Trip Reports

Rocky ledges through forests of huge sage thickets lead up the canyon. Increasing views over the Okanogan valley and down
 to the river ( running at flood stage when we were there)
The trail climbs, and winds above, and below rock cliffs.
Eagles soaring overhead riding the wind, and the sound of aspen leaves whispering, sighing along the creek, and sage accompany the walk.
The trail head is new, and has an official Pacific Northwest
 trail sign. the first large official sign

A short section of trail along the old rail road grade runs from Oroville to the Enlo dam. 3.5 miles aprox. (there is no bridge across the Silmilkameen river at the Enlo dam, so continuing on to Nighthawk, and Loomis along this path is not currently
 possible.
   The lightly traveled Loomis Oroville road is the route of
the Pacific Northwest trail to the highlands. The road meanders along the river, through sage hills. Cattle wander freely,
 and the only traffic we met were border patrol vehicles. The road is a slow sage scented walk, or a peaceful bike ride,
 before heading into the hills at Chopaka Lake cutoff. Someday
there are hopeful plans of continuing the trail along the old railroad grade across the river.

About a year ago, I had read about the Index Town Wall - Lookout Point trail while researching the area, but never attempted it. Then I came across a recent trail report by geezerhiker which re-sparked my interest. Thanks! ^_^

**Please note: Walking to the trailhead requires you to trespass onto BNSF railroad property. So choose to do this hike/climb at your own risk!**

This trail is clearly used by locals and it seems there are many paths to the final scramble to reach the flagpole. The trail was snow free to the top and the route I took had some random cairns when the trail became faint. I tried finding geezerhiker's "pink w/ black dot ribbons" but never found any. The route I followed was short and steep... You follow the trail through the woods and when it comes to a fork towards the cliff face you will want to go left and follow a dry creek bed up. If you go right, you will find a secluded area for rock climbing.

After climbing the creek bed and continuing towards the right back onto the trail, you will come across a couple ropes that go up another trail and then up the cliff wall. Don't bother climbing this, it's not the trail you want. You will continue past this and eventually see a fire pit and another cairn next to another steep rock wall. A few hundred feet past that and you will spot another cairn that is the start of the gully to the top. As geezerhiker stated "you will be using your hands and feet" the rest of the way. THIS IS STEEP! STEEP!

...and the only path to and from the lookout point. Yes, I did reach the top. Even though it was a gloomy day, the views of all the mountains shrouded in clouds was worth it. I watched the rain move across Mt Persis & Mt. Index like a sheet, which was impressive. But as the rain encroached towards my perch, I decided to creep my way back down the steep gully. Halfway down the gully I was startled by a warning siren, but still continued my decent... Does anyone know the siren's purpose in such a small, remote town?

A short hike to a beautiful big sky roaming country area,
with trails leading off in many directions. From Twisp drive
 about 3 miles out Twisp river road, to Frost road, follow the
 road to the first green gate on the right, and park near by.
this short hike is perfect for families with small children,
or anyone wanting an easy highland wander. Up the road is the trail to Aspen Lake. Balsam root in golden bloom, and
a white shrubby bush with a fragrant scent, plus horses
roaming,plus large sage, and meadow larks singing ...
 

Lots of snow on the trail which was starting to melt. Had to be careful on areas where the streams had eroded the snow from below. I could recommend either coming with snow hiking gear, or holding off on this hike until conditions improve.

Despite the clouds and rainy forecast today was a great day for a climb up Granite Mountain. The trail toward the summit route is in fine shape, no blowdowns or other obstructions. There are a pair of avalanche gullies that require short snow crossings, but are hardly of note. Further up however the snow starts to take up the trail and the beaten path abrptly ends at one last island of bear grass and trees. This is the point that you have to start heading up the snow covered mountainside, you're going to wish you brought boots and gaiters at the least. Heading off in a westerly and up sort of direction the fire lookout eventually came into view between the clouds. The path to the summit is still on decent snow, though there were a couple of deep postholing incidents. Towards the summit we were greeted with a light snowfall, which was unexpected, but welcome, like Christmas in May! Lots of great glissading opportunities on the way down, so much so by the time we got back on the trail my rear end felt like it'd been dragged across cold, wet sandpaper. In summary, be prepared for lots of snow travel, some of it fairly steep.

From the TH to the Big Beaver Camps the trail has been cleared and is in great shape. There are several creeks along the way and all can be stepped across without issue.

From the Big B Camps to the 39 Mile Camps there are ~ 30 downed trees. Most of these are small and pose no real issue, but a couple will be annoying. Nettles are just starting to pop up along this stretch, so as Ranger David says, "Watch those hands!" There will be 1 ford to 39 Mile (although there is a way to stay dry upstream) and as long as you are comfortable crossing on rocks and logs, then there are no other fords on this stretch. 39 Mile Camps are mostly clear of debris and in good shape.

If continuing on towards Luna Camp, there will be numerous fords and Beaver Pass still has ~ 5 ft of snow.

There is a lot of solitude to be had up the ol' Big B.

Cheers!

Brenda, Jonah, & I walked out the North Jeep Road to Box Spring Canyon on the WDFW land just west of Snow Mtn Ranch today. The Desert Buckwheat was very nice & there was lots & lots of beautiful Thompson's Paintbrush as well as some Bitterroot in bloom. Just as we sat down for lunch above the canyon, a heavy shower moved in and we had to put on our rain gear. After lunch we went down the west side of the canyon to my truck which we had placed on Cowiche Mill Road at the canyon mouth. I had never gone down this way and decided that the east side of the canyon is a much nicer way to go down. Though it was cloudy & cool, it was a very nice day for walking.

The trail was pretty muddy today, after breaking out of the trees though, the mud ebbs a bit. Snowfree to the summit, today was pretty well hemmed in by clouds, but the occasional breaks yielded fine vistas. Also the minor blowdowns early in the hike have been cleared and the trail is essentially clear of any such obstacles.

Flowers! The hills of Robinson Canyon are bursting with flowers right now. Lupine, Balsamroot, Paintbrush, and many more. The air was so thick with heady scents that it was difficult to keep hiking! The large meadow is lush and green and makes one envy those who occupied the little cabin there in bygone days.

The trailhead is simply a parking lot in front of an elk gate. Today must have been a horse jamborie because many camper trucks and horse trailers were parked in the meadow just beyond the gate. The trail starts on an abandoned road which is blocked from vehicles by a boulder barrier. It rembles westward about a mile then turns to cross the small creek shaded by trees. A few feet further is a junction; left goes back and up somewhere, right continues up the canyon.

A little under a half mile further is another junction; left goes steeply up into the woods but rejoins the main trail later, right continues up the canyon to a third junction with a small cairn in the middle of the road. Left goes up Ainsley Canyon, a narrow, wooded cleft that circles around and eventually arrives at Ainsley meadow. Right continues up through woods and abundant flowers flanked by basalt cliffs to the north on the other side of the creek.

The trail arrives at another junction; left climbs the ridge and joins a road, right evenually meets the same road further on. Following this road south also arrives at Ainsley meadow. There is no road through the meadow but it is pretty easy to see where to pick it up again. This makes a nice little loop hike with lots of flowers and not too much altitude. The trail I followed and described here is in fine shape. I never found the washout mentioned in the May 4 trip report.

The downside: The weather forecast deteriorated. We got wet.

The upside: Booming grouse. Best wildflowers I've seen, so many species, all at their peaks. Swaths of balsamroot and lupine, and the lupine was so fragrant. Different species at each elevation: orange paintbrush, penstemon, Lewisia, Jacob's ladder, mahonia, phlox, desert parsley, columbine, avalanche lily, and more. The low light really set off the blooms.

We saw only one other party. If you're reading this: (1) Yep, despite our ambitions, should have trusted the evidence from your wet pants and the look on your face, because you were right, the rain did not relent. (2) I was delighted to find the lovely gift of my lost sunglasses and the paintbrush sprig on my windshield. The paintbrush gave me a good idea of where they had fallen. Thank you!

Trail is open and clear. Snow/slush above 3500/3mile mark just passed the Talapus trail connection.

If it is raining when you are going hiking, go to a waterfall. Even better, go to two waterfalls!

There are many falls near the Suiattle River Road. Today I found Lower Suiattle River Falls and Petticoat Falls. Both were flowing well.

To reach Lower Suiattle River Falls, drive 2.7 miles on Suiattle River Road and park on the right just after you pass a creek on the left at at sharp right turn. The falls are a quarter mile upstream. Bushwhack up the hill on the right side of the creek and you will be at the right height when you reach the falls.

The starting point for Petticoat Falls is a pullout at a low water crossing at mile 3.7. Walk back (West) on the road 100 paces and look for a bootpath heading uphill. Climb up the ridge and follow it around to the right until you see the waterfall. It is easy to find. There are faint bootpaths all over the ridge. The roundtrip bushwhack is 0.75 mile with 250' of elevation gain.

I found a couple of other waterfalls, but they were not as impressive. But be sure to explore Teepee Falls, which I found last year. It's below the bridge at mile 10 on Suiattle River Road.

The weather was improving so we decided to go up to the lookout to put the shutters up, work on the door and check for any damage Winter might have wrought. We drove up road 42 until reaching snow at 5.3 miles; hiking the remaining 1.7 miles to the trailhead. There is still about 3 feet of snow covering the parking area.
We continued up, taking the Winter-route as the trail is totally snow covered. It's quite steep in places, especially above the saddle (4750') going around to the south side. Using a mountain axe and knowing how to self-arrest is recommended. It took about 4 hours to get to the lookout. We put in 3 hours of work then headed down the same route; taking 1.5 hours.
Only wildflowers seen were skunk cabbage and coltsfoot, along the road.
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There are so many wildflowers on this hike, you might get tired of them by the end of the hike! (not really) Beautiul hike with lots of fragrant flowers - primarily balsamroom and lupine right now, but also some bitterroot and other flowers I can't identify. Great views along the way and the side trip to the top of the mountain provides 360 views.

Officially a 5 mile loop, my hiking watch indicated under 4.

A loop trail that starts at Sun Mountain Lodge. Start on either Sunnyside or Kraule and then create a loop using the two trails. Beautiful scenery along the way and peak wildflower season right now. Only around 300 ft gain and a total of 6 miles.

Easy, pleasant, and well worth the trip.

