Trip Report
Winter Scramble - The Pulpit
Middle Fork - unexpected views and better weather than predicted
Ananth Maniam (ஆனந்த் மணியம்)
March 25, 2025
- Sun, Mar 9, 2025
- Winter Scramble - The Pulpit
- The Pulpit
- Scrambling
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Large parking space in Middle Fork Snoqualmie trailhead. Room for many cars. The trail to the junction of Rainy lake trail was well maintained. After that the trail is unmaintained and goes in and out. Lots of blow downs along the way after the first 2 miles.
Last week, the weather was iffy for a climb with views. I also wanted to go somewhere new. So I picked Pulpit and Bully Pulpit as Quartz mountain looked sketchy with snow levels and avy danger
We started at the middle fork parking lot (ample parking) and crossed the suspension bridge and within 0.5 miles after a long bridge, you'll find the cut off for Rainy creek trail.
At about 3.5 miles, we make a cut off into the woods and aim for the ridge that takes us to Pulpit peak (800 feet of gain) This section is heavily forested and has slide alders and devils club (in summer).
It was rough with little snow, but as you get higher the route opens up to a wider ridge.
No more shwacking and we cruise to Bully Pulpit first and then take the ridge that goes to Pulpit. Several trip reports mention a rocky outcropping and asked us to go left of it. So we prepared with ice axes and helmets. Spikes as well.
Once we got to the rocky outcroppings, we managed to keep left on the first couple of them and the final one, we went right of it and used snow to get up. Nothing technical here.
Views of Russian butte at the summit and views of Lemah, Rainier, preacher along the route.
We stopped below Bully pulpit for lunch, before making the long walk back to the cars.
On the way down from the ridge, we stayed a little longer on the ridge before dropping into the woods. This was much nicer and less wooded, definitely recommend the downhill route
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