Trip Reports

Enough elevation gain to get you breathing mountain air, then views at the top to take your breath away. The payoff is a walk along Icicle Ridge at 3,000 feet, providing panoramic views of Tumwater Canyon to the West and Leavenworth Valley to the East. All manner of wildflowers accompany you all the way up the trail. Spring hikes don't get any better than this.

Length / Hike time: 2-2.5 miles up depending on how far you go on the ridge. 4-5 mile round trip. Took us 90 minutes to get up the trail, with multiple photo stops, and then an hour to get back down.

Elevation gain: 1,800 feet over 2 miles. Generous switchbacks, so it's only moderately steep.

Trail Conditions: The trail is well-maintained and in excellent shape. No mud or snow. Only two blown down trees. The switchbacks take you in and out of the forest at places but overall the trail is mostly shaded with minimal exposure. Trail was fairly busy today with hikers of all ages and paces and dogs of all shapes and sizes, but the switchback knuckles provide for easy passing, and the ridge top walk allows everybody to spread out and take in the payoff scenery at once.

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.

Amazing day to be on the trails...arrived at the trailhead about 11:15am with about a dozen other cars already there. Trail is completely dry up to the saddle, slightly dusty with wildflowers blowing, birds, butterflies and little lizards present. Trail seems to get progressively steeper with 22 switchbacks from trailhead to saddle. At the saddle (if not continuing up the ridge) go right for about five minutes, a little down and up on the trail to a ridge top overlooking Leavenworth with a 360 degree view. Paragliders were enjoying the warm day, a log with view of Leavenworth was my lunch spot.

I've driven past this trailhead at least 500 times in the past twenty years since I moved to Washington. And today was the day!

Wild flowers were plentiful but not in the quantities that some of the grassy hillside hikes of Eastern Washington have. Our best find was one seep crossing just a few hundred yards into the hike. It had quite a cluster of Chocolate Lilies. We saw them nowhere else.

We stopped at the view point 2 miles up the ridge. There were great views. The trail continues up and up. Really the sky is the limit as this trail runs all along Icicle Ridge for many miles.

The flowers are blooming! Take your time on this trail to look for the wildflowers, there are some tiny treasures. There are no problems with this trail, at least as far as the saddle. The ridge is exposed and the wind was cold with a few flakes, even though the sun was shining. We were glad we had put on our longjohns under our hiking pants. At the saddle there is a good place to have lunch. Take the path to the right and walk out to the little knoll for great views of the Stuart range, Leavenworth and surrounding hills, then look down on hwy 2 an Tumwater canyon. In the distance there is a waterfall coming off the top of the ridge. We did not hit snow, but another hiker had hiked about 5 miles up and hit snow. Balsamroot and Desert parsley line the trail. The usual lupine and paintbrush are starting. Little treasures were small flowered Blue eyed Mary, small flowered Forget-me-not and Western spring beauty. Other flowers ID'd, Ballhead waterleaf, Lithospermum ruderale, Foothill death camas, Slender woodland star. I was hoping to see the Lewisia tweedyi, but didn't.

Dry, normal trail conditions to ~4,200 ft. Snow shoes recommended beyond that. Lots of melt out under snow covered logs resulted in several sudden drops through the snow layer even in snow shoes. Hiked to 5600 ft.

Great day for a hike. I would suggest doing this one in the spring just to avoid the heat of the summer sun which could easily bake you on some of the slopes up on this hike. Trail was in great shape and a bit muddy near the top where it is still wet from melting snow. As soon as you reach the top notch, its like a wind tunnel but so worth the hike for the 360 degree view.

Saw some glacier lilies out blooming and various other little flowers. Balsam root was just starting to open so in the next 2 weeks it will be full of yellow flowers.

2 tree blow downs but easy to scoot around and minimal snow on the trail near the top.

It was a beautiful spring like day and the trail was in excellent condition. Up by the ridge it was a bit wet and some snow on the trail, but no traction devices were needed.

