Trip Date: October 20, 2018
Hibox Peak Day Climb
Box Canyon Creek Valley
Hibox Peak aka Hibox Mountain (6547 ft)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Snoqualmie Range
Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Starting & Ending Point: Rachel Lake Trailhead at end of Kachess Lake Road (Elev. 2750 feet)
Way Points: Box Canyon Creek & Hibox Peak climbing path junction & Hibox Peak ridge step & Box Ridge crest & Hibox Peak summit (trail hike & off-trail hike & rock scramble)
Summit: Hibox Peak (rock scramble via Southwest Slope—Southeast Ridge)
Approximate Stats: 6.7 miles traveled; 3800 feet gained & lost; 4.2 hours up; 2.9 hours down.
Related Posts
>>> Hibox Peak via Southwest Slope–Southeast Ridge – August 12, 2006
>>> Hibox Peak via Southwest Slope–Southeast Ridge – June 19, 2004
Full Trip Report
Taking advantage of a warm and sunny October day, Carolyn and I chose Hibox Peak as our destination. This summit is without a doubt one of the finest viewpoints in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, so it deserves a bluebird day.
The rocky summit of Hibox Peak presents itself dramatically as you drive along the access road to the Rachel Lake Trailhead.
- Hibox Peak From Access Road (photo by Carolyn)
We hiked up the Rachel Lake Trail about 2 miles to a junction with an unmarked but fairly obvious climbers path that heads off to the right (north). This path leads up through dense, open forest, climbing steeply for 2500 vertical feet. A distinct ridge step is reached at 5000 feet, and the summit block can be seen towering overhead.
- Hibox Peak Summit (right) From Climbers Path (photo by Carolyn)
The path continues straight uphill and then angles rightward under the summit block. There are several route variations on the summit block, but the easiest is probably straight up the crest of the east ridge. This involves some sporty Class 3 scrambling with moderate exposure.
- Carolyn Scrambling Up East Ridge
We topped out just after noon (4.2 hours + 3700 feet from trailhead) as the day was heating up. Thanks to a clear atmosphere, we could see all the way to Mt. Adams in the south, Glacier Peak in the north, and Mt. Stuart in the east. Carolyn’s panoramic photo below shows the entire scene.
- Full Pano From Hibox Peak Summit (photo by Carolyn)
- Mt Rainier & Fading Ridges From Hibox Peak Summit
But it is the major peaks of the Snoqualmie Mountains—from Mt. Thomson to Mt. Daniel—that will grab most of your attention. Lemah Mountain and Chimney Rock stand at the center of this impressive group.
- Mt Thomson & Huckleberry Mtn From Hibox Peak Summit
- Chikamin Peak & Lemah Mtn & Chimney Rock & Summit Chief Mtn From Hibox Peak Summit
It was hard to leave, but we made the steep, knee-pounding descent to the Rachel Lake Trail in about 2 hours, then reached the trailhead 45 minutes later (2.9 hours from summit).
Route Map & Profile
…
…
Photo Gallery
Click to enlarge…
