Snowshoeing Snoqualmie Commonwealth basin

Backcountry skiers are passing the creek

Beautiful view of Guye Peak

Commonwealth Basin- a good turn around point

Sunny view of the Commonwealth basin

Follow the Pacific Crest trail

Unmarked "trail" for CB

Another beginning of the trail - right under the bridge.

Unfortunately for me, this winter,I wasn't' able to do as many winter activities as I wanted. Being busy with teaching kids skiing , I got away with only a couple outings.

I decided to finish this winter with a short snowshoe trip. My work place ( Alpental ) was my first choice. Forest Service interpretive snowshoe walks on Snoqualmie Pass offer a chance to experience winter's beauty while learning about snowshoeing and winter ecology.

They offer 3 programs. The first , a moderately paced interpretive walk that generally last 90 min. The second a half day outing to Commonwealth Basin (CB)- requires a higher level of fitness and winter preparedness.Group size -8 people. Leave at 9:15 am - come back around 3pm. Third program-" Kids in the snow " will include an introduction to winter exploration and some snow play time. Forest Service provides snowshoes for all of their walks.Donations for 90 min walks- $ 10, for the half day- $ 20. Reservations are required , please call 425-434-6111 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              425-434-6111      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (Thur-Sun 9am-3pm).

If you ,do, decide to go on your own, couple things to keep in mind: there is no official trailhead ( look at the pic above ), several switchbacks ( map is not necessary, but helpful. Otherwise fallow alongside the banks of Commonwealth Creak), avalanche danger. As for the trail itself- not marked, but well used (just fallow the wide path ); not scenic, but on a good sunny winter day-very pleasant ;not challenging , but great for beginners, or a pleasant walk in the morning. I couldn't find any information about snowshoeing at the Summit (google or the summit's web page). The best way- is call them and see for yourself, if you'd like it.