Mileage: 7.5+ miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 2600ft/5034ft
Map: Green Trails Kachess Lake No. 208, my GAIA
Favorite Eats After Hike: North Bend Bar & Grill, Chang Thai & Pho, The Commonwealth, Basecamp Books & Bites, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty Please.
Snowshoe Details:
A Hex Mountain snowshoe is a low avalanche risk snowshoe in the Teanaways that offers a fairer weather escape when things are dreary in Seattle. Most of the climb is on gradual forest road with a ridge walk to the junction for Sasse Mountain before turning to a short ascent to Hex. Views of the Cle Elum Valley and Enchantments surround you!
My trip reports:
12/28/2020
Today promised to be the best weather day and although a little delayed it lived up to its promise. I was able to meet up with my good friend Sarah (from my Royal Basin trip) and get outdoors for a Hex Mountain snowshoe!
We arrived at the pullout near Newport Creek before FR 116 around 8:20am to already find 8 cars or so. Everyone else knew it was the day to get out! Having heard from someone that the parking on FR 116 below the gate was treacherous even for AWD, we opted to just park here and walk a little on the road. The morning was still hazy but we had high hopes for views at the top.
Having also read previous trip reports on Washington Trails Association that the trail was compact snow, we left our snowshoes and just took spikes. My friend wore hers up but I didn’t need them until the trip down. It turned out to be a good choice as snowshoes were not needed although some who had brought theirs along used them near the summit.
The trail was easy to follow for the most part but you can tell there have been new folks on the trail who have started several spur trails not keeping on the ridge once past the viewpoint before the final push to the Sasse junction. If not paying attention it was easy to miss and have to cut up later. Not a biggie, they all seem to end up at the top eventually.
At this point the haze had started to clear and by the time we reached the summit it was blue skies above and low lying clouds below. We joined a few at the summit and it was a steady stream of hikers coming up while we basked in the sun.
Our trip down was uneventful, many more sunseekers passing us as they headed up. By the time we were halfway back down we were once again in the clouds.
At the gate and parking on FR 116 there were still a few people heading up at 2pm and someone was asking for help to push her car (a Subaru) because she had slid into the truck in front of her while trying to get out of a parallel parking job. I can’t say too much about it, I even needed a little push from my spot as I had pulled in just a bit too much into the snow along 203. A shout out to the two who helped me, it beat having to put my traction devices on the front tires!
12/26/2019
We were so excited driving over the pass this morning, blue skies overhead. We dreamed of basking in the sun on the summit of Hex. No luck, however because once on the other side and passing through Roslyn, it was clear that the clear skies would not be for us today. We couldn’t complain (much) as at least it wasn’t raining. In fact, if there was precipitation it would have been snow for sure.
There was one other car parked at the pullout as a significant berm and snow clogged the forest road, so we did the same and walked Salmon La Sac the short distance.
A compact trench on the forest road meant we just wore boots on the ascent but snowshoes were strapped on our packs just in case. Training weight either way.
We made it to the junction with the Hex Mountain trail about quarter to 11. Cle Elum Lake was a glossy black below as a few rays filtered though the moody skies. The wind was more pronounced and we added back on layers we had discarded on the way up.
There was more snow on the ridge but only one of us added snowshoes. This was my first time on Hex at this time of the year, my spring time visits definitely have more accumulation.
Shortly before the last push to the junction with Sasse, where the ridge flattens and makes for a great viewing point, my hip decided to act up and I made that my turn around point. My friends continued on to the summit but I didn’t feel bad as it looked socked in for the most part.
After taking a brief break, I put my snowshoes on for the trek down. Staying out of the trench, there was plenty of snow to drudge through. No powder, a little crunchy, but it didn’t stick or ball so I was happy.
I passed a few other sets of folks on my way down but otherwise it was a quiet day. Afterwards we gathered down in Roslyn to warm up!
1/19/2019 my GAIA
So what happened to the sunny forecast we were supposed to have today??
