Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 47.96470°N / 121.33365°W
Additional Information GPX File: Download GPX » View Route on Map
Activities Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Additional Information Elevation: 7280 ft / 2219 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Kyes and Columbia Peak
Kyes and Columbia Peak

Kyes peak is the highest summit in the Monte Cristo Group and is very isolated from civilization. When the weather is good this peak offers views of the many famous peaks in Washington including Sloan Peak, Mount Pugh, Baker, Rainier, Glacier Peak and many more. This peak is pretty much in the middle of the Cascade Range.

This peak gets much of its fame from the well known Blanca Lake which may be considered by some folks to be one of the most bluish green lakes in the state of Washington. Just getting to the lake along by many is worth the visit to this mountain. This takes most people at least most of a day and is not very often climbed. But considering that it is considered a challenge, it makes sense. But for the die hard fans, its no problem. There is a register on the summit which was install in 1997. There is some bushwhacking involved with some mild exposure at times. The summit block is a class 2 (some say class 3) scramble on a slab with ledges to traverse.

Kyes and Monte CristoKyes Peak's South Face as seen from Blanca Lake : Photo taken by Matt Lemke

Getting There

 
Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain on the Way
View Directions from Google Maps Here. All you have to do is type in your location in the starting field. (Change it from Seattle to the city you live in) Be sure your route is going through the city of Skykomish. If it's not, drag the purple route line toward Skykomish.

Getting There from Seattle: Head East on Highway 520 (exit 168B) to get over Lake Washington. In 6.6 miles you take the exit that goes onto I-405 North towards Everett. In 9 miles take a right onto Highway 522 E towards Monroe (exit 23). In Monroe the highway curves around and merges onto highway 2, be sure to take a left (East) towards the city of Skykomish for 35 miles. In the city of Skykomish you will see on your left a road called "Beckler River Road" which you turn onto. As you travel though the valley the road turns into NF Rd 65 which continues to travel north up the valley. Later on after going down hill a ways you will reach a fork in the road which you will want to take a right onto NF Rd 63. In about 1.9 miles you will want to take a left (straight) up the steep road to the trailhead. Don't worry, if your car for some reason cannot make it up this hill, it's only 150 feet or so from the friendlier road.

Route Description

The trip starts out as a gentle well maintained trail through the woods which eventually steepens with switch backs up the mountain. In about 3 miles (2,700 feet of gain) you arrive at Virgin Lake (at 4,600 feet elevation) which it is small but a beautiful lake. One might consider filtering water at this location (not sure the quality of the water) because there is much travel on the pathway ahead.

Approaching Kyes PeakApproaching Kyes Peak

 

Virgin Lake during SunriseVirgin Lake Reflection


Just past the lake look for a small tree with a blaze cut into it which is on the right hand side. If you don't find it, no big deal, but to make travel nicer try and find the climbers boot path that goes up the ridge/saddle towards Kyes Peak. The pathway starts out easy to follow but eventually fades in and out in some places. You do encounter a few areas that contain some mild scrambling, but no problem for the average mountaineer. For much of the time you are traveling on the right side of the ridge (East Side) which you eventually end up on the ridge crest itself. This flattens out for a while until you go back down the ridge and encounter your first obstacle of the trip. It is a rocky point on the ridge with cliff bands and potentially dangerous terrain. On a map it is labeled as point 5800.

Looking Down the ScrambleLooking Down the Scramble
Follow the MarkersFollow the Markers
Rock Spire above the the Boot PathLook for this Rock Above
Looking EastLooking East
The Friendly Part of the Boot PathBoot Path (looking back)
Looking South EastLooking South East
Looking Towards Sheep GapLooking Towards Sheep Gap
The Ridge Up AheadPoint 5800 (North)

 

Heading Down to the LeftHead Down towards the Boulder Field to the Left


So now we want to avoid this terrain by going down to the left towards a mini boulder field. This spot is easy to find any time of the year because it is mostly flat when you get there. Be warned, in later season this is where the blueberry bushes start up which often times is slippery making travel a little bit more tedious. So now traverse the mountain going slightly up hill towards your right until you think your a little ways beyond Point 5800. Then starting heading almost directly up, if you encounter a cliff band, you have to keep traversing.

Bush WhackingThe Easier part of the walking through Blue Berry Bushes


Depending on where you end up you may get either onto the ridge again or at the notch which is on the ridge. Either one is fine, but the ridge is probably the better option. You may get lucky and find a rigged trail that switchbacks up the mountain, if not, no big deal. But you do want to make sure you don't end up on any unnecessary terrain. There should not be any terrain beyond class 2 until you get to the summit block.

Looking up Kyes PeakLooking up Kyes Peak
Looking Down towards Blana LakeLooking Down towards Blanca
Heading upHeading up
What a Blue Looking LakeCloser look at Blanca Lake


Once you start getting glimpses of Kyes Peak and of the boulder field, you should head towards it. But do keep in mind there are some cliffs below between you and the boulder field which there is a nice traverse "pathway" to the right which is a series of mini scramble sections down the the boulder field.

The Boulder FieldThe Boulder Field


Even in late season much of the boulder field is covered in snow, which depending on snow conditions it might be time to take out the ice axe if you brought one, I personally was fine without one but the snow was soft. Head towards the false summit to the north, but eventually you want to curve to the right. You will see a section I call "The Gap" which is a small notch in the ridge between two high points.

The GapThe Gap (in real life it looks more Gap like)

 

Round About near the SummitRound About as seen from the "The Gap". Head to the right of this section.


