The Snoqualmie Loppet is a fun ski that typically takes place with non-organized friends on the last Sunday in January (e.g. Jan 29, 2017).  It is a 30-km nordic (classic or skate ski) tour that romps through almost all of the Snoqualmie Pass Nordic Areas, including: Summit Nordic Mount Catherine Loop; Iron Horse Trail; Troll Haegen Forest Loop; and Cabin Creek Viking Loop.  Here’s a fun video overview of the vicinity from a Best of the Northwest” page about nordic trails in the Snoqualmie Pass area.

Give it a try!  If the weather is right, you’ll enjoy great skiing and scenery, and if you start around 9 a.m. you might meet some like minded skiers.  Faster Skiers will complete in about 3-4 hours.  Slower skiers perhaps 5-6 hours.  It depends on your gear, your technique, your wax, the weather, grooming conditions, and your physical ability.  You can also do any of the sections if you are not up to full loppet (yet).

If you happen upon one of the many folks who ski this loppet, you could set up some car pools so that you can shuttle efficiently back to the start.  And if you do that, you might consider parking most cars at the big lot at Crystal Springs SnoPark, and just 1-2 at the more-limited Cabin Creek SnoPark.  (Remember you’ll need a SnoPark permit to park in either of those lots.  Another hidden cost is a lift ticket from Summit to access the top of the Mount Catherine loop.)

In any case, be safe and have fun!  Below are some verbal, visual, mapped, and GPS-friendly descriptions of the route.

Verbal description

1. Take the Summit East, East Peak chairlift to the top and the upper trails.
2. Ski around Mount Catherine counter clockwise.  First descend via “Snow Train” and “Outer Loop” to Grand Junction, then proceed along “Ripsaw” down and up to Windy Pass, and finally descend “Cold Creek” all the way back to Hyak Lodge (Old Milwaukee Lodge).  Refer to the Summit Nordic trail map below if you are new to the Mount Catherine loop.
3. Descend via parking lot and a short block on residential street to the Iron Horse trail and the long fast 10 km to the Stampede Pass Road.
4. Turn left on the Stampede Pass Road, and after a couple hundred meters enter the Erling Strodahl trail system. Ski the Forest Loop. You can visit the Troll Hagen Cabin if you need water or restroom.
5. Exit Erling Strodahl system, turn right, and ski toward I-90 on a short groomed stretch until you connect with the Stampede Pass Road (i.e. – pavement or snowplowed main access road to Crystal Springs SnoPark)
6. Walk the road (watching out for vehicles), or sometimes you can ski on the right side above the berm. On your right look for the Yakima River Trail (after the Yakima River bridge, but before I90).  Ski on the Yakima River trail to the Cabin Creek parking lot, or if it’s not groomed you can walk across the I-90 bridge and thru the DOT yard to join the Cabin Creek trail system.
7. Enter the Cabin Creek Trail system.
8. Ski the Viking course and then merge on to the Berg course to the end!

Google map of the route

Other handy maps

• An overview of the route from Best of the Northwest that shows that overall the Snoqualmie Loppet is a downhill affair…
• Mount Catherine loop

• Ehrling Strodahl and Cabin Creek

GPS file for the route

coming soon…

Photos from the route

Skating on the Iron Horse trail

You may see dogs near the junction of Stampede Pass Road and the Iron Horse Trail

Chatting loppet-style near Gold Creek

Random references:

This WTA post has waypoints for locations that will help you find the connector trail and Nordic Pass trail should you ever want to vary this loppet so as to avoid the purchase of a lift ticket…