Silver Peak & Tinkham Peak: A Great First Scramble
The sun setting behind Silver Peak
I’d been eyeing Silver Peak and Tinkham Peak near Snoqualmie Pass for a while — but the scrambling and the elevation had me a little intimidated. If you’re in the same boat, don’t have much scrambling experience, but curious about this loop, then this post is for you. The trip reports I read on Washington Trails Association (WTA) before heading out eased a ton of my anxiety, and I’m hoping this post does the same for someone else.
I don’t have a lot of scrambling experience under my belt either, and I found the route very manageable.
Trail stats
Overview
Route: Mirror + Cottonwood Lakes → Silver Peak → Tinkham West → Tinkham East (counterclockwise loop)
Distance: 8.82 miles RT
Elevation Gain: 4,151 ft
Trail condition: Rough gravel road to trailhead but suitable for all cars; well-graded PCT to Mirror Lake; unmaintained, steep off-trail sections to both Silver Peak and Tinkham Peak
Crux: Class 2–3 scramble on the approach to Tinkham West — stay right of the rock face
Getting to the Trailhead
The road in was in decent shape — just a couple of rough patches you can’t really avoid. Go slow, let your tires roll over them, and you’ll be fine. But the road is dusty especially after a dry spell. I saw plenty of sedans at the trailhead, mine included. There is no parking lot here, only parking on the road. I saw about 20 cars on a Saturday late afternoon, which honestly surprised me — I expected more. But it didn’t bother me though because I wasn’t camping overnight and didn’t need to fight for a campsite.
Trailhead to Mirror Lake
I’d backpack to Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes before. This section is popular amongst families because the elevation gain is rather gentle — you gain a little over 800 feet in a little over a mile. Nothing too technical in this section either and before you know it, you’re already at Cottonwood Lake. I’ve never made my way down there despite doing this hike 3 times.
I didn’t stop at either lake this time. Right before Mirror Lake, there is a junction with good signage too. Hang a left to continue onto Mirror Lake and eventually Stampede Pass, hang a right to get on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) towards Snoqualmie Pass. This was my first time going this direction and I couldn’t help but to feel a little excited when I began my trek on the smooth, well-graded PCT.
Hiking the Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes trail — the lighting on this trail always provides.
Mirror Lake to Silver Peak
Views along the PCT.
The PCT section was a mellow and beautiful stretch. I really took my time here to soak in the views. I took as many photos as I could here because I knew I wasn’t going to be backtracking any of this section since I was going to exit via Tinkham Peak back to Mirror Lake. Of course, I was also savoring the buttery smooth trail before I got on the trail towards Silver Peak. From there, everything changes.
I’d downloaded an offline map and still managed to miss the turnoff — guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention or perhaps the views along the PCT were so good that I just wanted to keep going. Lucky for me, I spotted someone hiking with two dogs. I asked him where he was headed to, he said he was going to Silver Peak, which was when I realized I’d stayed on the PCT too long. Backtracked a bit and finally found the trail up to Silver Peak.
This stretch was steep and rough, but still very manageable. The talus field wasn’t as bad as I’d built it up to be in my head. I also made sure to keep a rather safe distance from the guy with the two dogs just in case they managed to kick some loose rocks down. There seem to be a few ways to approach the summit of Silver — I just followed what looked like a trail, using my hands in a couple of spots while keeping Tex close in case he got curious about the edge. Straightforward overall and there were a couple of flat sections before the final push up to the summit of Silver Peak.
I ended up sharing the summit with the hiker and his two dogs. I took a ton of photos up there, and I didn’t find the summit register, which was a little disappointing, but definitely not the end of the world.
Talus field before scrambling up Silver.
The other hike with his two dogs.
Tex before the descend down Silver.
Tex is always ahead of me when we’re hiking.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the talus field and going down was a little slower than going up.
On the summit of Silver Peak looking at Abiel Peak and Annette Lake below.
Another group was heading up as I was just about getting to descend Silver Peak. I checked the time — almost 6pm. It was decision time: tag the second objective, or call it and head back the way I came (the PCT, then Mirror, then the car). I remembered the scramble to Tinkham West was supposed to be the crux of the entire route, with a couple of Class 2 to Class 3 moves, and figured — I might as well give it a shot while I had the light.
Silver Peak to Tinkham West
The rock face below Tinkham West looks intimidating, but walk towards the tree to the far right and zigzag your way up.
I took a long break before heading up the connector trail between Silver and Tinkham. It was easy enough to find. It stays an actual for about 0.4 miles before dissolving into dirt and soil with no defined path. I second-guessed myself more than once, checking my map constantly to confirm I was still on track. The steady stream of “No Trespassing” signs from the Cedar River Watershed signs doubled as reassurance — as long as I kept seeing them, I knew I hadn’t wandered off course.
