Icicle Ridge
Jun 02, 2012
by
Boeing - REACH Puget Sound
—
last modified
Jun 06, 2012 01:22 PM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Icicle Ridge
- Region: Central Cascades -- Leavenworth Area
- Agency: wenatchee national forest, leavenworth district
- Trails: Icicle Ridge (#1570)
- Avg Rating: 3.00
- Why You Should Go Now
- Wildflowers blooming
The weather was stunning when we arrived at the trailhead to Icicle Ridge at 10:30am. It was roughly 70 degrees out and partly cloudy but it felt much warmer as the day went on and we gained elevation.
We were a group of roughly 17 Boeing employees and friends from across the country (Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Oregon, New Jersey, Georgia, etc) with a very diverse set of hiking skills. We headed out and immediately discovered that this would be quite the challenge for some of our less experienced/athletically inclined hikers but they were willing to push on to reach the top. The trail was very well maintained and there were absolutely no barriers in our way. We only saw a handful of other hikers on our way to the top. The switchbacks criss crossed along the western side of the ridge for the entire hike making it far more manageable than other hikes which take the direct approach.
When we finally reached the outlook point at the top of the hike all of the effort was rewarded. The views were of Leavenworth in the valley below, the surrounding snow covered mountains and wildflowers of all colors. A resident hiker that we passed suggested taking a side trail up to 4th of July Mountain but we declined and enjoyed the views we had.
The trip back down went very quickly. For those with bad joints I would highly recommend hiking poles to avoid undue stress. On the way we saw about 20 people making their way up including families with young children and dogs so I was happy to beat the rush. We also saw a brown snake that was roughly 3 feet long slithering in the brush along the trail, it was minding its own business so other than taking a few photos we let it be.
Icicle Ridge is a wonderful hike to take if you are in the area but if coming from the West Side there may be some other options that are equally wonderful closer to home.
We were a group of roughly 17 Boeing employees and friends from across the country (Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Oregon, New Jersey, Georgia, etc) with a very diverse set of hiking skills. We headed out and immediately discovered that this would be quite the challenge for some of our less experienced/athletically inclined hikers but they were willing to push on to reach the top. The trail was very well maintained and there were absolutely no barriers in our way. We only saw a handful of other hikers on our way to the top. The switchbacks criss crossed along the western side of the ridge for the entire hike making it far more manageable than other hikes which take the direct approach.
When we finally reached the outlook point at the top of the hike all of the effort was rewarded. The views were of Leavenworth in the valley below, the surrounding snow covered mountains and wildflowers of all colors. A resident hiker that we passed suggested taking a side trail up to 4th of July Mountain but we declined and enjoyed the views we had.
The trip back down went very quickly. For those with bad joints I would highly recommend hiking poles to avoid undue stress. On the way we saw about 20 people making their way up including families with young children and dogs so I was happy to beat the rush. We also saw a brown snake that was roughly 3 feet long slithering in the brush along the trail, it was minding its own business so other than taking a few photos we let it be.
Icicle Ridge is a wonderful hike to take if you are in the area but if coming from the West Side there may be some other options that are equally wonderful closer to home.
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