However, what started as a peaceful Sunday morning, ended in a terrifying scare. Someone was in the general area of the trail shooting some kind of shot-gun or rifle. As we were walking on the ridge towards the Leavenworth look-out, a shot was fired about 10 ft. from where we stood and hit a tree. In shock, we started yelling that there were people on the ridge...when in astonishment another shot was fired, but luckily not as close as the first one. Needless to say we immediately left the ridge and started heading down to the trail head. The incident was reported to Chelan County Police Department and they were going to conduct an investigation.

Hopefully, if people are aware and the word comes out, this person(s) will not continue this irresponsible shooting on or near this populated trail again.

The trail is in great condition, snow free, and dry all the way up the the saddle, at about 3000'. I didn't continue after that point but it appears to become quite snowy at about 4000' or so. Great views of the Tumwater Canyon, Icicle Ridge, and Leavenworth Valley. Other ranges were clouded. Great spring hike!

Hit the trail at around 11 a.m. Saturday for the long slog up to Lake Edna. Amazing fall colors at tree line and beyond. Almost entirely snow-free, with just one flat patch to cross—-no problem in regular hiking shoes. Reached the lake at around 3 p.m., quickly set up camp on a nearby hill, and trekked up through Ladies Pass to the summit of Ladies Peak. Some sketchy scree and exposed parts near the top, but overall the boot path was pretty easy to follow. Incredible views from the summit of the Enchantment Peaks, Glacier, Rainier and even a hazy Baker in the distance. Also could see a couple of wildfires burning on a neighboring ridge and a helicopter spotting the blazes from the air. Made it back down to the lake just as it was getting dark at around 6:30-7 p.m. Night was chilly but clear—-even saw a couple of shooting stars on the horizon. A great cap to an awesomely long backpacking season.

Trail run/walk up, out to the far edge overlooking Leavenworth, and run back down. 1hr 15 min up, 30 min down for 4+ miles round trip.

Dry, warm (80 degree) day, not much tree coverage.

25.5 MI. 11.5 Hrs.
Drove to end of Icicle river road and started hiking up the icicle trail, this trail is very well used by horses and is in great shape, however as soon as you take the frosty crk trail it becomes less used and more overgrown (very overgrown). Watch for devils club. The trail is very overgrown all the way up to lk margret.
At the intersection to head along the icicle ridge trail starts large meadows and hill sides of flowers still in spring bloom. This cont. until reaching the Passes (Ladies, Frosty, Marys) as you crest these areas it is windy and windswept (nice on a hot day) And what a view up there. Several lakes along the way, Margret (thick underbrush around), Marys lk. (bring bug spray) lot of slow moving water in this area. Florance lk seems to be a good place to camp out. Lk Edna still has snow up to the edge on one side but dry on other and Chatter creek trail down to Icicle rd is in good shape

We started off on the Icicle Creek Trail. Manning's guidebook said two miles to the intersection with the Frosty Creek/Wildhorse Trail while other reports said 6. The Green Trails says 4, and based on the time, it was most likely over 4. That trail is in great shape and had some pretty sections with views of the creek.

We turned off onto Frosty/Wildhorse, and that is where the fun began. Blowdown after blowdown, a fast creek crossing that is easily doable now but probably not during the major melt, and many long sections of completely overgrown trail. It was a pretty exhausting four miles. It still seems longer than that because of the horrible condition of the trail. Once you get to Lake Margret turnoff, the condition of the trail improves.

The trail takes you to Frosty Pass where you turn onto the Icicle Ridge trail. There were a few areas of blowdown, but this trail was also in decent shape. We set up camp at the first lake on the ridge, Mary. It was awfully buggy but pretty. I had nice views of Daniel from my "kitchen" spot. I saw a bear across the lake, but nothing came near the tent.

