Six day, five night SOBO (southbound) hike from Stevens Pass to Snoqualamie, largely following the PCT.

Trail is in good condition, as the hundreds of northbound hikers along the path will report. The FarOut app is excellent for tracking water sources.

A Public Transit Through-Hike

I was able to get to the trailhead using a Northwestern Trailways bus going to Amtrak's "Stevens Pass" stop (once daily; arrives 11:50 am); I was able to get home via To The Mountain shuttle (twice a day). The shuttle stops in front of Dru Bru; it was relaxing to hang out with a beer for the late afternoon and chat with other through-hikers while I waited.

PCT Through-Hikers seem to be on a mission -- I was chatting with one who explained that he refused as a matter of principle to go more than 0.2 miles off the trail.That meant that the trail itself was busy, but lots of side-trails and lakes were wide open.

Thunder Mountain Lakes. This was a very worthwhile side trip, beautiful and precious. But clearly already in trouble from being too-well loved; the ranger note at the trailhead bemoaned the loss of biodiversity. Perhaps this will soon need a permit system like the Enchantments, and for the same reasons.

Surprise Gap - Surprise Peak. While the trail from Surprise Lake to Surprise Gap is technically marked as "abandoned", it was easy to follow. The trail to Surprise Peak is clear and easy, with no exposure at all. The view from Surprise Peak was lovely. 

While I've seen trip reports suggesting that there's a trail from Pieper Pass to Surprise Peak, I wasn't able to easily find the trail down. It was an easy bushwack -- but at the bottom, it was clear that some trail went up.

Spark Plug: I didn't make it up spark plug: at some point, the ridge turned a little too narrow for me as a solo hiker; with a group, I might have made it across. The trail is much less well-developed than the Surprise Peak side.

Peggy's Pond and Circle Lake: the trail from Cathedral Gap to Peggy's Pond is precarious. While Mt Daniel climbers found it unsurprising, I saw lots of hikers rather startled by a trail that had drop-offs and a short scramble with substantial exposure. Be cautious!

Did an overnight at Thunder Mountain Lakes from the Surprise creek trailhead. We didn't really try to start from Surprise creek, but its where the WTA pin took us and we didn't really realize it added about a thousand feet of gain. For us though was worth it because there was plenty of parking, and toilets at the trailhead and Surprise lake.

We were scared by another trail report saying parking was full at the trailhead so we got there semi-early, 9 am on Saturday, to about 9 cars at a trailhead that could hold 15ish with room on the road in for a little more. We're assuming it was also less busy because of the smoke and heat warnings in Seattle over the weekend. It was a little weird having to cross railway tracks but any car could make it in. There was a pit toilet at the trailhead.

Trail up to Surprise lake along Surprise creek was really nice, clearly worked on with some nice boardwalks and lots of places to fill water. Was also pleasantly shady in the morning. Didn't see anyone at all until we got to the lake where we saw two parties of day hikers. Didn't see anyone else on this trail going up to Thunder Mountain Lakes, so this must be the much less popular way. There were two toilets at Surprise lake which were fairly nice without that many bugs.

We took the longer way around to head up Trap pass, adding a little loop before we got to the switchbacks. It added about a mile but was nice and took us alongside the lake. Switchbacks weren't too bad, and there was a little clearing at the top where we headed over to Thunder mountain lakes. The turnoff was fairly obvious if you had a map.

It turns a little scrambly up to the lakes but wasn't that bad. There are a lot of social trails and it is a lot harder finding your way up than down. There aren't very main cairns and a lot of options so we generally tried to stay on the most traveled path. On Gaia this is the East most trail option.

We got to the lake around 3PM and there were 4ish other parties ahead of us. 4 more parties arrived within the next hour after us. Was pleasantly surprised at how little people were up here since we were expecting madness from the trip reports, but again - it was probably because of the smoke and heat.

By the time we got there most of the secluded spots had been taken besides the larger spots where you could fit 2, 3 or even 4 tents so we took a semi-secluded spot with the hope that the other parties would take the bigger spots or further away spots. Both the spots next to us ended up getting taken though so we were pretty close to other campers. If you want to have your own little space, this is probably not the overnight for you.

We scrambled the peak to the East first while it was light out which gave some nice views of the actual Thunder Mountain and eastward. The scree up and down this was a little nasty and honestly worst than Nimbus.

After that, we went swimming in the lake which was a nice temperature. About the same as all the other 6500 foot lakes this year which is a little chilly but not all that cold. Takes a while to go numb.

After dinner I went up Nimbus and scrambled along the ridge a bit for sunset. The best route is probably sticking a little bit to the right then going along the ridge. I went kind of straight up the rocks under the trees on my way up and it was steep and a little slippery, so I cut across behind the trees on the way down for a nice easy descent. No matter which way you go though its not that bad. Sunset was pretty from up there and there was a nice flat rock everyone was sitting on.