This was the gnarliest hike I've done in a while. I strongly recommend taking 2 poles, good boots, and a companion, as the terrain is extremely steep and loose in spots, the route is easy to lose, and you may not encounter any other hikers to help you if you get hurt.

The hike can be divided into 4 sections:

1) The first .1 or .2 mile parallels I-90 (from approx. 2200' to 2400' elevation). Even though we knew to go straight instead of following the first switchback to the right, we almost absent-mindedly missed it.

2) The next section is moderately steep switchbacks (2400-3600' elevation). The trail is soft and damp; watch out for slippery roots on the way down. You'll cross a pretty stream 4 times.

3) Just after you cross the first rock field, it's easy to get lost. It looks like the trail goes straight and then a bit downhill before petering out, but actually that's from hikers like me going back and forth trying to find the trail. The real trail goes left, uphill. At many points this section is hard to find, though it goes pretty much straight up.

4) Once you emerge from the trees, continue straight up, keeping the gully on your right. For some stretches there didn't appear to be a single trail. There are at least 4 pink ribbons in trees to mark the trail, though we saw just 1 of them on the way up. The snow is entirely avoidable, though we walked across some easy snow for a few feet.

There is a canyon trail which goes through the canyon and a lesser known rim trail. The rim trail has spectacular views and apparently can be combined with the canyon trail to form a 9 mile loop. I ran out of time so did just part of the rim trail.

The canyon rim trail is about 5 miles roundtrip.

Directions:
From Winthrop, take East Side County Rd for 2 miles and turn LEFT onto Bear Creek Rd (at golf course sign).
After 2.3 miles, turn RIGHT on Lester immediately after paved road has become dirt road. Floow road to flat, open area where there is a fork. If you continue the road you came on, this will lead to the canyon trail. If you want to take the rim trail, park near this forked open area and start walking down the other road to the left of the main road. The rim trail veers off as single track in a couple hundred feet to the right.

There isn't much snow left, only a few patches here and there. This trail is now accessible with tennis shoes. The lake if fully melted, and looked beautiful with the sunshine!we had a nice day sunning ourselves on the rocks and logs. Great for the family, or someone new to hiking. Or, if you want a challenge, try scrambling partway up Baring. That was fun, too!

Walking this sage brush, and balsamroot trail just across the road from the free Lighting creek campground (discover pass required);is a nice bonus. very fragrant white shrubs in bloom....A hidden valley with aspen just around the bend. Mountain bikers make a 17 mile loop via connecting roads. The campground is heavily used by horse people, probably many other possibilities for hiking nearby, waiting to be explored. There are also are faint deer, cattle trails winding up the butte behind the campground.
from Twisp highway 20 south... approx. 6 miles out of town take a left onto Upper Beaver Creek road.....the trail starts just across from the free campground just across a bridge....

First time up this trail, and man was it a beast! The trail is in pretty good condition, but you'll encounter many roots through the forested portion. There are a few snow patches around 4000', nothing you'll need traction devices/ice axe for; leave that stuff at the house! Make sure you bring enough water-I took 3L and was fine. I'm not in the greatest of shape, so the entire trip took me just under 6 hours. 4 up and a little less than 2 down. My legs are still killing me...enjoy!

This was my first time on this trail, so i didn't know what to expect. I LOVE it. There are enough blowdowns, washouts and landslides to make it interesting and fun for me and my 35lbs Aussie. I wouldn't take this trial if you're not physically 100% or have unruly/very small pets as some of the spots in the trail require a bit of climbing over or up.

We made it to the end of tunnel 2 and stopped at the previously mentioned landslide.

It is beautiful, interesting trail that might be fun for older kids to try out.

Our leader couldn't have picked a better day to hit the hillsides of Dog Mountain! We were definitely barking up the right tree on this 70 degree day! The skies were clear and the trail wasn't too muddled with trekkers. And the flowers!!!! Breathtaking! Balsamroot was absolutely stunning! "I've never seen anything like it!" was the repeated refrain.

Everyone with a camera in hand was almost embarrassed to hold it out in front of them, knowing there was NO WAY humanly possible to grasp the wide angle reality of the hillsides entirely covered with blooms. With the mightly Columbia stretching far to the east and far to the west, an impressive backdrop to the massive stretches of yellow sunfloweresque heads looking into the sun, it's an extraordinary picture which a camera cannot do justice. Now is the time, folks! Go see Dog Mountain in all its glory.

I've posted just a few pictures... they are only a glimpse of what you'll see first-hand.

We did this as an evening conditioning hike with a 30 pound backpack. The new trail is under construction, so keep going further until you see the old trail and take that. The trail is well marked with white trail markers and is in good condition, but I did not see any of them having distance markers. Couple of them did have altitude markers though. It's a continuous ascent all the way till top. Good boots and poles are required. We did not wear gaiters and they were not required. The trail is damp in most places, but not wet. There was water in just couple spots. Beyond 4200', we started seeing patches of snow but they were easily manageable. The boulders had lot of snow, so instead of scrambling through them, we kept left and followed the trail. The last section to actually reach the mailbox is through rocks. No snow here, but it is rocky so exercise caution. Sweeping views of the valley, nearby peaks and Mount Rainier. We left a water bottle in the mailbox, took pictures, had a quick bite and headed down. Next time, I'd carry a pair of light gloves and wear it before reaching the summit. Take it easy while coming down. If you're hiking in the evening, check your headlamps, carry extra batteries and warm layers.

This was my first time on this trail. It won't be the last! Excellent for early season-- and looking at the map, I can see possibilities for a short backpack loop as well.

The TH is not marked on the highway but was not hard to locate. There is a small area off road (left side) that allows for about 6 cars. I pulled in and there was a WTA work party already on the trail, THANKS WTA. Just for reference, if you are looking north (direction of travel back to Greenwater) at the edge of the road is a blue sign indicating "Skookum Falls 1/4 mi".

They asked me to write a trip report, so this is my first! Just to cut to the chase for them, I did not see any trail issues in the approximately 5 miles in that I hiked -- one small tree over the trail but very simple to just step over it, not worth sending a work party in there all the way to cut it.

Back to the TH....
A hundred yards or so in on the trail are the trail signs indicating several options. I followed the 1198 trail up, and within 10 minutes noted a fairly good sized coyote eyeing me and my (also good - sized) canine buddy, who fortunately, was on leash. I shouted and the coyote just melted away into the undergrowth. Pretty cool. (I don't mind them, but sure do not want to have a tussle between a wild animal and domesticated pet with me in between.) At the first stream crossing, there was the work party improving it with stones, and a bit higher up, working to stabilize some steep switchbacks. These folks had come from as far away as Edmonds, so double thanks!

 The first section of this hike is very beautiful-- large rock outcroppings, heavy with moss, and a beautiful waterfall. At about 3000 ft or so, I was delighted to find a generous sprinkling of Calypso orchids (Calypso bulbosa) - more than I have ever seen in one spot. One of them was right on the trail, and it was nearly white which is unusual coloring. Of course I had left my camera home. (Please treat these guys carefully and never pick them-- it will kill the plant. ) Also along side were (yellow) violets, probably Viola glabella although I did not verify.

At about 3400 ft is the first overlook-- views were lovely up and down valley-- I noted some orange flowers but had no desire to get any closer to the edge to identify them. A nice place for a break since the first section of trail gains elevation steadily. From here, the trail returns to beautiful open forest with sparse understory and meanders slowly with a very gentle grade. At about 4160ft. it crosses Snoquera Creek (footbridge, easy crossing) and this was the only place I saw a tiny remnant snow patch as the creek valley is dark and cool.

Pushing onward, I noted a section of forest that was distinctly different and very unhealthy looking. Very dense, very small trees (a couple inches in diameter) and lots of broken, blow down branches. I am not sure what created this but I am glad it did not last long. Would be interested if someone knows. It was not an avy slope, nor did it appear burned-- and it had not been logged that I could see.

A bit further on was an area had been logged years ago, but actually it was rather nice to have the sunshine. New trees (Doug Fir) looked good and there is one white pine on the trail, which seemed a bit unusual.
At last coming to the second view area, the trail is nearly on the cliff edge. Hang on to your pets, kids, and gear. Glimpses of Mt Rainier along with dizzying views of the valley-- Here again I saw the orange flowers, this time I could tell they were a paintbrush variety, probably Cliff Paintbrush (Castillja rupicola) but not verified. (I should really carry a field guide as well as a camera.)

I wanted to continue the exploration and hike up to the junction with the Little Ranger trail 1197, but decided to save that for another day so I turned around at about 4500 ft. I had seen no other hiking parties until I approached the first look out (about 3600 ft) where below me I saw some people. I waited for them to get a good lead on me and finished my descent.

We shuffled cars to allow our entire group to hike together, going uphill. The trail is in in great shape, no obstacles, hardly any water on the tread. Thank you, WTA! While the trail is open for bicycles as well as hikers, on this Tuesday we met only one other hiker all day. There's early season wildflowers along the trail, notably calypso orchids, as well as the last of the trillium. Vanilla leaf is just coming into blossom.

The first creek crossing just below Skookum Falls is flowing strong, and presents a bit of an obstacle to cross without getting wet boots. From the footbridge at the second creek below the falls, several of our group followed the steep route up to the base of the falls, which are filled with snowmelt and roaring - most impressive. Further along the trail are fine views across the White River valley to the palisades cliffs and another impressive waterfall.

There's one spot about half a mile below the Buck Creek trailhead that could be hazardous. If hiking with children, don't let them run ahead through this section. The trail skirts the edge of a very steep, gravelly slope that drops to the river. A guardrail has been installed along the edge here, but the bank has eroded underneath the railing. Further collapses appear likely. This spot looks ready for a short reroute project to move the tread away from this hazard.

This trail is a fine early season hike with grand old growth forest and a beautiful river. A good spot to spend a day while waiting for the snow to come off the high trails. THEM, Olympia.

Beautiful spring weather. Great time of year to hike the area as the summer heat can be brutal. Watch for rattlesnakes sunning themselves on the trail and it'd probably be a good idea to stay out of the grass.

The guidebook Day Hiking Eastern Washington (http://www.wta.org/[…]/new-hiking-guidebook-for-eastern-washington) has outstanding directions.

The old homestead ruins are pretty neat. The hike beyond to the lake is single trail and has some wonderful views. Birds abound as do wildflowers.

It took us and our dog about 4-hours for the round-trip.

