With about a half day's good weather forecast before changing time to get in a hike. The golden larches (no not Mickey D's golden arches) were a callin'. I decided to head for Blewett Pass. There was actually fog & clouds in Cle Elum but cleared once I headed up into the hills. I headed for the Tronsen Ridge trailhead but kept going past the large turn in the road. Past Ken Wilcox horse camp the road becomes rutted & a high clearance vehicle is best used. After a mile or so on this road it became better. I drove all the way to the south trailhead for Mt Lillian (#1601). Not much room to park, I just pulled off to the side of the road. Started hiking about 9:15 AM.

Hike heads gradually uphill. A few golden larches at the trailhead but not many more on this section of trail. After a mile or so some large, odd looking, rock formations are encountered. The trail is mostly in forest to that point but there are a few views to the east by the rocks. I took a side path to the summit of Mt Lillian but it is wooded and there are no views. I continued on to a fork w/ the jeep trail from Naneum Meadows & went right toward Tronsen Ridge. There is another fork where the jeep road goes left & the trail goes right & downhill. There is a sign there but no trail name or description. I encountered the first people at this point, 2 hunters on motorcycles. Motorized transport is supposed to be forbidden after Oct 15 & I pointed this out to them. But they were nice guys & we chatted for awhile. They came in further up Hwy 97 & claimed there was no warning signs there. The only animal they saw was a doe. I continued on through more forest but soon a few views of Mt Rainier to left & Stuart range straight ahead. I went as far as a viewpoint of Hwy 97 which was about 3 miles in on Tronsen Ridge trail before stopping. Took a short break & before leaving my friends on motorcycles returned. One of them made a comment that I had made it pretty far. I would have made it further with a motorcycle (or maybe not). More larch (Tamarack) trees along this trail but only a few turned yellow, most were somewhere in between. Several nice rocky knobs along trail that can be summitted for nice panoramic views. Larches will probably be at peak in another week or 2. This is my second hike seeking larches (went to Ingalls Lake October last year and I think it is better). Also sounds like they are at or closed to peak further north (by Levenworth or in North Cascades). I saw 2 more hunters on foot on my way back. They said they saw a spike elk and also a large black bear (it was a ways off on a ridge). And yes I did wear a bright orange vest. These hunters I encountered all seemed responsible and not liquored up like you can sometimes run into. All in all trails were in good shape and ruts were minimal. No snow anywhere in area. Returned to car by about 1:30 PM. Put in about 10 miles RT.

On way back to west side, clouds gathering over mts & eventually light rain. I guess Jeff Renner was right w/ the forecast. Great to spend a day on the sunny east side!

After a bumpy road we drove past the Ken Wilcox Horse Camp and parked out of sight in a shady spot a few hundred yards from road 9712. We could not have driven this short route had it not been for our 4x4 rig. The half mile walk to the top of Tronson Ridge was completely devoid of any bugs--not even the usually ubiquitous flies. Temperatures in the mid 70's made this a special treat. The hike to Mt Lillian was also pleasant and the cool breezes made for a delightful day.

This was one of WTA's suggested snow-free hikes, and as usual, we were not disappointed with the choice. A little past the horse camp, the road had deep and muddy ruts, so we parked and decided to walk the last mile to the trailhead. After a half hour, we realized we must have missed the sign to #1204, so turned around, and by providence, we met an advocate of the Wenatchee Mountain Coaltion who knew the trails in this area like it was their backyard. We hiked to Mt Lillian and took in the views of the Stuart Ridge, Table Mountain and Mt Rainier Then we went eastward to awesome views of Wenatchee, and to our surprise we could even see the Columbia River. Our new friends went on their way, and we continued on the trail to Tronson Ridge and were greeted by breathtaking views from our lunch spot. The trail back to the road was filled with meadows of flowers with constant views to the South East. Fantastic day! Thank you WTA for a terrific pick!