The next day we set off to explore. What a glorious section of the Icicle Ridge trail! Views of Rainier, Glacier Peak, Daniel, Stewart, Grindstone Mtn. etc. plus miles of green meadows bursting with flowers. The scent of the lupine was overpowering. We passed Upper Florence first - a glittering jewel in the sunlight. That would have been the lake to camp at - gorgeous views and nice spot. Unfortunately, none of these lakes have many camp sites so you'd want to get there early or on a weekday. No-one was camping up here except one other party at Mary. We passed no-one all day in our explorations.

From Ladies Pass, we took the Chiwaukum Creek trail down to Brigham Young and Flora lakes. It was farther down that we had thought as the trail loops around a lot. However, I had wanted to see all the "Mormon" Lakes so that was fine. This trail is also faint in places and in others completely overgrown, but you can still find the way. There was a steep snowfield to cross, but that will probably be gone soon.

We returned to the Icicle Ridge trail and followed it over to Edna, another gleaming jewel of a lake. It would be quite exposed there but absolutely a lovely spot to camp.

All these wanderings added up to 10 miles and about 2000 gain with all the ups and downs so we gave up on seeing Grace Lakes below Frosty Pass as that would have added an additional 6. I suggest 3 nights up there so you can go both directions since the connector trails are likely to exhaust you enough that you won't have time or feel like doing that additional 6 miles the first night either.

           This trail is probably best hiked in the early morning before the heat becomes oppressive. Unfortunately, I didn't listen to my own advice and began just before noon. The trail is in great shape to the ridge top, smooth with few rocks and no roots. Elevation gain averages between 800-900 feet per mile over 2-2.3 miles, depending on which map or book you believe.Definitely a good workout, especially in 85-90 degree temps.

           When you crest the ridge, turn right for views down to the Wenatchee River and Leavenworth, all the way east to Wenatchee and beyond. Turn left and make your way on up the ridge along a trail which is slightly overgrown in spots. I think the great views really begin when you gain the main spine of Icicle Ridge, but I didn't go that far.

           I can recommend this hike if you're looking for exercise, but don't expect too much more. It reminds me a bit of Mt Si-good training trail, smooth tread, so-so views and crowded,along with a general lack of trail etiquette from fellow hikers. The real beauty of this region is hidden behind the higher reaches of Icicle Ridge. Hike this early in the season as you await better things.

              

Started this hike early, as we had plans to kayak the river today. Trail is in good cond. The smell of the pine trees, with the views was great.

With a forecast of mid-seventies warmth and dry weather we took on the Icicle Ridge trail. The trail is in very good condition and sports lots of switch-backs to help gaining the elevation. We had lunch at an over look at 2950 feet elevation and had views of Lavenworth, Icicle Creek and the Cashmere Valley to the east and Tumwater Canyon to the west. We then continued up the ridge to the 3616 foot level where we turned back. I'm not sure what the round trip distance was but I would guess about four to four and a half miles. One stretch of the trail was about 1200 foot gain per mile.

There are lots of wild flowers out and I have completely forgotten their names! I saw one small snake on the trail, I think it was harmless but moving out of the way fast. I also was able to spend some time photographing a very accommodating lizard.

After enjoying a full day at the Leavenworth Bike and Brews mountain bike race at Freund Canyon a group of us went for a day hike up Icicle Ridge. The trail is a great, easy to get to hike of easy to moderate difficulty depending on your ability.
The climb is steady and has plenty of views as you go up. Water is found twice in the first third of the hike but after that it's dry.
Trail conditions are great and the tread is in good shape. For a full report, pictures and a video of the view from the summit you can go here: http://www.adventuresofscatman.com/[…]/.

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.

Initially wanted to hike up toward Snow Lakes, but it's a no-dog hike, so we picked nearby Icicle Ridge Trail.

It's a great short hike, but it is more like 5 miles than 4 round-trip if you go to the eastern-most promontory overlooking Leavenworth. The weather was pleasant, though I wouldn't want to do that hike when it's much over 80 or so. The latter parts of the hike up rather quickly so it would be a tiring workout on a hot day.

The trail is in great shape, lots of switchbacks through flowers, grasses, and some burnt-out forest. I saw two small brown snakes, too, which were inconsequential.