Law Enforcement WILL ticket you if you do not have a Discover pass. It's a fine if you don't have one.

Check yourselves and especially your dog for ticks when you get home.

Hike to 2nd overlook. Could see tip of Mt Rainier. Trail clear of snow and blow downs. WTA created new rock crossing for first creek. Also working further up trail on new rock wall.

I read the April 20 trail report mentioning the snow and road blocked by downed tree. But today is 3 weeks later and I assumed both the snow and tree would be gone - and it looked like it would be a nice day, so my wife and I decided to take a chance. I was right about the downed trees - they've been removed - and wrong about the snow. There is still enough snow on the trail to warrant trekking poles or traction devices on boots, and you'll still occasionally "pothole" through the crust, but the trail is pretty easily negotiable.
The sun broke out at the falls and for the short hike back to the car. It was a good day.

We enjoyed a lovely hike to Snoquera Falls today.... once we found the trail, that is. Following the directions in the Day Hiking Snoqualmie Region book, we found the little parking area just south of the Boy Scout camp, but then wandered up and down the trail running parallel to the highway without finding trail #1167 to Snoquera Falls. Finally we backtracked to the road in to the Boy Scout camp and there found a large parking lot and trailhead. Apparently this is the (relatively)NEW trailhead. So, note that one should turn off Hwy. 410 onto the Camp Sheppard Rd., where you will then find the parking area, restrooms and trailhed to your right. The falls were in their full roaring glory and made a wonderful destination and lunch spot. We also tried to locate the trail to Skookum Flats across the highway. We did find a trail down to the river, but no way to reach the trail on the other side. Appears that the old suspension bridge may have washed out.

I’ve always blasted by Bonneville Dam and this little history hike on my way to more exciting adventures. This time I didn’t. This walk through time loops through towering trees and moss covered rocks with signs indicating Fort Cascade and Cascades township sites. This is not a destination hike, but it is a good add-on to other Gorge activities.

This trail still has quite a lot of snow. Lots of blow downs to get around. Trail has water issues in places right now also. Blueberries are starting to fruit at lower elevation and plants are starting to come out of dormancy with Trillium showing first.

LOTS of flowers with no snow until 6k 6-7k elevation snow gains quick and is very soft. Snow in spots over our heads

I didn't feel like a long trek to a trailhead, only to get soaked, so I opted for a short jaunt in my own backyard. I threw my binocs, bird guide, and a rain jacket in and went to see what I could find. This walk is a nice walk thru the estuary where the Snohomish river meets the saltwater sound. The tide was out today so most of the area was the mudflats. There are some nice boardwalks and lookout points, but unfortunately the signage has seen better days. At the far end, the path is somewhat overgrown with grass and nettles, but still visible and walkable. Lots of birds, nothing too exciting. Red wing blackbirds, marsh wrens, a flock of cedar waxwings, cliff and tree swallows, and one goldfinch. Conspicuous by its absence were the usual herons we've seen here before. No eagles either. Nice to get out after a busy weekend.

Finding the south end state park trail head closed, backtracked to the West Access entrance. Hiked in the clouds with peeks of sun. Vanilla Leaf, Miner's Lettuce, Solomon's Seal in full bloom, others about to flower along Chybinski. Had the entire mountain to ourselves, probably due to closing of state park entrance, but who's complaining?

What beautiful cool weather for our hike. The trail was in great shape overall but it does have some pretty wet areas and a few stream crossings to navigate across. One stream crossing can be a little tricky to get over. The water is running pretty swift and be careful if you have a dog. My german shepherd made it ok but you could tell the water was pushing on him pretty good. You will have to hop from rock to rock so if you have good balance you will be fine. There is one other fairly big stream crossing but it is pretty easy. Marten creek area is beautiful and the water is in full flow! Otter falls is also beautiful. There is no signs to indicate the turn off to otter falls but there is 2 cairns (rock piles) where you will turn up to the falls. You will also see some pink ribbons leading up to the falls which is a little before the cairns which did not seem to have an established trail. It's best to go to the cairns and turn. This hike is definitely recommended and is an easy hike overall. It will be good for children once the water lowers a little.

Hiking from 3pm. Very good condition. Only a little muddy 3~4 places. Kids friendly!

Suzanne has just moved to Wenatchee. Time for a trip over to hike in her new "back yard". The problem is the mini heat wave. At 9:30 pm the night before it was still 85 degrees in Wenatchee. Heat is my biggest hiking nemesis. Direct sunshine for hours with no shade is the worst. There was supposed to be partial overcast so I took my chances and signed on. Barry and I headed out of Seattle at 6:00 am. By 6:45 we picked up Janet in Monroe. We cruised over Stevens Pass and met Suzanne at 8:40 at the junction for Alt 97. Soon we were heading north to Entiat. We turned off at Entiat and headed a few miles to the Mills Canyon Road. Pavement gave way to dirt and we continued on for about three miles until we saw a red truck at a crossing of the creek. Rob and Steve from Wenatchee were also doing the one way trip and their cars at each end helped us figure where to park.

The road continues on almost to the top of Keystone Point. There is no fun in driving down now is there? Later on I would rethink that. Leaving one car we headed back to Highway Alt 97 and south about a mile to a large turn out where we parked. Even getting up at 5:10 am it was still 9:40 am when we started hiking. I was not expecting any trail on this trip but an obvious dirt path headed straight up the fall line. We thought there was a less obvious track to the left heading across the slope. There is. Our route went straight up. The grade was not as bad as the loose dirt with very little traction. It took a lot of effort to not slide back down after each step. Part way up the other track meets this one. The other one is less steep and probably has better traction. Live and learn.

We finally reached the ridge top. My GPS recorded .59 miles with 1100' of gain. That is pretty steep. Directly below us was the Columbia River. All around us were rounded ridges. One could roam for days and days up there. There were some flowers from the start. The lowest ones are finishing up. As we gained elevation the flower show became better and better. The boot path continued. It is distinct in places and nearly non existent in others. It does not matter. Just stay on the ridge top.

Though only 10:00 am it was hot. It would get a whole lot hotter. The overcast was very partial. The balsamroot and lupine and scarlet gilia and many other wildflowers took my mind off the heat. The route follows the ridge as it goes over several bumps. Flat then steep climbing then a little down then repeat. The views just kept improving as we climbed. Surprising to me is the fact that the 750' trailhead is the same elevation as Mt. Si though a few hundred miles up the Columbia from the ocean. Si is only about 30 miles from salt water. The 3884' summit of Keystone is 283' lower than Si. With the ups and downs the Keystone route has a little more gain in half a mile less distance. What Keystone lacks is trees or much of any shade. A sun lovers delight.

The trade off for the lack of shade is the 360 degree views on every step. Rob and Steve left an hour ahead of us. We never saw them. We never saw anybody. Total solitude all day long. Just as I was going to remark that about the only wildflower we had not seen was bitterroot Suzanne pointed some out. A whole lot of them. Clumps of two dozen at once. I'm used to bitterroot on open dirt and rock slopes. Here they were mixed in with many other flowers in the grass. You almost couldn't walk ahead without stepping on them. Thicker than I have ever seen them. Most were pale though a few had a darker pink color.

A steeper climb up through grass, balsamroot, and sage had my heart pounding. Not the climb the brown thing with diamond shapes than slithered across the path right in front of me. I had only seen one rattlesnake in 25 years of east side hiking until seeing one at Black Canyon last weekend. This was by far the closest meeting I have had. Suzanne and Barry were waiting at the top. They were not alone. I could hear the rattle of another snake. Suzanne's dog Gus went on his leash for his own protection. A little later we neared the top of the next bump and there was another rattler. This one I saw very clearly. Three rattlers in 20 minutes. Four in one week. One rattler in my first 25 years. Amazing. That was it for the snakes. 70s gave way to 80s. There were a couple trees on the ridge that provided some shade. That was it for three hours.

Nearing the top the heat really began to affect me. I had been well ahead of Janet but she caught up and passed me. Not even keeping well hydrated helped. At the top is a small building and tower. The building did provide some shade. Thankfully. 3500' of gain in 3.6 miles. A pretty good workout. I felt a little better after lunch though I did not have much appetite. I would not have objected much to driving down that road after all. The road down is long and winding. Again, almost no shade. It started out with a few small ups and downs. After a mile I doubt we lost 50'. After several miles it began to descend. Lots of wildflowers along the road. Added to the mix were lots of Tweedy's lewisia. One of my favorite spring wildflowers.

As we dropped down into the canyon we crossed the creek. It ran right across the road. A rock dam above the road created deeper water. The first water we had seen since we started. Gas flopped into the stream. We were able to soak hats and bandannas. It felt great. There were some trees near the creek so we had shade too. The last mile or so seemed to go on forever. I was very happy to see the car. I logged 8.4 miles total so that road went on for 4.8 miles. Thankfully the descent was much faster. We drove back to pick up the other car then headed into Wenatchee where the temperature was in the low to mid 90s. Food and drink was in order before the long drive home.

It is always fun to hike a trail for the first time. this was more a route than a trail. The views were outstanding. The wildflower show was superb. The solitude was total. The wildlife was a little scary and unexpected. The heat was stifling. This proves that I am not one to climb steeply in the east of the Cascades mid day sun on a very hot day. Still, adding it all up and adding in good company the trip was a winner. Now back to nice cooler forest and/or early morning starts for the rest of the summer.

I have posted 48 annotated photos on my website located at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2013" on the left margin.

This is a hike that brought up memories of a Leonard Cohen song "Suzanne" - in the last verse Cohen writes "She shows you where to look amidst the garbage and the flowers" - a powerful image and one that fits this hike/walk in the desert.

Frenchman Coulee is not a wilderness hike but one that allows one to see the beauty and fragility of our environment. The walk took our group towards the falls on the Coulee wall. The wall opposite the falls is littered with abandoned junk (cars, campers, water heaters) dumped from the Vantage Road. You would think people would have more respect for their home.

That said, the beauty of the hike is the quiet wandering on rocky and sandy road/trail to a falls coming down the Coulee and seeing the small wildlife of ants, lizards (as Paul said 'We're off to see the Lizard of Oz') and hawks. The walk to the falls took about an hour one way with lots of photo stops and lunch at the base of the falls.

The weather was great with a bit of cloud cover and breeze which made the 80 degree day seem quite mild. This is probably not a hike to take in August if you want to avoid heat. But yesterday it was nice to avoid the rain in Seattle and Western Washington.

