We started this early, and were glad we did, because on an 80 degree day it was sure hot on the non-shaded trail on the way down. We were there on a monday and passed just 4 other groups. The wildflowers in bloom are what make this trip magnificent, in addition to the close proximity to Leavenworth. Without the flowers, the burned trees make an interesting landscape, but not beautiful for the majority of the hike. You can see Drury falls off in the distance (seasonal) When you get to the top, head to the right to see more amazing views and overlook the town. The trail in some areas is very sandy on the switchback corners, so good traction is required, but can definitely be hiked in good tennis shoes. We really enjoyed this hike!

Got a bit of a late start and arrived at the trailhead around noon. We had first went to Sauer's Mountain but there were already 46 cars parked there according to Mr. Sauer's son, and he politely asked if we wouldn't mind coming another day. Of course we obliged. Unfortunately we noticed others behind us not heeding his request and still parking. Remember that is private property and he is being kind to allow us to park there! Please be respectful of his wishes! After leaving Sauer's we decided on Icicle Ridge. It wasn't too crowded in the parking area. We had our three kids (8, 5 and 2 yrs old) and our dog. Trail was in good condition and there were still some wildflowers though the balsamroot was dying off in most spots. Beautiful views along the hike, my kids loved seeing how far up they were going with every switchback ;) We spent a nice relaxing hour at the top, having lunch and taking in the views. The kids loved that there were several spots to stop and climb on big rocks to sit on and enjoy the views. Going back down was much faster. Our 5 year old slipped a few times, the trail is dry and dusty so good shoes and maybe trekking poles for the young ones or unsure-footed people would be helpful at a few of the steeper spots. We started around 12:30pm and returned to our car around 4:45pm (with about an hour lunch at the top). Our 2 year old walked herself for about the first hour which gave us a very slow start and rode in the backpack the rest of the way. Great trail for families! Enjoy!

There were a couple hikes I was debating between, but I'm glad I chose this one! It's the perfect time of year to do hikes in Eastern WA, because it's not so insanely hot out and there's still some snow in the surrounding mountains so the views are awesome! We started around 10am and there were a good amount of people on the trail, but by the time we came down around 1pm, the trail was very busy! The trail is mostly just switchbacks, but every switchback lends a better view. Great spring hike :)

I finally had a day off to explore! The trail was in great condition, it was sunny, and not too warm! I kept hiking along the ridge until 4 mile flats (aka hunters flats, or cabin flats) There was a bit of snow closer to the flats, but nothing that would slow you down. My dog came home with three ticks, so be sure to check your dog before it gets back to the car. Happy hiking!!

This was the second part of my day - I arrived at the trailhead around 2pm, after hiking Sauer's Mountain in the morning and having a bit of lunch. Overall, I'd say this trail is much less interesting than Sauer's Mountain. It was most certainly dryer seeming with fewer flowers (by the way… I probably am preaching to the choir here, but don't pick the flowers…. I saw several discarded "bouquets", abandoned after they'd wilted or the picker got tired of carrying them…) The views from the top were OK, but the most expansive ones are over the town. For a weekday afternoon the trail was fairly crowded with noisy and often inconsiderate people - HELLO yourself trail runner…. uphill hikers have the right of way…. and I'm guessing weekends would be far busier and because the trail is all a series of switch backs up a single face it's not even possible to escape around a corner or down a side trail. The saving grace was that no one behind me figured it was worth more than just summiting and heading back down. I walked along the ridge to the right and found a quiet little wildlife sanctuary. There were a fairly large number of birds and a rather photogenic little chipmunk over there.