Mt Margaret to Middle Fork Snoqualmie

Flying from Spokane to Seattle, I spotted a cluster of rugged peaks I didn't recognize. They were between Mt. Daniel and Snoqualmie Pass, almost part of the same ridge as Mt. Daniel.

It turns out there's a clump of mountains there, the highest of which is Chimney Peak, that doesn't really have any good trails into it. The PCT goes past the east side, but from a distance. It looks like the best destination in that area is Summit Chief Lake, which is on Escondido Ridge a mile north of the PCT. But that's twelve miles from the nearest trailhead -- a long haul if you want to enjoy it.

So I got to thinking about multi-day hikes that would incorporate Summit Chief. And this is what I came up with:

Mt Margaret trailhead to Rampart Lakes (6 miles)
Rampart Lakes to Glacier Lake (5.5 miles)
Glacier Lake to Escondido Tarns (10.5 miles)
dayhike scramble of Summit Chief Mountain (6 miles)
Escondido Tarns to Ivanhoe Lake (10 miles)
Ivanhoe Lake to Goldmyer Hot Springs (11 miles)
Goldmyer Hot Springs to Dingford trailhead (6 miles)
(or to Middle Fork Snoqualmie trailhead (12 miles))

A fun week in the local mountains, with a nice soak the last night. What could be better?