No problems with the drive from Seattle which took about 3.5 hours with a pit stop at the pass both ways and dinner in Ellensburg - we left Seattle about 8:00 AM and returned home by 8:00 PM.

Asters and Queen Ann Lace were in bloom but will not last long as summer is in full swing in this area of Washington.

This Trail started out with massive potential. The trail head was nicely marked on highway 97 and easy to find/park. There is new white rock laid down the whole area. A great sign/map marks the trail along with some other options (there are several you can go on) I was here for the frog pond trail which branches off the Whistler Canyon Trail #100. This area was well updated with trail conditions too.

So this trail is predominatley used by horses but is hikeable by people as well. I was excited as I followed the white rock trail to the side of the mountain, then my excitement began to fade a little. The trail itself was very narrow and rocky. Obviously abused a bit by horses. I trecked on anyways.

The trail is steep at first, the guide book claimed a level 2, but it starts at a 4 in my opinion. The views initially are amazing too. So about .8 miles in the trail is easily marked showing the frog pond trail to the left. Off me and my little dog went. This trail was pretty obvioulsy used less but turned into a level 2 trail as originally stated.

The undergrowth was beginning to overgrow the trail but it was still visible enough to follow. There was small flowers and wild roses plus lots of green!

A few spots were muddy along the way but easily crossed. Regrettably we did not make it to the pond because of a particularly large and grumpy bull snake across the trail. (my dog weighs 9 lbs, I don't like the thought of snakes biting her :) )

Overall the skeeters were just starting to get bad and you MUST watch your step for snakes, I saw two on my short walk (and one frog)

I suggest you try it out!

beautiful hike, it was cloudy but we were glad it wasn't hot -- pretty busy. as other reviewers have said; clean bathrooms, no water, great hike. wish we brought bug spray-- got to the top, sat down, started getting bit.

The famously steep Mt. Rose trail, featuring a hefty 3500' of elevation gain, is in good condition up to Horse Camp. Heavy snow covers part of the final 1.1 mile climb to the summit - it will take several weeks to melt it all. Scattered bits of flag tape mark the path of the trail in the snow, but you might want to take along a GPS unit to help with navigation. The summit area of Mt. Rose is free of snow and perfect for enjoying the vertiginous view down to Lake Cushman.

We hiked the alternate trail down from Mount Rose and found extensive snow cover with a few bare areas on the ridge line that this trail initially follows. Heavy snow covers the trail where it drops off the ridge, but orange markers nailed to the trees help with navigation here. The snow ends about 400 feet down, and much of the trail is free of snow down to Horse Camp. Some blowdowns need clearing.

I've done the hike to Lodge Lake before and it's a very lovely hike in summer. In May, not so much. We got close to the lake but a majority of the trail markers were missing so we kept losing the trail due to snow. It was very easy to follow up until past Beaver Lake when you go into the woods, but past the first batch of trees, the trail is rather difficult to follow. We got close to the lake, but decided it was better to turn around than to get really lost or have someone get injured due to the plentiful snow bridges.

We are going to attempt again in August when the trail is snow free!

Trail was a bit squishy and wet places, and definitely gets a lot of traffic. We made it to the slide after the first tunnel, then decided to turn back because of time. Great little hike, perfect for kids!!

This hike was ok, but not as nice as I was expecting after reading the description in Backpacking Washington. It could be that I missed the best parts - I only made it 3.3 miles into the hike before turning around, and that book describes a 14+ mile loop.

The trail is in good shape - blowdowns have been cleared off the main trail, and the trail is reasonably free of roots and rocks. I took a cutoff-trail to make a ~6.5 mile lasso loop. I think the name of that cutoff was Deer Run. That trail had a couple of blowdowns, but nothing terrible. It wouldn't be too much work to clear them with a hand saw.

The forest is ok. There are some big old growth trees, but it's not the most amazing forest ever. There are a bunch of deciduous trees with nice bright leaves, and a couple of dogwoods in bloom right now. Trapper creek was only in view for a small fraction of my loop. I passed over another creek on the loop section, I think this was Slump Creek. That creek was pretty interesting on the Deer Run trail, but just ok on the main trail.

I ran into another hiker on the way out, and he told me that after the junction with the cut-off trail he crossed the creek and couldn't find the trail even after searching for a while. I had assumed that he meant the first junction, but after having hiked that whole thing I have to assume that he meant the second junction. So if you're planning on doing the full loop backpacking trip you might want to allow some extra time to find that trail, or maybe do the loop in reverse. He also mentioned that he went up to Observation Peak a couple of weeks ago and it was snowy, but that he thought it would melt out within the next few weeks. Finally, he said that there was a pretty nice waterfall about a mile up the Observation trail. I didn't have time to check this out, but it sounded like a worthwhile side trip.

Right around the first junction with Deer Run cutoff, there is a junction with Big Slide trail (I think). This trail looked difficult to follow on it's own, at least at the start. However, it was blazed pretty frequently with small unpainted metal diamonds. You could use that to make a loop with the Observation trail and pass that waterfall on the way back to your car.

Sorry for the lack of photos. I'm busy and I didn't want to hold back on the trip report just to wait for photos. If anyone is desperate for them, let me know and I'll come back and add them to the report.

The road to eightmile lake trail opened May 11th this year. The road was closed due to snow and to allow the road to dry out before cars could go on it. The previous report is misleading, and I wanted to clear that up. We went up the road all the way to eightmile trail the day after it opened. There is no washouts or problems with the road to the trail. (Just a reminder, you can check the condition of these forest roads on the national forest website before venturing out.)

Didn't hike the trail as the forest website said it is impassable at this time, and we were just searching for mushrooms in the area.

Trail closed for bridge work. It probably won't be closed for too long - the sign wasn't even laminated. You might want to check with a ranger before you go. Trapper Creek is right next to this, and would make a good backup plan.

The second WTA backcountry crew of the season worked the trail 5/9-12. The first crew three weeks ago cut out a bajillion logs, did some great tread work and brushing. Our crew focused on restoring tread through a boulder field at about 5.5 miles. It is now clear and, according to our crew leader, stock ready – but wait for official word from the Forest Service for when it’s safe to take stock through as the trail is still not open for anything but hikers (and dogs, so I guess you could ride your Mastiff, Newfie, or Great Dane). If you’d like a blow by blow of our work and the trail condition, you can check it out at: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/. Word on the trail is that there are many (like, 80+) blowdowns between the park boundary and 10-mile camp. Hopefully WTA’s work will allow ONP to get through with chainsaws and take care of them.

Tons of birds out there - grouse, robins, Oregon juncos, chickadees, wrens, mallards, black and white fancy duck I don't know, and the constant whistle of thrush. Fawn lilies already gone to seed (!) but lots of bleeding heart, trillium in every shade from white to deep purple, paintbrush, yellow violets, miners' lettuce, false lily of the valley, rhodies & calypso orchid just starting, queen's cup lily blooming any day.

The road to the trailhead is clear and the spur open (horse unloading area and Collins Camp still closed). The spur is a little hinky for low riders, but no real issues. The road from Interrorem Cabin to the spur is top notch.

Go check out our work, and let WTA know what you think! Better yet, come on out and join a work party. You, too, can play with tools, logs, rocks, and mud!!

Beautiful day for a beautful Mother's Day Hike. The trail is in great condition and was suprisingly uncrowded. Saw lots of wildflowers including my favorite, Indian Paintbrush. :) A few spots were steeper than we expected but overall it was a fairly easy hike. Perfect for taking mom along.

Headed out from Bothell, WA around 6 AM. Drove through Seattle to I-90, stopping to grab some snacks, and arriving at Little Si around 7:15AM. Got to love that bridge coming in! It is so pretty. When we got there, there were already a few cars in the parking lot. Used the facilities and whatnot, and got on the trail around 7:30. It was a little chilly and rainy out, so we both started with hoodies on, and Emily quickly changed from a fluffy yorkie into a muddy and wet rat. The trail is rather rocky, and starts out a little steep. A short way up there is a view point, that was breath taking! You can see the valley and mountains, and there was some pretty cloud cover. We continued on, and saw a few people on the trail, several of which had friendly dogs with them.

Eventually we came to a beautiful area that felt a bit like a valley. It was thickly covered by trees and many large rocks. There were what you might call rolling ups and downs for a while. Eventually a pair of two gentlemen passed us with packs on, and a little ways down the way we saw them going up a trail that lead to a large rock face. They were rock climbers! Which made us feel relieved, because we were a bit worried that we would have to go up that trail. The ‘valley’ lasted for a while, and was extremely beautiful. It was during this time that a couple of people passed us, and we met a couple of people coming back, so we knew we weren’t too far off from the summit.

After the valley there was a dramatic increase in elevation climb, including several switch backs and some rocky areas that had me thinking, “Hm, I might be able to go UP but how am I going to get DOWN!?” This is especially interesting for me since I am deathly afraid of falling. The last few minutes were very difficult and you could tell we were going through the cloud bank because the air looked like it was thick with smoke. When we reached the summit it was worth it! We could see over the valleys and were actually over the clouds now. Big Si was right next to us, and we were able to compare how much taller it was. There was a cool breeze that helped relieve us from the humidity of the climb up, but eventually we had to put our jackets back on because it got so chilly.

At the top we relaxed by sitting on a rock and having our snacks. Emily got a few big pieces of a peanut butter sandwich, and seemed very happy. A couple of other people joined us at the top, and we ended up striking up a conversation with a young man in college, who eventually hiked back down with us. It may sound cheesy, but this made me very happy since I am always reading these ‘adventure’ books where people make friends on the trail and whatnot, so it made me very happy to have that experience!

On the way down we saw several other families. Coming down the steep rocky areas turned out to not be so bad, though I did have to take my time. I must say that I am proud of myself for not slowing too much though! Between the momentum of the sugar spike from our snack and our new friends conversation, the trip back seemed to fly! Toward the end we passed SEVERAL people, and the trail started to become really crowded. Again, I was happy we got there early. The parking lot was full when we got back to the truck.

On the way home we took the long route on 202 & 203. We stopped at Snoqualmie Falls, which was beautiful, and then stopped in Fall City for a well earned burger, fries, and soda. I would say we will definitely visit this hike again, and I hope to complete Big Si by the end of this season.