There were barely any bugs at the lake at all but there were mice. Not even Pikas, just mice and they wanted to eat the food. We hung our food from a small tree and were fine but people who just left their food on the ground had problems. There was also not as much smoke as in Seattle, we never had any problems breathing and it didn't smell smokey. It didn't get that cold at night (55-60ish) but it also didn't get too hot during the day, maybe maxing out at 75-80. The trailhead was 69 when we got down and it was 85 in Seattle. Made for a nice weekend escape from Seattle.

Left around 8 the next morning after seeing some nice morning light and were down to the parking lot around noon with a stop at Surprise lake. We did the switchbacks on the way down this time and it was a little less nice. At the bottom it was a little more full than the previous day but still a bit of parking along the road.

Including the peaks, Gaia clocked 18 miles RT and 4800 gain.

TLDR: 15 separate groups with 34 total backpackers (and many other day hikers) on a Saturday night, camping on fragile vegetation, improper food storage, dogs off leash, no regard for personal space, yelling, and piles of dog poop. The lake is otherworldly beautiful but it was difficult to see how the area was treated. This poor lake is one of the most heavily impacted areas I have ever visited in the state and we honestly would have had more solitude at a forest service campground. This is not the place to go if you desire solitude but definitely is worth a mid-week visit if you choose to go!

My wife and I spent two nights at Upper Thunder Mountain Lake this past weekend (Saturday night and Sunday night). We had originally planned on doing a different hike mid-week but fires/weather caused us to pivot to a weekend hike (something we normally avoid unless we're going to a permitted area). After calling around for permit availabilities and getting skunked at our desired locations, we decided we'd make a visit to Thunder Mountain Lakes knowing full-well that it'd be busy but hoping that it wouldn't be too bad. Boy were we mistaken!

We arrived at the trailhead early Saturday morning and were able to park in one of the few "real" spots in the parking lot. There is no bathroom at the trailhead so plan ahead to avoid adding to the numerous toilet paper piles at the trailhead. Trail is in good shape up to the turn-off for Thunder Mountain Lakes and is easy to follow after that. There are limited water sources along the trail (trickles) but they could be made to work. There are many different trails that branch off but just do your best to stay on the most well worn path as most end up in the same place. We only saw one other backpacking group heading up to the lake. When we arrived at the lake, there were only two other backpacking groups that were just getting set up. We were surprised to see so few people there but decided to pick a spot that was set back a few hundred feet from the lake, away from the main trail, and without a view of the lake in hopes of some solitude. However, a handful of groups began rolling in between 3 pm and 6 pm with a group of three setting up their tent on a slab about 15 feet from ours while there were many other good spots still available. After listening to their (very) loud conversations and chasing their tent down in the wind after they failed to stake it out, we decided to move our tent another few hundred feet back to an even more secluded spot... to which they immediately also moved their tent right back near us. They were unfortunately one of the handful of groups that spoke only by yelling, seemingly unaware that they could still be heard by their friends if they spoke in a quieter voice instead. Please be considerate of others and understand that loud voices echo throughout the entire basin.

A couple groups set up tents on fragile vegetation while most sites on durable, hard, dirt were empty and available. There was an area on the southeast side of the lake were 5 tents (4 different groups) were all set up within a 30 foot radius of one another.

We watched over 10 people make their way up Nimbus for sunset, all using the incorrect route up the south side trampeling heather and contributing to erosion. None used the well-worn established trail that travels up to the saddle at the southeast ridge. However, one hiker corrected them to use the actual trail on the way down.

Another 5 or 6 groups arrived as the sun set with a few groups arriving in the dark. Altogether, we counted 15 groups with a total of 34 people Saturday night. Very few had bear cans or used an appropriate food storage method and we even heard another backpacker explaining to his friends how chipmunks/mice can't chew through backpacks or stuff sacks. We often saw food laying around others' camps while they went off to explore and we overheard a few groups saying that their food had been compromised by mice or chipmunks.

We saw a couple of piles of toilet paper and a bunch of dog poop (sadly, nothing out of the ordinary). Please understand that the ground is incredibly hard and rocky up there and digging a cathole 6-8" deep will likely be difficult or impossible. Please ensure your poop is adequately buried (not just under a rock) and better yet, consider packing out your waste! We saw 12 dogs on our trip with only 2 on leashes. One hiker even talked to us about the marmots that she saw when her off-leash dog chased one up the hillside! Please remember that it is your responsibility to control and pick up after your dog. If you can't control them or are too lazy to pick up their poop, then do not bring them on the trail with you!