The views at the top on this perfect day were well worth the effort. Lots of great spots at the top to sit and enjoy your lunch. Highly recommended, especially if you're in Leavenworth looking for a little exercise.

Icicle Ridge provides a good workout, excellent views on the way up East over Leavenworth and excellent views up the Chiwawas and Tumwater Canyon from the ridge lookout. Wildflowers are in bloom from bottom to top. We went right at the ridge to the end point overlook. Other trip reports have indicated that there is snow on the trail up the ridge. Great early season hike. No blowdowns, No bugs.

We got a late start from Seattle and reached the area at about 1:40 P.M. but lost a lot of time looking for the trailhead sign, driving several miles past where our directions indicated it was supposed to be, then retracing our steps, and finally driving to the ranger station in Leavenworth for confirmation that we were indeed following the correct directions. We went back yet again, and this time Slow Loris spotted the trailhead sign lying on the ground and nearly hidden by grass where it had fallen over.

You have to drive in between two properties, and you feel as if you are driving into someone's driveway. This leads to a loop road with parking for a number of cars at the sides of the road, a trailhead sign, and an information board, but no toilet.

The trail had well-graded switchbacks and well-groomed, comfortably wide tread, gaining 1800 feet in 2.3 miles. There were early flowers, mostly arrowleaf balsamroot and lupine, but we saw one chocolate lily and a cluster of orange paintbrush. The day was pleasant but very windy, most noticeably at the saddle. We were cold in spite of adding layers and so ate quickly, skipped the nearby viewpoint, and headed back down. On the hike today we saw a white-headed woodpecker and a downy or hairy woodpecker, a spotted towhee, swallows, flickers, robins, and chipmunks.

A perfect day. Trail in good condition, flowers blooming. We have done this hike several times and enjoy it. Great views at the top. From start to saddle is 2.3 miles. We went to the look out, once at saddle go left. A rt trip of 5.2miles. A friend of ours has a gps watch, so whenever we hike with her, we get an accurate mile count. Lots of people coming up on our way out.

Cloudy / rainy on the wet side of the Cascades, so we did a "run to the sun" to Leavenworth Wa and a moderately strenuous hike up the lower part of Icicle Ridge. Flowers are just coming out, mostly balsamroot at the lower elevs.

Janet wanted to head east and I was in agreement. We were looking for a snow free trail with some elevation gain and sunshine. Her suggestion was Icicle Ridge. I have done that trail a number of times but not in the past 10 years. Time for a return visit. This was the WTA hike of the week and there were two trip reports from the previous week. With that in mind we headed out early. We met in Monroe at 6:55 am and headed east. Very cloudy at Stevens Pass but the sky began to clear farther east. We cruised into Leavenworth and took a right turn on Icicle Creek Road. 1.4 miles later another right turn and into the parking lot. On my last visit there was a parking lot. Now there is a circular road with parking along side. More parking on the lower road. There were only a few cars when we arrived. 86 miles from the smokestack in Monroe and 119 from my place in North Seattle. By 8:45 am we were packed and on our way.

The forecast was for partly cloudy but it was bright sunshine most of the day. There were a few clouds by the time we were heading down. Some flowers in bloom right from the start. Waterleaf, spring beauty, and balsamroot especially. Not a real flower show yet but not very far away either. The trail is gently graded yet gains elevation at a steady rate. There were five groups signed in ahead of us and several were coming down already. The route is in and out of open forest. Open enough to provide views out but providing more shade than I recalled. My last visit was soon after a fire burned nearly to the houses below the lower trail. Time has rapidly healed the burn. Mostly just blackened bark on evergreen trees to show the damage. It was cool at the start but quickly warmed up. I soon rolled up my sleeves and then zipped off my pants legs. Nice to be out hiking in shorts and short sleeves again.