Our first option had been Kendall Peak Lakes but Hex Mountain was plan B as we drove up towards Snoqualmie Pass and it started to SNOW. Needless to say, we kept on driving right over to Roslyn and found ourselves some blue skies!
This was my third time to Hex Mountain snowshoe and the first time parking on the road just before Newport Creek. We took the last spot and carried snowshoes down the road .15 miles to the turn up FR 116 is. There were a few cars here and just then a snowplow drove down the road and my friend decided to move his car up to where we were.
The snow was compact and icy and in that moment I opted to leave my snowshoes and just take microspikes rather than carry my snowshoes up the road. Not normally an issue but a workout last week had my back complaining and I was trying to be nice to it. TMI, I know. Most of our group did the same with one hardy soul carrying his and we headed up at 9:45am.
Now for the maze that is the climb to Hex Mountain. Even for those who have been here before, it is super easy to take a wrong turn especially if others before you have and at each junction you are presented with prints in either direction. Let’s see if I can get this right…
1. Take a right at about .41 miles up at a Y junction. There will definitely be tracks in both directions here (the main road seems to continue left). There may be flagging and a power box in the ground on the right in the trees. Depends on snow. DO NOT LOOK AT THE MAP.
2. There will quickly be another Y junction at .45 miles, keep left.
3. Another junction at about .9 miles, keep right. You may see a few tracks left but those are most likely folks who turned left in the beginning and recorrected.
3. A hairpin turn to the right and then back again to the left.
4. Another “junction” (right hand side road or open area), keep left.
5. The road will turn to the left and come around to the Hex Mountain trail sign on your right at 1.8 miles. You made it!!!
This was also where the burnt trees started from the fire 2 years ago, jutting up from the white snow. Rather melancholy as it was my first time since the fire to be back, I wondered how the ridge was going to look.
From here the trail heads up towards the ridge, if there are tracks any will do. Just keep in a NE direction. The snow was still compact and spikes did fine, trying to avoid postholing as much as possible but it really wasn’t an issue as long as I stayed on trail.
At about .2 more miles we were up on the ridge where it makes several climbs with a few level areas (about 3), get ready for that feeling of false summits! The summit is off to the NE, just know that the ridge to its left is what you are aiming for. We enjoyed Cle Elum Lake below and the sun shining on its shimmery waters.
The wind picked up here (normal) and we donned a layer even though we were still climbing. This meant the snow was still firm and it wasn’t until about 4,000 feet that my friend put on his snowshoes due to, and his words, “his portly nature”. The rest of us were yet to posthole but the snow has lost its icy nature and snowshoes would have made sense if carried in.
It was interesting to observe the wildfire affected trees: which ones had been spared, which had scars and which were completely dark. It was best to be cautious on the ridge here where there must be multiple logs down across the trail, with the snow lacking depth there was postholing around their bodies.
We reached the final ridge at 3.3 miles and made our easterly turn towards the summit. Here’s were snowshoes would have been nice. A few folks were making their descent as we climbed up and there were couple gentlemen having fun with radios. My track showed 3.5 miles and 5,027 feet.
The wind had died down and the sun shone brightly giving us permission to enjoy our summit. Clouds obscured some of the prominent players in the Enchantments but we were happy with the open views nonetheless.
Ebony spikes rose out of the snow on the slopes and the normal cornices at the summit were not nearly as pronounced as last time and some rock was evident. So little snow…
A mass of dark clouds was moving over the pass and Cle Elum Lake so we decided it was time to go. Our trip down was uneventful aside from the folks coming up sharing that they had gotten turned around in the forest road maze, some turning back before the summit.
3/23/2017
This was my second time up Hex (you can find last year’s trip report below) and it was just as spectacular as the first time! The day promised sunshine so we hit the road and drove to Roslyn, WA for this logging-road-then-ridge-walk up to the summit of Hex Mountain. Unlike last year, we went prepared with snowshoes strapped onto packs knowing this year has seen much more snow and plenty of it is left.
We headed up at 9:45am and began the road walk up to the official trail head for the Hex Mountain Trail.