We had a guy who set up on a rock right above our tent to smoke after the sun went down and was hacking up a lung as we were trying to sleep.

Despite all the nonsense on Saturday, most groups were gone by noon on Sunday which finally gave us our much-needed peace and quiet. We shared the lake Sunday night with a friendly group of 2, a group of two older gentleman who were hiking section J of the PCT, and a forest service ranger. We watched the ranger intercept the two older gentleman as they were setting up their camp on vegetation on the lake shore and politely educated them about camping on vegetation.

We were able to speak with the ranger about our experience Saturday night and he told us about the Alpine Lakes Collaborative and about how there are actions being taken (which could possibly include a permit system) to reduce human impact and improve the user experience in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The ranger was awesome, and this gave us hope.

Our experience Sunday made the trip worth it. Finally being able to hear the marmots, pikas, birds, and fish jumping (over all the voices) was awesome. However, we'll stick to backpacking mid-week and we especially suggest that you do too!

Had a free night and the weather looked decent so decided to check out Thunder Lakes. 

Parked at the Tunnel Creek trailhead.  The drive up that little, short road was the most challenging part of the whole trip!  While super short and in decent shape without too many potholes, the road is super narrow and passing anyone was NOT fun.  Anyway, I made it to the parking lot without falling off the road thank goodness and headed up to Hope Lake.  This bit of trail was direct with minimal switchbacks, but very easy to follow up to join with the PCT and head south.    I’d done this section of the PCT in the past so it was great to revisit that little piece of the trail and the Thunder Lakes area is awesome! 

About a mile past Hope Lake, the rain descended just a bit and I hiked through the mist for about an hour.  I wasn’t happy about it at the time, however the sprinkle cleared some of the smoke in the air.  Thankfully I don’t struggle with asthma etc but the smoke lately has been pretty bad. 

The PCT up to Trapp Pass was beautiful and cruisy; the meadows stunning!  I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect from there, but the boot path to Thunder Lakes was straight forward to follow and I only really needed to stop and look carefully for the next cairn in one rocky area. 

Thunder Lakes were stunning!  I found a perfect to set up my tent and had plenty of time to check out Nimbus mountain.  There was a fairly obvious boot path up there and the views were awesome!  I returned to camp, then headed down to lower Thunder Lake.  The final 50ft down to the lake outlet was a super steep heather slope, but it worked.  From Lower Thunder Lake, I could see down to Square Lake; very cool view.  After climbing back up to the upper Thunder Lake, I enjoyed a great hot dinner and watched the smoky sunset from the ridge across the lake, looking down toward Glacier Lake etc.  That night was surprisingly cold and I was grateful to have a super warm sleeping bag! 

The next morning, I climbed up to the high point between Nimbus Mountain and Thunder Mountain.  Once again soaked in the great views before packing up camp and heading out.  I took my time back down to Trap Pass with all the rocks and steep bit, but then was able to stretch the legs and returned to Hope Lake without a hitch.  It was for sure snack time at Hope Lake, then the quick decent back to my car at the trailhead!  Wonderful solo trip!  Stunning area! 

Hiked to the Upper Thunder Mountain Lake from the Tunnel Creek trailhead, and scrambled up to Nimbus Mountain (the peak just north of the lake).

Road Conditions. The road to the trailhead was rough and narrow. There was only space for a couple of cars right at the trailhead, plus maybe a couple more at the end of the spur road. No toilets etc.

Trail Conditions. Tunnel Creek wasn't the smoothest trail, but had no obstacles. No issues with the Pacific Crest Trail to Trap Pass. The boot path to Thunder Mountain Lakes was easy to follow at first, but less obvious where it crossed boulder fields. Path of least resistance + spotting cairns worked for me, but could be a challenge when visibility is poor. Nimbus Mountain was a short and easy, un-exposed scramble (as long as you ignore the summit block). In addition to the lakes, there were several small, transient-looking streams along Tunnel Creek and the Pacific Crest Trail. Surprised to have good cell signal on Nimbus Mountain (but not below anywhere).

Highlights. Wildflowers were spent, and blueberries not fully ripe yet. Fall foliage was just getting started. Every patch of rocks had a pika squeaking at the top of its lungs, and every meadow had a marmot whistling. Also ran into one grouse and one ptarmigan family.

Crowds. 3 cars at the trailhead when I arrived (10am) and when I left (6pm). Encountered 2 parties on the way up Tunnel Creek, 8 parties (through-hikers?) on the way up to Trap Pass, and none on the way up to Thunder Mountain Lakes. But by the time I started heading down, 2 or 3 parties had shown up at the lake. Didn't encounter anyone from Trap Pass back to the trailhead.