- My climbing partner and I will sometimes refer to a particularly nasty climb as a “one-n-done”. Silvertip Peak, 1.5 miles southwest of Monte Cristo, is the polar opposite of a “one-n-done”. With a ghost town to explore, pleasant approach hike, good camping lake, easy and brush-free route finding, and outstanding views, this is a peak you will want to come back to. Theoretically, the peak should be called Silver Tip (after the Silver Tip mining claim), and the Cascade Alpine Guide refers to it as such. On the USGS map, however, it is labeled as Silvertip, which is probably the more “official” of the two names.
- Mountain Loop Highway (summitpost.org)
The Mountain Loop Highway is home to many popular cascade hikes and climbs. There is no doubt that the scenic beauty of the Mountain Loop Highway Peaks far exceeds that of the I-90 corridor Peaks. There is more diversity in wildlife, foliage, and summit blocks are generally more rugged and exposed. The Mountain Loop Highway is a well kept secret among the locals of Washington State with the exception of Mount Pilchuck, trails are seldom crowded and tranquil isolation is the norm.
- Twin Falls (waterfallsnorthwest.com)
The seemingly incorrectly named Twin Falls is the tallest waterfall along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River and the third tallest among any branch of the Snoqualmie after Kanim Falls and Snoqualmie Falls. Twin Falls actually consists of five distinct tiers, three of which are often referred to as individual waterfalls. The first two tiers drop about 30 and 45 feet respectively, with the upper of the two being mostly hidden from view of the trailside viewpoints due to the shape of the adjacent cliff. At the bottom of the second drop the river forms a large pool which leads directly into the third tier which cascades in stair-step fashion for about 25 feet directly upstream of a high footbridge which spans the gorge. Directly below the footbridge the fourth tier drops about 10 feet, and as the finale the river rolls over a curvaceous 110-foot tall horsetail that slams into an undercut cliff face as it veils down a very bulbous protrusion of rock.