With the new Day Hiking Eastern Washington book in hand, we spent a Sunday afternoon checking out the 410-acre property overlooking a bend in the Spokane River. We had the place entirely to ourselves. The area is about 30 minutes northwest of Spokane, and would make a great spot for a family picnic (if the bugs cooperated).

Walking the ridge with a view of the river on our west was lovely. A highlight was being buzzed by a huge raptor (hawk? osprey?). The trail was faintly marked (and dotted here and there by rock cairns) but the walking was easy. It would be nearly impossible to get lost here, since it's bounded by water on two sides and wire fence on the third.

When you come down off the ridge to the river, things turn lush and green. This would be my pick for a lunch spot, but only if the bugs weren't bad (we encountered a few persistent flies, but no mosquitoes).

We made a loop as we climbed back up to the small bluff. It's a relatively short climb, and most kids over 3 or 4 could manage it.

In short: not a spectacular hike, but a dog- and family-friendly spot pretty close to town with some wildlife watching potential.

If you picnic or hike with a dog, please pack out all your trash/poo and keep your pup on leash, since this spot was established as a key wildlife habitat corridor along Long Lake.

More info here: http://www.spokanecounty.org/parks/content.aspx?c=1892

The drive along the Lower Grand Coulee between Soap Lake and Sun Lakes State Park has got to be one of the most scenic unknown routes in the state. If you look carefully to the east as you drive, you will see up to a dozen caves dotting the basalt wall. These are the Lenore Lakes caves, created during the massive floods of the Ice Age and summer homes to native people 5000 years ago.

A fun, short hike allows hikers to visit six or seven of these caves. We had our kids (4 and 7) along on this hike. It was pretty easy for the 7 year old to maneuver on the rocky terrain, but the 4 year old needed a hand in a few places. I'd officially rate it for kids 5 and up, but our daughter did love it. Caves definitely strike the imagination of kids!

Some of the caves are small, but two are quite large, and its easy to picture women thousands of years ago gathering herbs and making baskets, while the men scanned the valley below for animals. Make sure you press on to the final cave, which is nestled in a low area, protected from the elements.

 There's a lot to do in Columbia Hills State Park! Since it's a four hour drive from Seattle, it's worth spending a night or two at the small campground at Columbia Hills State Park. The campground was full last weekend so it would be a good idea to make reservations. There's pleasant walk-in tent camping in the grassy area.
 The flower show at the top of the Columbia Hills Nature Preserve was still in full force on Saturday, May 11th. It's worth driving up to the locked gate to cut one and a half miles off the uphill hike because the best flowers and views are towards the top. I saw my first meadowlarks; they look like little bandits.
  I went for the flower show, but there was so much more. The area that is now Horsethief Lake was an Indian village before the Dalles Dam was put in. Lewis and Clark camped in the same place I was camping while figuring out how to navigate the rapids. That's pretty neat, but there's something even better. The campground has the world's coolest petroglyphs. Before the Dalles Dam was put in, some of the petroglyphs from Petroglyph Canyon in the Gorge were removed because they would be flooded. They were stored in a basement for fifty years until the local tribes were able to get them displayed. I'm not normally too excited about petroglyphs, but these are really interesting. There are bat-like creatures, caterpillar-like creatures, horned devil-like creatures and deer with bouffant hairdos. And you know they aren't the work of the local high school kids because there are photos of them on informational plaques. These are on display by the parking lot. There is also a guided hike on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:00 am to see others. Reservations are required. FYI, the best light to view the petroglyphs is in the morning. In the evening, they are back lit and you can't see them very well.
  For a short hike, Horsethief Butte is a mile and a half down the road from the campground. The flowers are faded there, but there are lots of birds to watch. Little clusters of swallows catching bugs, falcons hanging in the wind. It was quite windy; I had to hang on, too.
  Need wine for dinner? Not to despair, there are many wineries within a few miles who would welcome you for a tasting.
  What a gorgeous weekend with lots of little surprises to make it all the more fun! (Speaking of little surprises, I didn't see any ticks.)
  

This is some lonely country! High in the hills above Quincy is The Nature Conservancy's 4,800 acre Beezley Hills Nature Preserve. Aside from a lone radio tower - that helps guide you like a beacon back to your vehicle - it is completely quiet here. On Mother's Day there was not another human anywhere.

There is also no shade or water source, so do come prepared. I imagine that it can be both baking hot or seriously windy in this place. There are no trees as far as the eye can see.

The driving directions in the Desert Hikes book are good. Look for the P-NW road heading north from the highway just outside of Quincy. Then head into the hills and park near the radio tower. There is a hiker gate across the way and a two-track to follow. My husband and two kids (4 and 7) followed this out to a point where it began to peter out.

The flowers here are quite something - such an amazing diversity of species. Some day I would love to visit this place with a native plant specialist. I'd say that this area is past its spring prime for wildflowers, but there was still plenty to enjoy. Bitterroot is at its peak, sticking its little pink flowers right out of cracks in the drying soil. I was on a quest to see the hedgehog cactus in bloom. The kids and I looked everywhere, and all of the cacti seemed to have bloomed out. Finally, as we neared our turn-around, there was a bloomer right in the middle of the trail. Success!

We turned around and enjoyed the wide expanse of views from the trail as we walked back to our car - from the farm country of the Columbia Plateau to the Cascade Mountains. This is a special place. I'm glad to see it preserved.

Mailbox Peak is an ultimate workout hike and ensures that you are reminded of its steepness every few minutes. Very few people on the trail and is very peaceful and serene. Mother nature in its purest form! A little bit of snow at the summit rocks but that should not deter you from reaching the mailbox. It has a spectacular view at the peak. The feeling of accomplishment when you sign that workbook is unparalled! Met 2 hikers - Andy and Tina on the way. All of us had a quick bit and trekked down together with my friend Praneetha. The downward hike is hard on the knees but if you wear braces and have hiking poles you should be good. I look forward to returning to Mailbox Peak. Definitely recommend this hike!

After 1.5 miles from the trail head you will get to choose what you want to visit first and we visited the bridal veil falls, it was a great sight and waterfall was flowing with a great force. After that we started out for lake serene and let me tell you it was not an easy one. The trails gains elevation very fast. The last 0.25 miles of the trail had snow on it. After crossing that you will get to see one of the most beautiful lake , though the lake was covered with ice sheet for most part.
Though the hike is a little difficult it is totally worth it.

At the suggestion of the Cle Elum ranger station, I took my mom on this hike for Mothers Day. What a great early season hike! The Salmon la Sac campgrounds are open yet, so the area was dead quiet. In our 6 miles on the trail we saw maybe 10 people. Trail was dry and snow free.

Hike up to the river crossing was relatively easy. Only a few fallen trees blocking the path here and there. Nothing too difficult.

Ran into the snow fields that covered the trail about a mile up from the river crossing and attempted to find the trail for an hour or so. As our entire group was inexperienced route finder with no snowshoes/poles/crampons/axe this was a predictably stupid idea. Would make it 30 or so paces before falling through snow to upper thigh.

Had to retreat back to river crossing to a great sandy campsite on the rivers edge. Great place for a short hike though!

Beautiful hike! Saturday was sunny making the ~5 mile trip to the abandoned campground a little hot but we took breaks by the waterfalls which gave us a nice cool breeze.

We spent the night at Dosewallips campground and we only had to share it with around 2 other groups of campers. Lots of space and we got a great spot by the river.

It rained on and off all night and through the morning so our pack up was wet but it made for a cool hike back down which was nice.

Over all the trail was very well maintained. Lot's of blown down trees but the ones of the trail were either cut through or easy to step over. The rock slides were also easy to navigate but you might want to hold on to any kids of pets because they could get slippery

We showed-up to the trailhead around 8:45 and there were about 5 cars in the lot. It felt humid and in the upper 60's.
We didn't make it all the way up to Mason Lake as the snow stopped us at about 3,000 feet (as the previous trip report reported) and we didn't feel like dealing with that sort of activity. We stopped at 3,000 feet (which on our pedometer was exactly 3 miles) and had lunch. As we ate a surge of other hikers welled-up to where we'd stopped. Some continued on equipped with microspikes, snowshoes, ice-axes and the like, others stopped and ate, like us.
The visibility was magnificent (much less hazy than the previous day). For much of the hike (especially the relatively steep last mile) the views were gorgeous. Rainier was lookin' magnanimous to the South and the view was open a long way towards the West. We saw a tiny snake on the descent and loads of chipmunks.
This is my first post on WTA, and I was compelled to make it because of an act of kindness by a fellow hiker. As noted in the previous post, a bridge is washed out over a river... the river plummets down a steep slope just after where the bridge washed out, so it was kind of scary. Like, somebody could die if they lost their footing and tumbled a few feet downriver. So, on the ascent, a few logs had been laid across the creek which made passing fun and relatively stable with a staff to help with balance, but on the descent, the logs had been washed-out, and the pass did not look so simple... however, some very cool person or persons ran a rope across the river, which turned the experience from somewhat frightening to absolutely fun and kind of made our day. So, whoever ran that rope across and left it there... thank you!
We plan on returning in a few weeks to make it up to Mason Lake and perhaps further along the trail along the Mt. Defiance Trail.

Trail is clear and in good shape for the first mile and a half. The waterfall on the first stream is beautiful but the crossing presents some challenge (stepping stones are under water, fine if you have medium-top goretex boots). There are four easy-to-cross downed trees right in there as well. Soon after you hit patches of snow and the snow is solid from about 2,450'.

Within a mile you encounter three stream crossings that get increasingly tricky. The snow cover becomes 100% and there are plenty of hollow places under the snow. I turned about a mile from the trail junction.

Good short hit through the old-growth forest to the waterfall. A bit early to bit going to the lakes.

