I was struggling to come up with a big climb for the day and eventually gave up on trying to plan anything ambitious. Instead, I started looking for something close to home that would at least get me outside. A quick search through scrambles along I-90 brought up Kaleetan Peak, a mountain I somehow had never paid any attention to.

For years I lived farther north, so most of the mountains I looked at around North Bend were the obvious ones. Peaks like Mailbox Peak dominated my attention while Kaleetan Peak stayed completely off my radar. That changed quickly once I started looking at the route.

Judging by the fact that the trail begins at Denny Creek, I assumed parking would be a nightmare. I planned to arrive early, then promptly ruined that plan by waking up late. I eventually rolled into the trail head around 9 a.m. and was surprised to find plenty of open parking.

It seemed strange considering how busy this area can get, but I certainly wasn't going to complain.

The route begins along the Denny Creek Trail, following an easy path away from the parking area toward the well-known natural waterslide section. This first stretch makes for a mellow warm-up and doesn't give much indication of the scrambling waiting higher on the mountain.

Once past the falls, the trail starts putting in more effort as it climbs toward Melakwa Lake. For experienced hikers or climbers, there is nothing particularly difficult about reaching the lake. It is simply steady uphill travel on a good trail.

I made it from the parking area to the shore in around two hours.

From Melakwa Lake, the route to Kaleetan Peak finally starts separating itself from a normal hike. The climber's trail leaves from near one of the campsites and initially follows the same direction as the path leading toward the campers' toilet.

I expected the usual climber's trail experience: disappearing tread, random branches, and at least a few moments spent wondering whether I had wandered off route. Instead, the path was far more obvious than expected. Apparently enough people climb Kaleetan Peak that the route has become well established.

The first section above the lake is straightforward. Once past the toilet, however, the trail begins climbing with more of a climber's pace. It is still well defined and easy to follow, but the relaxed hiking is basically over.

Around 20 minutes above Melakwa Lake, the route begins feeling like a true climber's trail. There are a few rocky sections with minor scrambling mixed between steep dirt and roots. None of it felt particularly difficult, but someone without much scrambling experience might find a few spots more committing.

There is some root grabbing, some loose dirt, and the occasional move where using your hands simply makes life easier.

Eventually the trail climbs toward the ridge crest at around 5,700 feet. After so much steady climbing, I enjoyed the brief stretch where the route finally levels out.
Unfortunately, that relief does not last.

Instead of continuing along the ridge toward Kaleetan Peak, the route abruptly drops west into the basin below the summit. Looking down from the crest, I immediately realized that every foot I lost would need to be regained on the way back.

The descent into the basin itself is short but very steep. Loose dirt covers much of the slope, making careful foot placement important. I used my hands for veggie belays in a couple of places simply because sliding down the hillside seemed like a poor alternative.

Once at the bottom, the route traverses across a boulder field before beginning the final climb toward Kaleetan Peak.

From below, the summit looked farther away than I expected. The upper mountain rises sharply enough that I figured I had another long grind ahead of me. Instead, the final ascent went surprisingly quickly.

It took me around 30 minutes from the boulder field to reach the summit.

Because I had started later in the morning, my bad timing actually worked in my favour. Nearly everyone else climbing Kaleetan Peak was already descending while I was heading up. I passed several groups but found nobody remaining once I reached the top.

I ended up having the summit completely to myself for around 30 minutes while I ate lunch.

As with most peaks in the I-90 corridor, the views were fantastic. Mount Rainier dominated the distance while the surrounding peaks filled nearly every direction. Granite Mountain was easy to pick out among the nearby summits, along with plenty of other familiar terrain I had driven past countless times without thinking much about.

Sometimes it is easy to overlook mountains simply because they are close to home.

The descent from Kaleetan Peak was mostly uneventful. The only part I had been dreading was the climb back out of the basin.

That familiar feeling hit as soon as I reached the bottom of the descent and stared back toward the ridge. There is something particularly annoying about reclimbing elevation you already earned earlier in the day.

Fortunately, my dread lasted longer than the actual climb as it took only around 15 minutes to regain the ridge crest.

From there, the route back toward Melakwa Lake went quickly, and once I hit the main trail it was simply a matter of putting my head down and walking back down Denny Creek to the trail head.

Kaleetan Peak surprised me. It isn't an overly technical scramble, but it offers enough steep terrain, loose dirt, minor scrambling, and route variation to keep the day interesting.