With the good early morning sun we stopped frequently for flower photos. No great hurry this day. There is no destination on this hike. At least not for an early season day hike. The trail goes on to the Cascade Crest but there is no "summit" to aim for. The trail makes many easy switchbacks. In some places the route crosses a much steeper trail. It looks like there was an original trail that headed higher fast without all the switchbacks and long traverses. The current trail is very easy on the knees. We say a flock of what looked like vultures circling above us. Not the most comforting site. The thermals allowed them to soar higher and higher.

The balsamroot were mostly blooming near the start of the trail. most were near peak. higher up we saw many leaves just poking up. It will be a few weeks before all those flowers are blooming. Spring beauty was everywhere. Big ones, medium ones, and small ones. Mostly white with a few more colorful. We did see some bluebells, yellow bells, and glacier lilies. While the conditions seemed ideal for glacier lilies with recent snow melt we did not see many of them. The trailhead is at about 1300'. At about 3000' the trail nears a saddle on the ridge top. We stopped at the saddle for a food and water break. For the first time you can look down on the north side of the ridge to Tumwater Canyon, the Wenatchee River, and Highway 2. There is still snow on the north side of the ridge though we had seen none on our south side route to that point.

Our stop was short and we headed higher. There will be lots of color in a few weeks on open rocky slopes. Just a few glacier lilies, yellow bells, and spring beauty for now. Once it hits the ridge the trail switchbacks below on the south side with a few more ridge top view opportunities. It was 11:20 at the next ridge top spot and time for lunch. Still almost snow free at 3400'. Really nice views from the ridge top looking north. Tumwater Mountain is just across the valley.

By the time we reached the ridge again at about 4000' we had a few snowy stretches on the trail. Not much and it will be gone soon. There was clearly more snow ahead. I hoped to get up to a view towards the Stuart Range and went ahead while Janet enjoyed a viewpoint break. The snow soon covered the trail. It was tedious as every few steps it I would sink knee deep in snow that is not much more than knee deep total depth. Before the next switchback I met a group we had passed and been passed by several times. They did not go much farther and had had enough of the post holing. The slope is quite steep here and falling off the snowy trail would not be much fun.

I continued on and at the switchback I tried to go straight to get a view to the southwest. I immediately sank to my crotch. Maybe that was not such a good idea. I continued up the snowy trail and soon came tot he conclusion the other group did. Not worth the effort. At about 4200' I turned around. In short order I was back to Janet on the ridge. The trip down was easy. The steady smooth grade was a pleasure to hike. There are half a dozen trees down across the trail but none proved to be much of a problem. In one place folks have cut below the trail to get over and have collapsed the hillside. The sooner that log is cut out the less damage will be done.

On the way down we met a whole lot of folks coming up. Enough to more than fill the parking spaces. It did look like a "hike of the day" crowd. I was even more pleased that we started early. It was still pretty early when we finished so we drove to the end of the Icicle Creek Road. Lots of balsamroot in full bloom on the exposed southern slopes. The road is snow free to where it is blocked a little beyond mile post 11. Snow covers the road beyond that point. No snow at the Fourth of July trailhead. Coming home early on a Saturday left us with an easy drive on Highway 2.

This was a great choice for the day. Sunshine all day long but not nearly as hot as the day on snow at Mazama Ridge the week before. No snow for most of the trip and no bugs. Not many people until the last few miles coming down. Some wildflowers and signs that they will be great in a few weeks here. A very pleasant way to spend a Saturday in April.

I have posted 32 fully annotated photos on my website at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2012" on the left margin.

