Quartz Mountain

Overview

Quartz Mountain is one of the more lonely mountains in the very popular Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley. It's slopes have probably rejected more attempts than summits. It's not that climbers aren't making it due to technical difficulty, it would be more out of frustration, lack of time, lack of desire. To want Quartz is to have a passion for summits, for a challenge of oneself, to submit yourself to monotonous forest, full knowing there are much better places you could be climbing. But there is hope, while compiling information for this page, I see a new route with more ascetic beauty has been pioneered. This is the story of Quartz Mountain, a diamond in the rough, a waiting adventure for anyone who dares, who willingly might spill some blood, sweat and tears. Ask anyone who's been up, they will have a story to tell you. Why climb it? Most I know who have either had a desire to climb all the Middle Fork Peaks or were trying to complete the Home Court List. Quartz just happens to fall at the very bottom of the list at #100 If you have climbed this mountain more recently and would like to be the owner of this page, please contact me!

Getting There

From Interstate 90 take Exit 34, turn left under the freeway, pass Seattle East Auto Truck Plaza, turn right on Middle Fork Road, and drive about 9 miles and park off to the road just after a rocky outcropping. Anywhere in the next mile is fine as well. If you hit the Middle Fork Trailhead, you went too far. Another starting point is at Road 120, at 9.8 miles. Drive in on this road as far as you can, then walk it, eventually hitting the old CCC road (now trail). This starting area is always changing, have a map, be prepared for....new trails, roads, squatters. The area is improved. This was once the Seattle landfill, for the local losers who couldn't afford going to the dump. They weren't afraid to work for their dollars though, they were hard at work in these parts making Meth. And when you return to your vehicle now, it's likely to still be there, with all it's windows intact too. Progress.

Red Tape

None to climb

Camping

Once you pass onto Forest Service land on the Middle Fork road, you can camp off the road in primitive sites. Just a bit further up the road from the routes is the Middle Fork Campground.

SW Ridge

Somewhere along the old CCC road/trail, you'll need to start bushwhacking, as shown on the map. Your goal is to get on the ridge which becomes more defined the higher you go. The hardest part is near the beginning where you can see the contours are very close. Maybe it's better to the north but then you will be doing more traversing to get onto the ridge. This is really bad second growth forest. The trees are tight in places and brush bad in spots as well. Higher on the ridge, you'll enter old growth forests and the going gets much better. Although, I hear rumors there is still bad brush in places. Plan a spring ascent and the snowpack is easy walking up there through the old growth. At 3900 feet on the ridge, start a traverse to the right toward the small lake shown on the map. From there, climb the final summit knoll. Now according to the map, this isn't the summit....but, most agree that if you are standing there, it is much higher than point 4641 to the east. A traverse between the two is doable if you want to be sure.

The Gully Route

This route is found in the book: Middle Fork Guide : Seattle's closest mountains by Carl Dreisbach I have attached some pictures from a trip report on 3/19/2010 from NW Hikers.net The route mostly goes up an open gully that is visible form the Middle Fork Road (see pic). Link to trip report HERE by Yana, Dicey and ErinB

Images

View Quartz Mountain Image Gallery - 16 Images