Little Giant Pass — Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024

Great fall colors and views at the top, but mentally prepare to slog through steep viewless terrain for the majority of the hike. The grandest of scenery doesn’t start until the last 20%, or 40ish minutes before top of the pass. WTA report is pretty accurate, but GPS helpful with some less obvious paths.

Shout out to the Wenatchee River Ranger District trail crew for doing recent trail maintenance, as some earlier reports talked about the number of blowdowns making the trail then impassable.

Forest road was ok. Some minor potholes, but very doable in a low clearance sedan. No toilet at the trailhead but there was one or two I saw along the forest road.

The Chiwawa River you ford, and is what blocks this hike from being doable until a small window late summer/early fall, is like 20 steps from the trailhead. Just start off wearing water shoes / flip flops to cross it and change into hiking shoes after. Pretty easy, current wasn’t strong, and rocks were ok to walk on. Got up to mid calf at worst. The chilliness of the river isn’t great in the morning, but felt amazing to tired feet when recross to end on the way back.

Terrain starts off innocently with a gentle enough grade. Then it just gets rude. Steep as anything, but at least it wasn’t rocky scree or anything, where you take 2 steps forward and 1 back. Further insult to injury you descend steeply to the Little Giant Creek (fast flowing water source) losing elevation gain you just worked for, and then start again going back up. All in viewless forest.

In the middle of the hike on a rock face, it does open up a bit with some decent views and is a good place for a snack stop. Little cairns are around to try and guide the way up, but I relied mostly on GPS. Plunge right back into viewless high brush afterwards going steeply up.

Finally you’ll break out of the brush to the scenic views previous reports all rave about. Starts right about where a nice campsite is situated. The fall colors on the hills are vibrant with fiery flames of red, orange, and yellow. Took time ascending these final switchbacks, sniping the plentiful but squishy blueberries right off the trail path. Only one minor crumbly section right before the pass that needs some caution with footing. The top of the pass was extremely windy at the time I had made it, so much so that it got hard to breathe. Views into the valley with the winding river is a nice cherry on top with the previous sundae of fall foliage.

Start: 850 AM

Little Giant Creek: 1020 AM (reliable water source)

Little Giant Pass: 1220 PM

End: 300 PM