We liked this hike. The lookout is manned and the views are great. We liked the meadowy trail up. Five miles round trip is shorter than we like, but 1800 feet vertical gain is good for some exercised. This is a good hike to do late in the day. The lower trail is smooth and distinct - perfect for headlamping. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the view and chatting with the fire ranger, we watched a fine sunset on this crystal clear day, then we headlamped out. This would also be a good early-season hike; we imagined it would be excellent with early flowers and some snow. By the time we got out, the Roslyn restaurants most Cle Elum restaurants were closed. We ended up at the Sunset Cafe in Cle Elum. The food was excellent.

A perfect day and perfect road to get the new truck dusty. There are no trees across the trail, but the Knox Creek Trail is moderately to very brushy and the Kachess Ridge Trail is slightly to moderately brushy in a few spots. Aster, pearly everlasting, cow parsnip, lupine, paintbrush, buckwheat (no spanky or alfalfa though), harebell, butterweed, and Queen Anne's lace were in flower. Fritillary and unidentified white butterflies were out. Mountain quail were seen. Sky was scattered clouds with moderate to warm temperatures. A breeze over most of the route kept the bugs at bay.

This is a short hike in the Cle Elum Lake area to a functioning fire lookout tower. The trail is a bit brushy but overall is in good condition. Lots of nice flowers along the way, but many are now getting beyond their prime. No snow. No bugs today due to cool wind. The ranger at the lookout was very friendly. He indicated that the bugs were quite bad until 2 days ago. I had fun using the sighting scope to identify peaks. Unfortunately there are lots of ugly high elevation clearcuts in every direction otherwise this place would be a primo destination. 5 mi RT, 1800ft.

The bugs are gone and fall is in the air. Flowers are way past their prime but the berries are a few weeks away yet. DAR (my hiking partner was home for one weekend then he's away again for a month) and I headed east for an easy hike up Knox Creek to Thorp Mtn. Lookout. A cool wind greeted us at the trailhead and never ceased. The trail switchbacks up a meadow, rounds a corner, then climbs steeply up a meadowy basin, traversing the basin head to meet the Kachess Ridge trail on the ridgetop. A short jaunt along the ridge and the lookout comes into sight, then disappears. Traverse a steepish slope (the lookout sits on a rock outcropping above, out of sight). The trail is sliding out in two places, but nothing dangerous. Switchback up the hill to the junction with the lookout trail in a small saddle. Several hundred feet of switchbacks suddenly deposit you almost at the lookout. The flag was snapping in the breeze and for the first time in a few months all the extra clothing (long sleeve shirt, vest and windjacket)came out for the long lunch stop. High clouds occasionally obscured the sun and light was flat for photography. We lingered long enough for DAR's traditional nap and to make our traditional stop at the Village Pizza in Roslyn.

JULY 24, 2000 – KNOX CREEK TRAIL #1315.1 / THORP MOUNTAIN TRAIL Green Trails Kachess Summed up in one word, today’s trek to Thorp Mountain was…phenomenal. Not in length, not in wildness, and not necessarily even in beauty. But to get on top at the lookout and find it staffed, and then be invited inside for a look around was a real treat that I have not experienced before. More later…. The drive to the trailhead is fine, even if one does get tired of some pretty badly wash-boarded areas in the seven-mile gravel road portion. Gary and I chose to access the Thorp Mountain summit and it’s lookout via the Knox Creek trail so we could spend more time with the vast wildflowers in bloom rather than with more mileage to get to the summit via Thorp Creek’s approach. It was very hot heading up the steep grade below the cliffs enroute to the Kachess Ridge trail, and that wore on us a bit. But we were always in flowers the entire way, and once past the Thorp Lake overlook area along Kachess Ridge, the last ½ mile up to the 5864’ summit of Thorp Mountain was out of this world. Solidly packed with wildflower color, the trail winds steeply up short switchbacks and around and under rock outcroppings, with the only vegetation being the small alpine trees and flowers! I listed no fewer than 28 species of wildflowers in this short stretch alone! Of particular note in larger than normal quantities were Columbia Lewisia, Paintbrush, Small-flowered Penstemon, Coast Penstemon, Davidson’s Penstemon, Arrow-leaf Buckwheat, two species of Stonecrop, Bluebells (down lower near the trailhead), and on and on. Upon arriving at the lookout, we found ourselves alone but for a wonderful individual with the USFS, John Morrow. He was moved in staffing the lookout, and his friendly sidekick Zoe, the energetic puppy black lab, was happy to give us a tour. Not being able to turn down such an invite, the next 45 minutes turned into a vast photography opportunity for myself, getting close-ups of the inside of the lookout. Of particular note was the photo session of John and Zoe working hard watching the numerous areas toward Pollalie Ridge and east toward the Blewett regions where last weekend brought recorded lightning strikes. They are keeping a close watch on the strike areas for any potential problems that could come in today’s wind and warmth. I owe a hearty thank you to John for the private tour, and for allowing me to add special images to my files of his home on the mountaintop, and him (and Zoe of course!) busy at work. I’m eager to keep my end of the deal we made: to mail him a package with memorable images of his life up there – especially the ones where Zoe was “on lookout” with him looking east from a rocky ledge, with lookout and over a dozen named peaks in the background! It was a quick hike back down, and a burger at The Cruise In in Roslyn topped off a long memorable day for both of us! Alan L. Bauer 7/24/00