Once you scramble up to the gap you are back on the ridge again which doesn't look very ridge like at this point. Now go towards the round about and then to the right of it which takes you to a permanent snow field. If you like snow, take the snow field towards the summit block. If you like rock, take the ridge to your left which is nice and gentile although with a few ups and downs.

The Summit RidgeThe Summit Ridge
Looking Down the BasinLooking Down the Basin
Looking North WestLooking North West
Foggy PeakFoggy Peak


The summit is the one on the right which of course is the one farther away. But at least it's a cats walk from here. Once you get to the summit block it is considered class 2, perhaps class 3 depending on how you rate a route. I will admit though that one should be cautious here because there is some loose pebbles and such on the rock making it a little more tricky. But for most mountaineers it won't be much of a problem. The summit pyramid is not as bad as it looks. Look for the crack that has nice foot holds which takes you about 20 feet from the summit. The last 20 or so feet carefully traverse over to the summit. From here you are rewarded with a great view of the area.

The Last Few StepsThe Last Few Steps to the Summit

 

Summit Panorama of Kyes PeakSummit Panorama of Kyes Peak

 

Sloan Peak s South FaceSloan Peak's South Face
Monte Cristo PeakMonte Cristo Peak
Big Four s South East FaceBig Four's South East Face
Gothic and Del Campo PeakGothic and Del Campo Peak

Red Tape & Camping

 
Camping in the Meadows
Camping in the Meadows
 
The Sun Setting Behind the Ridge
Keep Track of Time
A North West Forest Pass is required for parking at the trailhead. Also be sure to get down the mountain before dark because finding the pathway at night may be hard to find.

Good camping can be found near Virgin Lake or near the false summit.

There is often a nice place to filter water in the basin below the summit.

 

When To Climb

This mountain can be climbed year round, but is recommended between the months of June through October. Early summer is probably best because of all the blue berry bushes you have to travel over in later season. But the later months tend to have better weather. So it's debatable which you prefer and it also depends on the weather that year.

A Night in the WildernessGet Down Keyes Before Dark

Mountain Conditions

 
Kyes Peak Coming out of the Clouds
Kyes Peak Clearing Up
 
Kyes Peak From Goblin-Storm Saddle
Kyes Peak during Winter
For weather information be sure to check in with the Noaa Forecast.

For Avalanche conditions, please check the North West Avalanche Center (seasonal)

For road/trail conditions check in with the Forest Service Website and search for Blanca Lake. (sorry folks, there is no instant link that brings you down to Blanca Lake on the website)

Gear to Bring

Hiking towards Virgin Lake
Using Trekking Polls for the Approach
Easy Terrain at the Start
Dog Friendly (except for the summit)
Scott with Glacier Peak
Ice Axe Ready

Mandatory Gear for Kyes:

    • 2-3 Liters of Water Per Person

 

    • First Aid Kit

 

    • Shell Jacket

 

  • Glasses/Goggles (comes in handy when snowy)


Recommended Extras:

    • Sun Screen

 

    • Map and Compass

 

    • Long and Short Sleeve Shirt

 

  • Camera


Overnight Gear:

    • Tent/Bivy

 

    • Sleeping Bag

 

    • Ground Pad

 

    • Water Filter/Tablets

 

  • Stove, Fuel, Pot, and utensils (for cooking)


Winter Gear:

    • Ice Axe

 

    • Crampons

 

    • Trekking Poles

 

  • Plenty of Food

History

Commander James Kyes
James Kyes

Kyes Peak was originally named "Goblin Peak" or "Goblin Mountain". However, the name was officially changed to "Kyes Peak" during 1944 in honor of U.S. Naval Commander James E. Kyes. Commander Kyes made the first recorded ascent of the mountain on August 15, 1920 with a Boy Scouts troop from Everett. Kyes died on December 24, 1943, when the destroyer "Leary" was torpedoed in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Side Note: When the name changed to Kyes Peak, the name Goblin Mountain moved to a highpoint on the nearest ridge located east of Kyes Peak.

Special Thanks to SP Member Redwic for researching and wording the history section of this page.

Topographic Maps

Kyes Peak Topo MapKyes Peak Topographic Map

Flowers and Wildlife

The Monte Cristo GroupKyes Peak with Flowers
Beautiful Daisies Near the SummitDaisies Near the Summit
Purple LupinePurple Lupine
Mushrooms on a TreeMushrooms on a Tree
Pink FlowerPink Flower
Spikey Plants neat the SummitThistles near the Summit
Lush Green ReflectionLush Green Reflection
Wet FungusWet Fungus
Flowers near the SummitFlowers near the Summit
Flowers on the SummitFlowers on the Summit
Goat on KyesGoat on the Rocks
Looking Down the MeadowsBlueberry Bushes

Sunset and Sunrise

Sunrise through the TreesSunrise through the Trees
Sunrise on Kyes PeakSunrise on Kyes Peak
Big Chiwakum during SunriseBig Chiwakum during Sunrise
Pink Sky over Mount DanielPink Sky over Mount Daniel
The Edge of Columbia Peak during SunriseColumbia Peak during Sunrise
Sunrise ColorsSunrise Colors
Virgin Lake during SunriseVirgin Lake during Sunrise
Sunset on the RidgeSunset on the Ridge

Alpenglow on Columbia PeakAlpenglow on Columbia Peak

Video Documentary

External Trip Reports



Children

Children

Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.