  Headed out early today so I could take my time and see more of this area along the Baker River Trail. I got to the trailhead at 8:00 am and found six cars in the parking lot at the end of the Baker Lake Road. From Highway 20, take Baker Lake Road all the way to the end. Most of it is black top but the last 5 miles or so is gravel and it ends at the parking lot at the north end of Baker Lake.
  The Baker River Trail and the Baker Lake Trail(commonly referred to as East bank Baker Lake Trail) both start at the same trailhead and branch off at about a 1/4 mile in. At the branch you will stay to the left or straight ahead heading north on the Baker River Trail. This trail is relatively flat with an elevation gain of no more than 300 feet.
   There are about 6 creeks to cross with several bridges and about 4 downed trees to easily walkaround. There are flowers in bloom especially the Rock Roses and several others I can not name at the moment. There are some fantastic views of Baker River and the snow-capped mountains. There is a nice waterfall on the left side of the trail up on the hill but if you want to get an unobstructed view you must hike up the boot trail about 1/4 mile to see it. I thought it was draining out of Lake Shuksan but it is too far up the trail to be from there. I believe the one fast running stream with the log bridge is coming down from Lake Shuksan.
   The weather turned out great especially as I got to Sulphide Creek Campground and headed back. The sun came out for some great pictures and videos of Baker River and the waterfall up above the trail. You will be entering into North Cascades National Park the last quarter-mile of the trail and I did see a Park Ranger out there checking on things.
   This trail can be combined with the Baker Lake Trail out to Noisy Creek Campground for a great view of Mount Baker if you choose but all and all a nice trail with great views. Checkout the videos of this hike or over 270 other trails I have hiked in Washington State on my youtube channel at "lmm3181"or just click on these direct links below for this hike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a_4YNdAgnE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ5PJBC8QcY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uw_3Ja-EMc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8X9EHWfMDg

As always get out and see this great state and enjoy your hiking!!

Take Care
Mike
   

This was our annual Mothers' Day Hike. Obviously, many people had the same idea because the trail was like a freeway at rush hour. We arrived around 11:30 AM. The weather was perfect, not too hot. Free parking at the bus turnaround was non-existent when we arrived but one of the local residents was offering parking on the adjacent property for $8 and we took him up on it. Visibility: hazy. We hiked all the way up to the trail end at the falls but chose not to scramble to the top due to the number of people trying to do the same thing. The end of the trail around the falls was so crowded today that it was a bit hazardous. We waited a long time to get a picture of us looking up the falls but there were too many people around so we gave up and headed back. I'm not the fastest hiker due to creaky knees so we didn't get back to our car until 5PM. The reports about rocks on the trail are accurate. We saw lots of people doing the trail in Nike running shoes but those rocks probably did a number on their expensive shoes. I was glad I wore my lug sole hiking boots and brought my hiking sticks. Advice: bring lots of water when the weather is warm. My husband and I finished 2 normal size nalgene bottles. I also suggest bringing sport beans or something to keep your electrolytes up. The mile up the mountain is rather steep and you will be huffing it on the 22 switchbacks. The waterfall was really spectacular, powerful and flush from snowmelt. If I come back next spring, I will definitely come midweek so I don't have the crowd issue again.

We used the Central Park trail head instead of Highpoint. This eliminates the Issaquah - Preston section along I-90 and the switchbacks up the hill. Round trip stats to Duthie Hill: 11.i mi, 1560 gain. Park near the soccer fields on the right by the rail fence. No permit needed.

An asphalt trail heads to the right of the soccer fence to a dirt road along the power line. Keep an eye to the left for the trail with sign showing the trail map.

This is a well maintained & popular mountain bike trail. It's right next to the densely built highlands neighborhood. There are lush flowers and fern-filled forests. The neighbors can just step out the door and ride or run a few blocks and enjoy the forest.It's not lonely. Everyone is courteous and good-natured about sharing the trail. If you go figure it's part of the fun because it is a pleasant experience.

Map KC parks
http://your.kingcounty.gov/[…]/BCT_GrandRidge_brochure.pdf

Photos https://picasaweb.google.co[…]htGYyQE&feat=directlink

Beautiful hike today. We hiked from the trail head to Bark Shanty campground & back, approx 5+ miles. We had a big group of 7 people and 3 dogs. Trails were well maintained with two new beautiful bridges. Didn't see any blooming rhododendrons, but did see some other flowers. No bugs to speak of, but we did see a few slugs.

Fantastic day for a trip up Pete, been eyeballing it driving truck up and down the 90, waiting for a snow free route to present itself, and the other day present itself it surely did. The trail is largely the same as it always is, steep, loose rocks, dusty, but snowfree! Thought about traversing across to Defiance mountain, but there is still much snow, and ultimately decided against it in favor of lounging around the summit, taking in the sun like one of the many lizards we saw on the way up. A traverse to Webb would be doable sans snow gear I think, but again the sun was just too nice to move from the summit block. Today one could see Baker, Glacier, Adams and Rainier!

On what appears to be the last day of spring before the rains kick in again, we decided to hike the Boulder River Trail. The weather was high clouds and mid 70's and it appears a lot of other people had the same idea.
The hike is a good one for people of all ages. The sounds of the river were calming and the views of the river and waterfalls were Great.
An enjoyable hike was had be all.

Hiked to Big Creek falls with a stop at Otter falls on the way back.

The road grading mentioned by some previous reviewers must be done, because the road was a lot better than I remember in years past. Still a few potholes, but now more like a regular gravel road and not the mostrosity it used to be. I've read they'll be paving the road this summer (weekdays only, fortunately), so hopefully the potholes are a thing of the past.

Getting to the trailhead -- the guide mentions a left turn, but you really just stay on the main road instead of turning right up a steep road. The trailhead is at the end of the road, and most of the signs mention Snoqualmie Lake. That's the one you want; this hike just doesn't go all the way.

Solitude was not the order of the day, with maybe a dozen cars when we left and more when we got back. The trail is in good shape, with the one issue being a number of streams across or on the trail. Early on they're small and easy, but there are three sizeable washouts starting at around the 3 mile mark that take some rock-hoppping to cross. Snow is now completely gone from the trail.

The turnoff to Otter Falls is pretty easy to miss -- the sign mentioned in the guidebook is no longer there. Looks for small cairns on both sides of the road between the second and third large washouts. The trail up is not real obvious either, but you can see a slightly compacted path up the fallen logs. Up at the falls, a few adventurous souls were wading in the lake and sliding down. Looked fun, but the water's probably still on the cold side.

Nice early season hike - nothing spectacular, but pleasant and low-key with a couple interesting destinations.

Trail is to Green Lake is 98% snow free. A small patch near the lake but it presents no problems. Otherwise the trail is in great condition. Ranger Falls was roaring! Very nice. We continued on to Chenuis Falls but the bridge was out so we couldn't get across the river to see the falls. Still great views from the river bed and we peeped the falls through the trees on our way back.

Our first Mother's Day Weekend climb of Mt St Helens was fantastic. We hit the trail at 4:05 AM to beat the traffic. There was a record 685 permits issued for the day. We hiked in our boots most of the way up the trail from the Sno park and at about 2.25 miles we added microspikes. It was warm and the snow was a little juicy in places, but it was great for climbing for the most part. We arrived at the summit at 9:35 and hung out at the top until 10:00. We glissaded down below 4900 ft. We arrived back at the trailhead at 12:20.

Late in the week...looking for a trip...late emails looking for a trip partner. Seems this is my pattern lately. Thankfully Suzanne had an idea. Another series of late emails to Barry and Jim and we were now a group of 4.

We all met at the Monroe smokestack and began the long drive over to Wenatchee to meet up with Suzanne. We wanted an early start to beat the heat. We should have started earlier...

Suzanne got this idea from TomS, I should know better about signing up for what Tom calls his training hikes :) We also were doing this as a one way trip with the need for a car shuttle. We scoped out Rob
s Subie parked along 97 south of Entiat. We continued up 97 and turned left (west) onto Entiat River Road and then left again (south) onto Mills Canyon Road. We were doing a slightly different trip than TomS...instead of dropping down the north ridge of Keystone we would instead head SW from the point and follow a series of roads back to where we had left a car parked at a sharp switchback in the road along Mills Canyon Rd. After the car shuttle was arrange, we drove back out and pulled in behind Rob's car. He'd have a good 1+ hour head start on us.

From the "parking area" along 97 we could see a good boot patch making no waste of time heading straight uphill. Yikes. Good thing we got an early start (nearly 10am) so we could beat the heat (already 80+). The trail for the first .6mi gains just over 1100' before it gains the ridge and the grade eases up a bit. Loose dirt and rock on steep trail. Oh joy. I was really glad when we finally were on the ridge.

From here it was all open ridge walking and I mean open. Barely a burn up tree or two from here all the way to Keystone. Good thing I brought plenty of water cuz there is nothing on the ridge. The ridge is a bit of up and down broken by short stretches of steeper up and down all the way to Keystone. We stopped a few times to take in the views, huddle under a long tree to get a break from the sun, and boy of boy...take photos of the flowers. Bitterroot on this ridge was so thick it should be called a cluster flock. Wow. Balsamroot, lupine, an interesting clover I'd not seen before (springbank clover) and a white larkspur (D.xantholeucum), death camas, penstemon, mariposa lilies, scarlet gilia, tritella, and oh...the rattlesnakes. We saw/spooked three of them along the way. Yep...rattlesnakes are out. That makes 4 rattlesnake sightings in a week.

We took a short break just below the last steep hill to the top of Keystone and after this...the heat started getting to us. I know I slowed down. Finally on top the point we all took shelter in the shade of the radio tower building. After a proper lunch we headed SW off the top and picked up a dirt road about 100' below the summit and followed this...ever so gradually...over so slowly...down to the car waiting for us along Mills Canyon Rd. Very little shade along the road but one last treat was in order...Tweedii blooming nearly the whole way back to the car!

Notes: be careful for ticks and RATTLESNAKES! Bring plenty of water (there is none available for nearly the entire route).

More photos here:
http://www.putz-in-boots.com/[…]/keystone_point_tr.html

We did the short version of this hike yesterday. The driving directions as listed are pretty accurate although at the junction of road 2090 and 2000 there is a third road that confused us slightly since the sign for 2090 is pretty hard to read but 2090 is the road going uphill to the left (the number is actually spray-painted on a tree there). The road is gravel but in great condition.

There is a small parking pull-out along the road to the right where the PCT crosses the road. We weren't sure which way on the PCT to go since the trail appears to head uphill from either side of the road. We felt that the trail to the right (next to the parking area) was the way to go and we were right.

It's a beautiful little hike with lots of wildflowers blooming and views of Mt. Adams through the trees as the switchbacks take you higher. There were several patches of snow on the trail higher up but everything was passable. Once in a while we would punch through the snow but it was only about ankle deep. My mom hiked in tennis shoes without any trouble. The trail is unmarked due to fallen signs but the directions on this site are good. The Jeep road was mostly covered in snow and shrubbery but again very passable.