Blissman, E Mo, Rob, Dave, and Rich joined me for this hike up Icicle Ridge. We'd stayed at the Eightmile Campground the night before after instructing at the Everett Mountaineers scramble class on Saturday. This seemed like a fine destination for a bit of a work out for our sleep deprived and slightly hung over crew. Today was gorgeous and sunny, but hot. Certainly a change for us west siders and our typically 50ish degree days. We made quick work of hiking to the saddle and then out to the view point. After a snack and soaking in the views, Blissman, E Mo and myself said goodbye to the others who'd wanted to head home. We three wanted more. The idea was to get to a viewpoint much farther up the ridge where it levels off with some views to the south at around 5200 feet. We encountered consistent snow at about 4800 feet and lost the trail. No problem, we figured we'd head straight up to the ridge and follow it in snow, but the snow was quite rotten and we punched through often. The going became difficult and we were fairly dehydrated and overheated by this point so had a leisurely lunch with views out to Wedge Mt. and south. Very nice. We then started down choosing slidy forest duff to rotten snow, and returning to the trail for a hot, but pleasant trip back to our cars. We saw quite a few people today, but everyone seemed to stop at the saddle. We stopped for a quick beer at the Icicle Brewery......highly recommended.....and then home. No traffic jams on 2 today. Weird.

Plenty of people have discovered this as a great spring hike, so we left them at the east view point and headed west up the ridge to the snow.

Today we saw deer, squirrels, chipmunks, Yellow-rumped warblers, Western bluebirds, nuthatches, flickers and turkey vultures, but not the grouse that was drumming all day. The showy flowers right now are the Western spring beauty, Oregon anemone and glacier lilies.

The trail is bare and dry to the saddle, well-groomed, shaded and moderately inclined for the altitude gained. No wonder it is popular with trail-runners, and there is plenty to see even besides the view.

forcast called for 5 in snow in town but i still wanted to get out. Left trail head at 10 am and followed a well beaten path up to the saddle. I had on my snowshoes but there was no need for them to this point, about 2 miles. From there i followed tracks made that day by back country skiers. As long as they were doubled up and following the same path i was ok but the snow was such light powder that if they split up i couldnt stay on top, and would sink 3 or 4 feet. This may have something to do with my weight being around 220 without my 25 lbs pack on and 10 - 15 lbs of clothing and boots and snowshoes. Lucky for me there was for the most part a single track to follow. At about 5k feet the freezing rain started and having just read the safety post about avalanches and the effects of rain on 30 - 45* slopes i turned and made my way back down. At the top i could push my ski pole all the way under snow and still not touch bottom so its over 5 feet deep up there and looks amazing for those looking for powder.

THIS HIKE WAS RIGHT AFTER FIRST SNOW OF SEASON AND SNOWSHOES WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE :)
EASY HIKE THAT WE USUALY TAKE OUR 3 KIDS ON DURING THE SUMMER.
STARTED WITH 4 IN OF SNOW AT TRAIL HEAD BUT BY THE TIME WE TURNED BACK SNOW WAS OVER MID CALF.
THERE IS USUALY A FUN VIEW OF VALLEY BELOW BUT THERE WAS THICK FOG MOST OF THE DAY FOR US THIS TIME

We began our hike at 10:00 AM. The hike started very smoothly with a slight incline for the first 30 minutes and then became a bit more aggresive. It is a beautiful hike. You can see where the forest burnt trees. We were the only ones on the trail with our dog. When we reached the summit the outlook was beautiful. We overlooked all of Leavenworth and the river. We had lunch on top while enjoying the view. It took us about 1 1/2 hours to reach the top and only 45 minutes to get back down.

A few images from the hike can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

We got to Leavenworth on Monday morning and were looking for a day-hike. Unfortunately the Ranger Station was closed (Labor day weekend) but a couple of hikers who knew the area recommended this hike. It's only a ten minutes drive or so from the center of Leavenworth to the TH which makes it very convenient to go back to town after your hike for some German beer and food ;-)

The trail itself is in very good shape, absolutely no problem at all. It's pretty steep in parts but there are hardly any rocks which probably makes it quite suitable for trail running (we saw a few runners there). It's pretty much switchback after switchback until the top. You're quite often exposed to the sun, so on a hot day like on Monday bring sunscreen and lots of water. You get pretty good views of Leavenworth and the valley pretty early on, the ones at the top are best though. Due to the steepness this is a good workout but if you drive a bit further into the cascades, there are far more spectacular hikes. This is good though if you are looking for something that is really close to Leavenworth.