This is usually a confusing mix of possibilities and many folks get turned around, even those who have been here multiple times. There is a Y junction about .41 miles in, go right. It will be the third right hand road on the map, the first two dead end and you are not likely to see tracks. There will be another junction quickly in .45 miles, keep left.
There will be flagging and tracks. It can be confusing because you will see flagging all along here up into the trees. There will be another junction, keep right. A hairpin turn to the left, back to the right and a right hand side road you skip (keep left). Keep going and after a turn to the left, the Hex Mountain trail sign will be on the right at about 1.8 miles up!
The actual trail starts at about 3,450ft, we arrived here about 10:45am. It was early and the snow was still crusty and the snowshoes made those clink, clink sounds on the surface of the snow. Most folks could probably wait until here to put on snowshoes if you are early in the day because the trail’s popularity usually means compact snow. Later, when snow melts, you may want them where the Hex Mountain trail turns up.
Here is where we began our real ascent up, along the ridge. Cle Elum Lake becomes more prominent and the mountains rise in the horizon like Red, Lemah, Thorp and Daniel. You can see the summit of Hex Mountain off to your right and the ridgeline you must conquer to get there.
You earn the views because there are no switchbacks here, just one foot in front of the other as you weave between the trees on the ridge. Sometimes you are in more dense forest and others there are just a few hardy trees holding ground. This is generally safe hike but there are cornices on the ridge to watch out for; don’t stray too far to the edge.
At about 3900ft, we came out to a clearing on the ridge that makes a nice little resting point. I loved comparing Cle Elum to last year when it was completely ice free. This year, there were just a few places where the flow of Bell and Newport Creek are thawing the lake with the melt they carry from the snow on the mountain.
We didn’t stop long before pressing on to the summit of Hex Mountain.
I was glad to have snowshoes with traction, otherwise the icy snow would mean kicking steps because any previous tracks had been melted down to faint impressions and the slope is steep. The ridge continues up to 4900ft where it levels off at a junction for Sasse Mountain. Ah, an adventure for another day.
Turning right, we finished the last bit of gain to the summit of Hex Mountain at 5021ft, the final push heading up makes it look like you are ascending straight for the heavens. It was 12:30pm and 3.93 miles up; the sun was high in the bright blue sky laced with just a few puffy clouds.
We sat and enjoyed lunch and basked in the sun while taking in the 360 views of the Alpine Lakes and Teanaway areas. A few peaks were playing peek-a-boo but for the most part the mountains were displaying their finest. We did wander down to the lower summit, mostly because we could. Coming back up added a little bit more workout to our day!
The snow on the way back down had begun to melt and our steps sunk in deeper making it a slushy, slippery ride down. We kept our snowshoes on until we gained the plowed road again although the snow was not deep from the trailhead on. Boots alone would have been a sloshy ordeal.
We had worried the road would be one big mud pit to the car but as long as we choose the right track, it was possible to avoid sinking too bad in the muck. Our arrival back to the car was at 3:15, all without seeing a single other soul. All little further drive from the pass and we got to enjoy the beautiful day in solitude.
3/19/2016
I have a great hiking buddy and this is one of her favorite hikes. Snowshoe Routes of Washington likes a Hex Mountain snowshoe because there is minimal risk of avalanche.
We didn’t take our snowshoes because we knew there wasn’t going to be fresh powder but they could have been used. It’s helpful to know the area, there are lots of side roads to wonder the first mile. Just try to stay on the main road and avoid smaller side roads staying northeast bound. Backtracking is normal even for returners. We had a beautiful view of Kachess Lake from the top and nothing but blue skies.
Directions: From Seattle, take exit 80 and follow signs through Roslyn and Ronald on SR 903 to a junction with FR116 on the right. Pulling in, you will see a gate ahead. You can park along the road here (depending on snow berms) or you can park about 300 feet before FR116 where it crosses Newport Creek on the shoulder of the road.
A few other snowshoe options in the area are Sasse Ridge, Cle Elum Ridge and Roslyn Ridge. You can also check out my Snowshoe page for more ideas. Click here for more hikes along I-90.
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