Headed up Miller Peak trail on July 4th and encountered only minimal patches of snow starting around 4500'. Fabulous balsam root bloomed along the upper ridge. The turnoff for the County Line trail was throughly snowed under -- if you don't know where you are going, you should wait for a less snowy year. We followed the trail along the ridge top in and out of snow fields -- there was a healthy cornice hugging the north side of the ridge. We camped on the first main ridge that peels off the the south of the Wenatchee Mt ridge amid snow fields. The next morning we continued on and encountered just one couple coming down from a glissade off Navaho Peak. We picked up the trail on the south side of Navaho and hiked in fairly continuous snow (6000') to Navaho Pass and descended to find a lot more snow in Stafford Creek (and at a much lower elevation) than we had encountered on the Miller Peak trail (amazing what a slight change in aspect will do for snow melt). Stafford Creek trail was wet and snowy and from the trailhead we looped back to our car at the Miller Peak TH to end a great two day trip. A trip not to be attempted without an ice axe, a topo, and good sense of direction.

Weather was Gloomy in Seattle so we headed east on Sunday to the Wenatchees for beautiful, hot, sunny weather! We didn't see any snow below 4,400'. Snow patches are fairly common by the time you reach the trail junction at 5,000'. Snow pretty much becomes continious and the trail mostly disappears when the forest thins at and above 5,400'. The hike up Navaho is straight forward - in the absence of a trail, just go straight up it! Views of the Stuart Range, Earl Peak, and the Brothers were great. Managed to glissade for about 2,000' on the way out. 5 hours up, 2.5 hours down. Saw two other parties. The trail is in great shape with few blow-downs.

We headed east to escape the seattle rain and decided to try our luck with the Teanaway River. The trailhead is approximately at 3000' and we hiked 4 miles up to the junction (@ 5000') with the trail that heads west over the ridge. We walked another 1/4 mile or so on the main trail toward ""Navaho Pass"". After a short scramble up the side of the ridge to a bluff we turned around and went back. Except for the last 1/2 mile or so before the junction, the trail is free of snow and blowdown. There are several areas that show evidence of avalanche, (lots of cracked off trees) but nothing blocks the trail. All in all it is a nice creek to walk next to and the forest has occasional clearings that allow you to view the surrounding ridges. As for that half mile or so of snow before the junction, be careful. The snow lies in patches ranging from 8' across to 25' or 40'. Most are the smaller variety and shallow (2 to 3 feet). Some, however, pass over running water and are quite hollow inside. I discovered this the hard way after I marched over a rather large one (with some evidence of holes in it) and abruptly broke through. I landed on my feet, although I now stood about five feet lower than I was a second ago. My head poked up through the neat round hole I made and I had to realize that, yes, I still do stupid things. Anyway, after the 4 mi. junction the trail swithbacks up the ridge some and leaves most of the snow behind on the vally floor. I would imagine the trail stays snow free for a while but views up the valley revealed a lot of snow, so I would think there would be more snow to encounter before reaching the pass. The valley has a lot of character to enjoy, just be careful with those innocent looking piles of white stuff.

My wife and I typically avoid hiking Memorial Day weekend, but the weather had given us so few opportunities we decided to explore the Teanaway and day hike to Navaho Pass. A quick call to the Cle Elum Ranger Station confirmed Forest Service Road #9703 was open to the Stafford Creek Trailhead. Our local Starbucks was closed at 6:45am but QFC lattes seemed to do the trick as we drove to Cle Elum on a perfect Sunday morning. 29 Pines Campground was packed, as was every possible nook & cranny on Stafford Creek, with Memorial Weekend Car Campers. At the trailhead we met several parties preparing to snow camp at the basin and hike to Navaho Pass and beyond later that evening under the full moon. The lower section of the trail starting up Stafford creek is in rough shape. There are lots of blowdowns and the trail is erroding on the steep hillsides above the creek. Snow patches across the trail start immediately, and increase with frequency and duration until constant at 4,000'. Snow depth increases from four feet at 4,000' to 6' at 5,000'. There is a tricky stream crossing at 4,000' that requires a short uphill trip and a journey across a rotten log to get across. At 4,200' there is the remains of an early season avalanche that crosses the trail. The avalanche started about 1/4 mile up a steep gully and snapped all the trees in its' path about 100 yards wide. The final stream crossing at 4,800', just after the trail turns west to join the Standup Creek trail, was crossed on a snowbridge. At the junction with Standup Creek we saw the previous party setting up their tents and relaxing as they waited for evening and the full moon. As my wife and I proceeded we followed the tracks of an elk all the way to the pass. Just below the pass we came across another snowcamp of three climbers who had spent the weekend summiting Navaho Peak and the Brothers. As usual the views to Little Annapurna and McClellan Peak were awsome, even in the increasing haze of the afternoon. What took six hours to ascend took a little over three hours back to the trailhead. I always seem to forget how streneous going uphill in snow is. As evening approached the upper portion of the North Fork Teanaway River Road was packed with grazing deer and elk. I am still amazed at how much wildlife call the Teanaway home. All in all, a great day.

This section of the County Line Trail is significantly drier and more up and open than the section to the west. This is not a hike for folks who like well-delineated and marked trails, or gradual ascents and declines. This is a ridge of elevation gains and losses. You should know what you are doing, and bring a good topo. The 4 mile hike up Miller Creek was quiet and empty. Although the trail is open to motorbikes, I heard and saw no evidence of their recent presence. It is well-used by horse riders, but no tire tracks were visible. Around 2 miles up the trail you pass the final running water source for around 7 miles on this loop. The trail opens to views as it heads up the ridge toward Miller Peak. The County Line trail veers off this main trail at various points just around and after the intersection with Trail #1226 which heads east and south toward Bear Creek. When I attempted this trip July 4th weekend 1997, there was still patchy snow on Miller above 5700 feet (and good sources of water).But not this time in August. There is a nice little campsite right nearby the intersection of these trails and a vague trail begins there to take you out to the County Line Ridge. I had hoped to do a no cook dinner camped on the ridge but the combination of a day's heat and strain required me to drink most of my two quarts, and so I pushed on to Navaho Pass. Half the time the trail goes right up along the ridge. The other half it tends to favor the west side of the ridge. On one occassion in going over its highest point, a 6400 ft rock knob, there is a trail that skirts over the shoulder on the east side. The pass just below that knob to the west is an astounding moonscape of sand and serpentine and basalt. I had hoped to find springs here but there were none visible. From this point any scratch of a trail that I thought I was following seemed to vanish and the way up this fairly steep ridge of talus and sand a bit more challenging. There IS an etch of a way that switchbacks up through the rock and deposits you up on top of the ridge 1/4 mile from the trail to Negro Creek and Navaho Pass. Keep your eyes open; it too is a lightly dented path. From there it was just a mile to Navaho Pass and springs and streams just below off the meadows. From the Miller Creek trail to Navaho Pass, I figure that it was around 4.5 miles, not much in distance but a lot in effort. It took me 3 hours to complete that leg of the journey. Had there been snow for water, you could spend more time exploring comfortably. Stafford Creek was fairly quiet. I only encountered three other parties on my hike out on Sunday in the low clouds that set in over night. I am pleased to say that except for small sections at the beginning and end, I have now hiked the full County Line Trail. It is a great stretch of wilderness which I hope remains an unmarked trail. Total Loop: 16 miles