Stats: 9 miles with 4500 feet of gain to Lake Augusta using this route

The road is a bit bumpy, but a regular car can most likely make it if you take it slow. The trail starts out in forest and is quite overgrown in several areas in the first mile. There is ample water for the first 2.25 miles; then there are no further sources until about 5.5 miles in. Around 2 miles you will get some nice views east. At 3 miles is a small but flowery meadow where the trail intersects with the Badlands Trail. The trail flattens for a short time here; then begins its relentless climb to a long and colorful meadow with views of the Stewart range and Glacier Peak. After that, it reenters forest for a mile or so. In the forest, there will be several water sources and one decent campsite at around 5.5 miles. In another mile the trail intersects with the Icicle Ridge trail. Go right for Lake Augusta. Most of the climbing is now over. The view from this crest is amazing, and the flower gardens are delightful. After this, the trail descends losing 350 feet in a series of switchbacks before flattening through the meadow and passing an incredible waterfall on the right before the final ascent to the lake. The trails were in great shape. There was a lot of snow above the lake, but the trails were basically snow free at this point. There were swarming mosquitoes at the lake.

I wouldn't call Icicle Ridge a destination hike, at least not from the easier trail head that starts 1.4 miles from the turn-off onto Icicle Road. But Bliss and I, who were staying at Sleeping Lady Inn, needed a quick work-out and only had a couple of hours to do it, so this hike fit that bill perfectly. Plus dogs are permitted and you don't need a NW Forest Pass.

Views along the way up this 1800 ft, 2-mile long trail are of the lush green valley and at the top of the ridge, you can see Tumwater and Icicle Canyons, although the day we hiked, clouds started rolling in when we got to the ridge. Great little sitting area with a view near the top. There are two small streams near the beginning of the hike, but thereafter the trail is dry and dusty and sun-exposed.

The books say it's 4 miles round-trip to the top via this route, but it felt longer than that to me.

Not many wildflowers and many of them are past.

A very nice hike for those with less time than for the longer Leavenworth trails.
It's also very convenient, the turnoff just 1.4 miles from the Icicle Road/ Hwy 2 intersection. We started at 4:30 pm, so much of the route was shaded by the ridge itself. (This hike is not a good midday choice on a hot day.) About 1500' of gain on very smooth and very steadily graded tread to the ridgeline. From there, a brief jaunt to the right brings you to the promontory overlooking Leavenworth, with 300 degree panorama. Total gain is 1700'. Lots of flowers, but not much variety (lupine predominating). Note to dog owners: we came within about 40 yards of a mature, attractive cinnamon-colored bear at the top of the ridge. No NW Forest Pass required!

Got a late start, but that didn't really beat the heat. Combined with the steep uphill, this was a sweaty hike. We made it about halfway before turning back.

Saw lots of wildflowers blooming, and many critters... snake, chipmunk, butterflies, lizards, and even a small raccoon.

The trail is in good condition, no mud, a little bit of water where a small creek crosses the trail in a couple areas. The trail is a bit overgrown for the first 1/4 mile or so, but after that the vegetation thins out and the trail widens.

Great views of the valley the entire way up the ridge.

Trail clear of snow ect. Flowers are in bloom, we even saw a deer off in the distance. Would recommend this hike as it is an easy short hike with awsome views.

Took the Icicle Creek Ridge Trail (#1570) from Icicle Creek Road in Leavenworth. Lots of people on the trail. It started to rain 3/4 of the way to the ridge, but we continued onward.
We reached the ridge and were able to see over into Tumwater Canyon and out overlooking Leavenworth. The views were beautiful--definitely worth it even though it was raining. After making it to the ridge, the rain lessened and we continued on the trail and ran into a couple that told us to that there were some lewisia tweedyi just a bit further--they were absolutely beautiful (pictured). That was our turning around point.
Make sure to go up to the lookout point, a 7-ish minute walk to the right when you reach the saddle/ridge. It's a good place to stop for a snack.
Overall very nice hike.