The view from the top is amazing. We sat up there for quite a while just taking it all in. Worth the drive on the gravel roads.

Beautiful sunny day with lots of hikers. There were some blowdowns and the chute was very deep. Not nearly as much snow as in years past. The summer trail sign was very visible.

The upper part of the big chute has exposed rocks near the top which make it dangerous to glissade and it is deep which makes it harder to get back in if you walk past the rocks.

I am thinking that the snow chute has one more week in it at best to safely glissade.

Success! Finally our hiking destination coincided with blooming balsamroot -- the best specimens were at the viewpoint overlooking Leavenworth on the Icicle Ridge Trail.

We rose very early Saturday morning and headed for Leavenworth where we spent the day along Icicle Road. First stop was the Icicle Ridge Trail to the saddle (about 2 miles up) and then a short jaunt to the right to the viewpoint overlooking Tumwater Canyon and Leavenworth. Arriving at 8 am, we beat the heat and the crowds. The trail met and surpassed all our criteria for the perfect hike: views, flowers, and wildlife.

Though the flowers were not profuse on the climb, there were enough to make the journey colorful. As for wildlife, we watched a rubber boa slither across the trail (glad we didn't see any rattlers), lizards scurry into the rock, squirrels and chipmunks chatter from logs, and heard from other hikers that a momma & cub black bear were hanging out at the creek (unfortunately, we didn't see them). And birds: lots of bluebirds, some swallows, warblers, towhees, and a friendly nuthatch.

Returning to the trailhead about noon, we continued driving west on Icicle Road till we found a spot along the river to eat lunch. After lunch we continued farther down Icicle Road to Icicle Gorge where we hiked the 4 mile loop.

After climbing up and down to Icicle Ridge, our legs appreciated the level terrain of the Icicle Gorge trail. The raging water psychologically helped keep us cool since by now the clouds had vanished and the temps hovered in the high 80's. We were surprised to find numerous trillium and calypso orchids along this trail. We also spotted various colors of paintbrush from yellow to dark orange. Saw no birds or wildlife on this trail nor expansive views but the winding trail through beautiful trees with bridges over rushing creeks made for a very pleasant afternoon.

Nice little hike for families. A slight uphill for the first 1/3 mile, then relatively flat around the lake. Conditions were great, although no distance markers. I would print out the map from the County website (http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/parks/squires/index.jsp) just in case. Super easy to get to right off I5. No excuses not to stop and stretch your legs on this little gem of property.

Had the most wonderful time hiking this trail today. Got to the trail head at 7:15 and not a single other car was at the parking lot. Very odd for a sunny Saturday. The trail to the falls is in wonderful condition, however the bugs are HORRID! I have never seen so many bugs on this trail. Bring your repellant and you should be fine.

The falls are roaring at this time. The spring melt is in full force and this is something you should not pass up. Wonderful short hike to get to a beautiful waterfall.

No snow at to be seen all the way to the falls.

Due to snow I did not climb to the Lake.

Length: 2.9 miles (5.8 mi out-and-back roundtrip, though there is parking and trailheads at both ends); additional 1 mile RT side hike to winery and canyon views makes for an almost 7 mi day-hike.

Elevation gain: Barely any on Cowiche Canyon Trail (flat gravel trail on canyon floor); short steep climb (200-300 ft in 0.5 mi) to vineyard.

Exposure: Completely exposed for the first 2/3 (dogster was not happy about this when the sun was directly overhead); final 1/3 shaded by creekside vegetation.

Scenery: What a difference the rain-shadow makes. Dogster has only hiked in cascadia, so the temperature, lack of shade, and desert landscape / vegetation were all new to us. The gravel trail is an abandoned 19th century railway along the floor of a canyon full of spectacular basalt cliffs to the north and rolling sagebrush-covered hills to the south, with wildflowers in bloom and all kinds of birds overhead. A double digit number of trestle bridges kriss-kross Cowiche Creek (Jump! Jump! RIP, Kris-Kross' Mac Daddy. I digress...) on this hike--this is Rails-to-Trails done beautifully (strong work, Bureau of Land Management). 2/3's of the way in (coming from the Weikel Rd Trailhead) a steep side trail takes you up the canyon to Naches Heights, and empties in the back yard of Wilridge Vineyards. This is a worthy sidetrip even if you have no interest in winetasting, as heading back down the ridge gives you stunning views of the canyon from above, and Mount Adams to the south on a good day. Plus, the nice folks at the winery made sure dogster had plenty of shade and cold water.

Trail Traffic: Light. Just a handful of cars at the Weikel Road trailhead today. Day hikers and small groups happily clutching wine bottles. A few friendly, dehydrated-looking offleash dogs. Cowiche Canyon also has equestrian and mountain biking trails, though we didn't encounter either.

Travel Time from Seattle: 2 to 2.5 hours, depending on how fast you're willing to drive on the open interstate. Mountain pass conditions shouldn't cause any delays the rest of this season; there is rock blasting scheduled through mid May on I-90 E near Snoqualmie Pass, but I think it's mainly at night. Expect one lane traffic due to bridge repairs between the Pass and Ellensburg, I-90 both directions this spring.

Watch out for: Horse droppings. If your dog's into that kinda thing. And rattlesnakes. And lost wine tasters tumbling down from the vineyard.

This outing was a WTA work party to continue construction of the new Rock Trail to Lost Lake. We arrived at the Cyrus Gates Overlook in Larrabee State Park to a welcoming committee of mosquitoes and flies. This welcoming committee had been present in previous days, prompting a few members of the work party to bring mosquito netting to the occasion. Our day was partly sunny, and it remained that way. Our crew leader was Kathy, with ACLs Tomoe and Mike.

We hiked down from the overlook along the new trail, which is taking shape nicely. We hiked about 1/2 mile to a section in-progress. About half of the work party cleared organic material and hewed new trail. The rest of us graded trail, removed roots, scraped away organic soil, and moved a large rock or two. After the work was over, we cached some tools, carried the remainder back to the overlook, and enjoyed drinks and cookies.

Slugs, snails, and millipedes were out. Wildflowers, in particular bleeding heart, were in bloom. Spring is taking hold in the Chuckanuts.

It was way too early to be up here, but we thought we'd try it anyway since it's basically our backyard. We were beaten back by snow blocking the road about a mile from the main trailhead.

Late April to mid May is a perfect time to hike the Elwha. This time of year you can normally get about 20-26 miles in, depending on the snow-pack and trail conditions.

From the TH to Elkhorn Camp, the trail has been cleared and is in fantastic shape. Between Lillian River and Elkhorn there is a fair amount of water/mud on the trail, but it's nothing you can't walk through. All creeks can be stepped across, but some might get their feet wet on a couple of crossings.

From Elkhorn to Hayes River, the trail has been cleared for roughly the first 3 miles. In the roughly 2.5 miles remaining to Hayes River, there are roughly 58 downed trees, some of which will be difficult to get over. The Hayes River bridge is still being worked on and there is a flagged route to a temporary foot-log. This route is a bit convoluted, but easy enough to follow. All creeks can be stepped across.

From Hayes River to Camp Wilder, there are roughly 75 downed trees. Many of these are large old growth and will require climbing over or crawling under. Most creeks can be stepped across without issue, but again, some might get their feet wet. There is 1 potential ford if you don't want to fight through some brush to get to a log crossing.

From Wilder to Chicago Camp, there are 165+ downed trees. A lot of old growth down, making for a serious challenge. There were at least 2 spots where there were large swaths down, making route finding a bit difficult. The foot-log that crosses the Elwha at the 24 mile mark currently has a slide across the north end (see picture), making it very difficult to gain access to the foot-log. There is a spot about 1.5 miles before Chicago where the trail gets lost in blow-downs & overgrowth and route finding skills will be needed. Patchy to mostly solid snow started about 1-1.5 miles before Chicago Camp.

If interested, I've created a Youtube video of this hike and it can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5l_LX-dAOo

-Cheers!

My friend Jeno and I hiked the length of Rattlesnake Mt today. Before I start with the trip report a MAJOR shout out to Bruce and his previous trip report on this hike. His comments about the hidden sign and debris on the trail were spot on. Now onto my report:

I met Jeno on the west end at 6:00 AM where we dropped my car and drove over the to the east (lake) end. Only two cars in the lot when we started out at 6:15. We made good time up to the ledges and beyond. We started to see patchy snow below the gravel pit and then hit some solid snow at the sign that shows .7 miles to the top of East Peak. The warm weather has softened it up so it was slow but smooth going to the top.

From the East Peak we continued west through patchy snow. We were looking for the turn that Bruce had described as easy to miss and found it and continued on our way. Please note there is a pink flag in a tree that marks where the sign is on the right. Prior to reaching Grand Prospect we hit some patchy snow and for about 50-75 yards a lot of trees and debris over the trail right before you reach it. After not seeing anyone on the east end due to our early start time we started seeing lots of people as we headed down from Grand Prospect arriving back at my truck at 10:25. The parking lot was about 1/3 full on the west end as opposed to the east end where cars were parked down both sides of the road for a half mile as I dropped Jeno off at his car. Please note the sheriff was ticketing cars out on the road...not sure what that was about.

The trail is in good shape, very dried out other than the snow patches. The bugs were out in force today. Jeno used some spray while I went without. Thanks to Jeno for going and Bruce for his previous report.

See you on the trail.
SR

We hiked this 2.75 mile loop trail on Blewett Pass on our way over to the grandparents' cabin for Mother's Day. Because the trail winds in and out of the area that burned in August 2012 this was an absolutely fascinating hike.

We saw where the fire had burned tree roots underground, leaving black tunnels and root holes behind. We looked through dead forests of charred trunks to the cloud of new leaves in the live forest just a few hundred feet beyond. Trillium and balsam root were a striking contrast to the brown and black burned ground. The smell of carbon still hung heavy in the air.

At the apex of the "top loop" in the trail we looked across to a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier, ghostly with incoming clouds and crowned by a particularly fluffy lenticular hat.

I highly recommend taking this hike this season; it is a wonderful opportunity to see how a forest fire burns, and how the understory begins to emerge only 9 months later.

