds its way up towards Gem lake the going gets more exposed to the sun and is at times quite warm. After about an hour on this trail you will eventually find yourself at Gem Lake entering though a narrow valley lower than the surrounding hills. Still the last couple hundred feet up talus are are a bit tiring, especially when combined with the sun.

Gem lake itself a cirque lake is very beautiful, and surprisingly very warm as mountain lakes go. I have to admit normally, I just go for a head dip when here, but today I went for full immersion. Very refreshing, and there were only a couple others at the lake.

After a quick dip, I made my way towards Wright Mountain with is to the North of the Lake. As you round the lake you will see a spur trail which is the route to the top of Wright Mountain. Almost immediately off this spur are camping grounds for Gem lake. After passing the camping area the trail becomes quite steep and only becomes steeper as you continue. The trail itself is really pretty informal and many people have taken different routes up. I didn't have any difficulty going up the trails, and finding many cairns which generally direct you in appropriate directions. As you make your way up the trails you will encounter several talus slopes and care should be taken as a firm footing is not assured. Really you can't go wrong on the ascent as generally any route uphill is as good as another.

Eventually, after about 30 minutes or so you will arrive at a fairly large talus slope and upon getting to the top of it, and exiting the trees you will spy the true summit a short distance up about 5 minutes. Whatever you do, make sure you make it all the way to the top as the views from here are considerably better than from below.

Upon reaching the top you will be given a 360 degree view of the surroundings including Snow lake, Gem Lake, Chair Lake, and both Lower and Upper Wildcat lake. Also you will see Chair peak and just about every peak within ten miles. The views are amazing and make this trip worth the effort and associated crowding. I didn't see anyone on my way up Wright Mountain, which was a relief. However, the sounds of people and their dogs could still be heard from the distant lakes. Also worth note, it appears an adventurous soul could make their way from Gem Lake to the West up towards Chair Lake and over the saddle behind it to Melakwa Lake, though it could be tricky. I couldn't exactly make out a full route though a trail leaving the Western side of Gem Lake makes me think this is a distinct possibility.

The return trip was uneventful, save for another dip in Gem Lake. As I neared Snow Lake I again rejoined my fellow man en mass as the conveyor belt of people safely returned me to my starting point. I would have given this hike five stars but for the crowding and haze. Maybe this isn't a detriment to you?