The section was steep. So steep. Absolutely comparable to the old trail up to Mailbox Peak, maybe worse, since there’s no defined trail to follow. It felt endless before I finally reached the '“base” of Tinkham West.
Even though it felt exposed at times, there was plenty to grab onto, and Tex handled it just fine too. The approach zigags a little, but I never lost the route, there was also enough of a dirt path to know it’s been traveled on before. And before I knew it, we’d made it to the top of Tinkham West.
Tinkham East to Tinkham West
The traverse between the two summits was refreshingly straightforward and well-defined, with the “No Trespassing” signs once again keeping me from drifting too far off course. I really enjoyed this stretch. I sat at the first ‘saddle’ on Tinkham East and just soaked in the views for a while — this spot might have been my favorite of the whole day, with a nearly 360-degree view that included Silver Peak, where I’d just come from, not too long ago. I had it entirely to myself. Looking east, you get the classic five lakes view.
The summit register was easy to locate. I couldn’t find the one on Tinkham West. I signed the register. It got chilly up here but good things I brought plenty of layers. I sat here for a while and watched the sun begin setting behind Silver Peak.
For a moment, I felt so accomplished. I hadn’t been hiking much but I suppose the training for the STP paid off. I made it to both objectives I set out for myself for the day, with Tex!
Silver Peak just before golden hour.
Tex on top of Tinkham East!
Had to sign the summit register for both Tex and I.
Tinkham East Back to Mirror Lake
Overlooking the five lakes including Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes.
I started hiking back to the car before I lost all my daylight. The descent from Tinkham East back to Mirror Lake follows an actual, obvious trail — and I hated every step of it. My body, especially legs, were clearly done for the day, because this stretch felt like it dragged on forever. It was also steep with a few blowdowns to go over. I had poles with me and they truly did help me get through this last section. Lesson here is: both approaches to the base of Tinkham West and East are both steep. The trail on Tinkham East is definitely ‘easier’ because it’s a defined trail and no scramble necessary.
I was genuinely relieved when I spotted a tent and heard voices — campers settled in for the night at Mirror Lake. How I wish I was backpacking so I didn’t have to hike back to the car. Alas, we pushed forward and I was so happy to see my car.
Common Questions
Can you do Silver Peak and Tinkham Peak in one day? Absolutely — this loop links all three summits (Silver Peak, Tinkham Peak, and Tinkham East) from the Mirror Lake trailhead in a single day. Some people even tag Abiel Peak as well. Budget a full day for it; my watch clocked me at 8.82 miles with 4,151 feet of gain, and the off-trail scramble sections take longer than mileage suggests.
How hard is the scramble to Tinkham West? It’s Class 2-3 and exposed in a few spots, but there’s plenty to hold onto and plenty to step on as well. No technical gear is needed. Sticking to the right of the rock face closest to the trees on the approach is the key piece of beta. I heard the left side is very exposed so I would definitely stay away from that.
Which direction should you hike the loop? I think for what I did, counterclockwise would be the way to go — from Mirror Lake to Silver Peak first, then over to Tinkham West and Tinkham East. The scramble up to Tinkham West is friendlier for someone with less scrambling experience then taking the well-defined path down Tinkham East means you don’t have to scramble at all albeit being pretty steep.
Final Thoughts
Silver Peak from Tinkham East
I’m really glad I leaned on previous trip reports to get up both Silver and Tinkham — they made a route that could’ve felt intimidating feel completely doable. If you’re starting from the Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes trailhead, I’d recommend going counterclockwise like I did. The scramble to Tinkham West isn’t bad at all, and I think with a little care, most people could manage it. Just remember, stick to the right!
Both approaches were steep and there is no way around that but even going slow the whole way (like I did), you’ll get there.
The PCT was a joy to hike on and I wish I had more time to carry out some side quests. I know it branches out and meets the Cold Creek Trail towards Twin Lakes and obviously if you continue past the Silver Peak turnoff, you will eventually make to Windy Pass and Mount Catherine. I usually stay away from hikes near Snoqualmie Pass because they are so accessible, which means they can get crowded but for a beautiful Saturday evening, I was able to find solitude on both summits.
Resources
Trail info & conditions
Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes — WTA — the trailhead hike page, with directions and current trip reports
Silver Peak — WTA — official hike page and stats for the summit
Tinkham Peak — WTA — official hike page, usually paired with Silver Peak
Northwest Forest Pass — required to park at the Mirror Lake trailhead
My trip report
Full trip report on WTA — same route, posted with trail conditions as of this trip