Pink fluorescent sign at trail head said trail was closed & impassable due to downed trees on trail, etc. However, saw one hiker finishing his hike as we headed up at noon-ish. Several cars in parking lot. Considered diverting to Colchuck Lake, & drove to that trailhead and found hikers saying that due to snow they only went 3/5th of the way. Back to 8-Mile Lake trailhead. End of the day, made it to the lake and back, as did roughly 6 other parties that day. However, the trail was not clear due to downed trees, still fire damaged, required bushwacking & scampering over logs, and in the final section alongside the creek, had snow blocking the trail, where we got lost. Gorgeous lake, still some ice covering, not a walk in the park!

Beautiful hike with the waterfalls and river flowing rapidly thanks to the hot weather and snow melt.

The trail is in pretty good shape -- there are a few muddy and wet spots, but overall, it was not difficult to traverse. Many people with dogs and small children were easily navigating the trail.

There are some potholes in the 3 or so miles to get to the trail, but we navigated them with relative ease in a Hyundai Elantra. But drive slowly and carefully, especially if you're in a car that's less well-suited to that kind of road.

The trail starts out very wide and flat, but this hike is a bit more strenuous than you'd think after the first half mile or so (or than the stats on elevation seem). It is more of a rolling increase/decrease in elevation, though, so there are no periods of intense switchbacks as with so many hikes in the Cascades.

We arrived by 10:30, and there were a dozen or so cars parked near the trailhead. When we left, that number had probably doubled at least.

The wild flowers were in bloom, so things were really pretty. We saw one small rattlesnake along the trail, but it didn't bother us as we skirted around it. We did come home with a bunch of ticks on our dog that we hadn't thought about. So, before you head home make sure to brush down everyone for ticks and use some tick repellent on your dog before you hike.

The main event for our family's weekend trip to the Grand Coulee area was a hike up Steamboat Rock. The kids were excited to climb "a mountain." I couldn't bear to tell them it was actually a mesa.

It was in the upper 80s with little breeze and absolutely no shade, but everyone was determined to hike to the top. We started our trek at the parking lot near the boat ramp, but there are routes that also come up from the campground that meet at the base of the climb. The trail we took was sandy, but the balsamroot and lupine were lovely here.

At the base of the Rock, there is a picnic table (and a bit further off, a better picnic table under a tree). The ascent from here is short, but steep and treacherous. The rocks underfoot get smaller and smaller until you are climbing on little pebbles that slide under your feet. There is little to hold on to. Our 7 year old had little trouble going up, but slid some going down. The 4 year needed some assistance going up, and held our hand or slid on her behind going down. I consider it a miracle that we didn't need to break out the first aid kit. If I were to rate this for age appropriateness, I'd say 6 or 7 and up.

Nevertheless, we all made it through the notch. We turned left at the junction and headed south for our summit. The views are amazing from up here - the campground, Banks Lake all around and even a peek at the snowy-topped Cascades. We wandered about this flank of Steamboat Rock for awhile, admiring the bitterroot blooms and other flowers, then descended into a little pocket where we found the one tree to have lunch.

I would've liked to explore the northern reaches of Steamboat Rock, but the temperatures were climbing into the 90s and the kids were beat. Instead of the sandy trail back to the boating area, we took the trail to the campground where we found some sprinklers to cool off. The kids were super proud of their accomplishments, and it was well worth the effort.

Hiked up to Cedar Butte with my wife, 4-year-old, and 2-year-old. Trail is in fantastic shape, was very dry, no mud/water anywhere. Fantastic hike for the kids. My 4yo managed it no problem; and my 2yo hiked most of it as well, only getting in the child carrier for the stepper stretches of trail. Traffic on the trail was really light, probably saw less than 10 other people/groups, and had the summit to ourselves for the first 15-minutes we were there enjoying our lunch.

Never been to this hike before but definitely going back. My cousin and I read the reviews from previous weeks and he brought waterproof boots to traverse water on the trails, but they weren't necessary. I was find with hiking shoes. There are few bugs, but depending on whether you're the type bugs love, you may or may not need bug spray. We arrived after 10:00 and there were about ten cars in the lot. We hiked 2 1/2 hrs in with rests/lunch, and 2 hours out. On our way out the trail was getting pretty busy and there were cars in the lot and all along the road, around 3pm.

Gorgeous day for a hike, easy up and down, but unfortunately no "grand finale" at the end. I can see why many turn back after the first couple waterfalls. On the plus side the wildflowers are beautiful, the vegetation changes the further in you go, and there are many mini waterfalls which I agree are full of character.

We took advantage of a beautiful, sunny day to see if we could get into Packwood Lake yet, and indeed, we could. The lower trail is snowfree with a couple of trees to negotiate. The upper trail has some snow left on it, and 34 trees down, lots more to negotiate. The lake was lovely, no bugs yet, and the waterfalls on both trails were very nice. The currant bushes are in bloom, along with trilliums coltsfoot, and skunk cabbage. Johnson Peak looked wonderfully snowy.

I finally found a friend who had a car available so that we could cache a car at both ends of the trail and do the full hike between Rattlesnake Ledge and Rattlesnake Mountain. We dropped a car off at exit 27 around 8:20 AM and started out hike at the Rattlesnake Ledge trailhead around 8:45. We moved pretty quickly with very few brief stops and got to our car at the end of the trail in a little under 4 hours. There was a little snow along the ridge, but nothing difficult - you might have trouble in just running shoes, but I had hiking boots on and no poles and didn't have a hard time at all. The trail is pretty easy to follow (a few blow downs between East Peak and Grand Prospect) and we didn't run into too many people between the Rattlesnake Ledge lookout and Grand Prospect. I definitely recommend walking East to West, as you'll be doing uphill for a steeper, shorter, distance, but the a longer, easier downhill.

The recent trail reports were pretty accurate & I wont bother repeating details needlessly, just the salient facts.

The trail ahs changed a bit, sunshine & warm weatehr has melted out the trail enough to make it to the summit as long as you set off early enough. If you set off too late the snowfields above 6,000ft are becoming very soft, with plenty of leg snapping voids opening up.

The summit pinnacle is open & mostly clear, no problem attaining the true summit.

No rattlesnakes, despite the heat which was especially onerous on the way down with only occasional shade or breezes to cool you off. On the lower slopes it was like hiking in a sauna. Worth it just for the truly breathtaking views & gorgeous wildflower & best of all NO BUGS!

One of my favorite people took me to Putrid Pete's Peak to enjoy the panoramic views. This is a challenging and steep hike straight up to the summit. Poles and good footwear are a must! Water is available below the treeline but will dry out as the snow dissipates.

No snow on the trail but snow is still prominent on the ridge line. The views were spectacular! Spider Lake is almost completely thawed, but massive amounts of snow still hinders access. We could see Mt. Rainier, Mt. Stuart, Glacier Peak and glimpses of Mt. Baker and Mt. Adams... What a great day! ^_^

We were camping up at Rock Island near the end of the portion of Icicle Creek that can be accessed by road. All the campgrounds up Icicle Creek are now open. Rock Island campground and all of Icicle Gorges 3 trailheads are a few/several miles off the pavement up a rough dirt road but passable to all. The west terminus (and furthest up the road) of the Icicle Gorge Trail crosses the vehicle bridge over Icicle Creek across a large rock that gives the campground its name. The small fall here was simply magnificent and furious with spring runoff. I've been coming up here since I was very young and don't recall ever seeing the creek running this high or fast.

I decided to head down the south side of the trail first going downstream from Rock Island to Chatter Creek. The water ran fast and hard early down this side of trail until the trail pulled away from the creek for awhile and returned to a calmer section of Icicle Creek. I crossed the footbridge at Chatter Creek over a narrow part of the gorge that was running even faster than the fall at Rock Island. The water was simply a torrent of white foam here crashing its way downstream toward the Wenatchee River in Leavenworth! Once over I turned west again going up the north side of the trail to Rock Island. The trail was clear and in great shape the whole way. Saw plenty of people out with kids and dogs but I was alone for long stretches of time, especially early, so go early in the day if you are seeking some solitude. The weather was great, wildflowers were blooming and the bugs while out were far from a bother yet. In fact the most common bug on the day was butterflies and they were a joy to see. Going back upstream the trail offered more of the same but with all the mountain views, white water, flowers and butterflies it was sad to see the hike come to an end. I returned to camp for lunch and a well deserved nap.

If you're looking for a tune-up hike to get your season going this is a great spot. Its also good as something to do while camping in the area. Get up there quick to see the peak of the spring runoff and wildflowers that should be in full swing for the next couple weeks.

Two trees down at second stream crossing. Snow starts just below Camp Windy. With boots, gaiters and poles one can go straight up the snow to the top. Parts of the switchbacks are melted out. A few patches of snow are left on the summit ridge.

This trail is in great shape. The vandalism going on at the top is disturbing, but other than that it is a good hike. Good views into the Olympics and up to Lake Crescent. Wild flowers starting to show to add to the hike.

Trail is in great shape all the way up to Ranger Falls. Many vibrant trillium flowers. A few bugs. Noticed that the ranger station is no longer at the trailhead, but now a mile or so earlier down Carbon River rd.

It was sunny warm and still today. And even on a Saturday this trail was quite uncrowded.
So to my amazement (and perhaps to other's chagrin) I saw a bear! Or it saw me. I saw it crashing through underbrush and then it popped it's head up and we stared at each other a moment before moving our seperate ways. The bear was perhaps a quarter mile from the kiln. I don't know how updated the information at the trailhead is but it did say there has never been a report of seeing a bear on this trail though they live in the area. Hikers take note!

Pleasant loop trail in decent condition (damp to wet in a few areas) through the forest with occasional views of Gibbs Lake. The trail itself is narrow, but soft underfoot with minor elevation gains and losses throughout. There are a couple of spur trails taking you to the lakeside, but it's boggy at the water's edge with no shoreline to speak of. The highlight of the trail today were all of the emerging and blooming native flowers and plants: large clumps of trillium (largest I have ever seen), false lily of the valley, twin leaved spring beauty, woodland pinedrops, ferns and bleeding heart. We had the trail and parking lot completely to ourselves, which was a nice change.

Perfect weather for a day hike, about 75 degrees, maybe a little hazy. Hiked the round trip to the peak and boy was it worth it! About when I thought I couldn't male it much further a young boy ran past me squealing "The Sky's the limit"! It was a little grueling for an inexperienced hiker...no an unfit person, like me. But besides being a little out of breath, I did great and the reward was a view I will never forget! Being a beautiful weekend day, the trail was crowded but everyone was polite. After my little dog and I returned to the bottom we both refreshed our feet in the lake. Great day!