I hiked the entire length of the Icicle Ridge Trail, from TH to Frosty Pass. For anyone thinging about doing this also, do so with a realization that the two miles around Cabin Creek are unmaintained, unused, and is so overgrown is becomes a miserable experience.

From the TH there are so many switchbacks that the climb to the ridge crest is easy. After hiking further up along the ridge, the route drops down a bit and crosses three small creeks that provided much wanted water. These creeks probably dry up in late summer. Just beyond the creek meadows I saw two brown-water ponds with water also. Two miles further is the highpoint and lookout, a must see. Great view.

Once beyond the lookout side trail the Icicle Ridge trail is small, sometimes faint and hard to follow, and is lost altogher twice in dry meadow crossings. Once starting to leave the high ridge I lost the trail where it drops down, but I went left slightly to find it again. The downhill trail goes to a saddle, then further downhill it becomes hell. This is the area that is over-grown, and is almost impossible to follow through the brush, esp. when the path is completely lost at sites of fallen trees. I can't emphasize enough how hard it is to follow this trail.

Once I reached the valley bottom I was attacked by mosquitoes as I tried to eat lunch near the creek. I once again lost the trail, this time for good. I spent time looking for the trail, backtracking to where I lost saw it, but it dissapeared in the meadow (it turns out the last sight of trail I was on was animal trail, the real trail cut across the meadow right at the meadow/forest border).

I made the decision to make my own trail, crossed Cabin Creek, saw a faint sign of trail (which is wasn't the real trail was downstream 100 yards), and cut straight up the mountainside. This hell, fighting the brush alder was horribly slow, but once above treeline I found myself at the best wildflower hillside. I went side-hilling and found the trail. It was now easy to continue up and over to Lake Augusta. A very beautiful lake.

From then on it was a tough hike, with many passes to go up and over, down, up another pass. Some of the passes are very steep. But all was worth it, the views are awesome! I loved it! Great hike. Lake Edna was a great rest and lunch stop. Ladies Pass was amazing. Frosty Pass is forested and was bug-free. Otherwise, I encountered many mosquitoes along this hike, esp. at Carter "pond".

This was a re-visit of the hike I did last year on June 14th but was not able to complete because of a life threatening injury. On the original hike, we encountered a log on the trail. I jumped on to it, so I could walk along it. I slipped, there was a branch knob, and my leg received an eight inch in length laceration which required 20 stitches. Thankfully the group I was with (Mountaineers) were able to bandage me up and a medic came and I was able to self evacuate.

In any event, this year I wanted to see about completing this hike. For the most part there were no problems on the trail. It was hot out. Lupine, vetch, a little bit of Indian Paint Brush was in bloom. The trail was in good condition, though near the top there was blow down. This is a great early season snow free hike with lots of elevation gain (4,000 +)

I was staying in Leavenworth for the weekend, so thought I'd do a quick hike up the Icicle Ridge Trail. The trails climbs steadily via switchbacks with increasingly better views as you climb higher. Spotty snow started around 4600' and many downed trees started a short distance after. I hiked up to 5480' before stopping to my turnaround point to enjoy the views of Cannon Mtn across the Icicle Creek valley. It would be fun to hike to the Fourth of July Creek Trail and follow down to a second car.

Stats: 4300' gain, 2.3 hrs up, 4.2 hrs RT.

Trailhead is snow free and accessible with any type of vehicle. Even low clearance cars can make it without difficulties. The trail starts at 1200 ft and as of 4/24 depending on your fitness level and desire to challenge yourself, you can make it into a hike or hike/snowshoe. The lower part is completely snow free with first flowers showing up, including balsamroot and lupines. This part of trail is perfectly maintained. We reached snow at 4200 ft and from there used snowshoed. The snow was still deep and soft higher up but with snowshoes we did not have problem ascending or descending this pert. Even though under snow, the ridge is easy to follow. Our stop point was at 5500 ft where we found a very nice view point.