So, this trail isn't quite the Umtanum Creek Canyon trail, but it's the closest match I could find. We started off heading on the Umtanum Creek Canyon trail, but right after the bridge we crossed the stream and went up what appeared to be a game trail to the right. It's steep and rocky, but it eventually goes to the top and starts to flatten out. Then soon it merges with what appears to be an old road. After about a mile, we just cut over to the left to get a view of Umtanum Canyon from the top. Stunning! There isn't really a trail to speak of that we found, but you can just explore the area and get continuous views of Umtanum. Eventually, we found a passable slope and headed back down and returned to the starting point via the normal Umtanum Creek trail. It's not the fall peak yet, but there was still some color.
The Canyon trail is always quite beautiful, but getting the view from above was even better. For lack of a better name, I'm calling this the Umtanum Creek Ridge trail (which is different from the Umtanum Ridge Crest trail).
I'd like to find a lot more hikes like this one, but these aren't in the guidebooks, so am open to the suggestions of those who specialize in this area!
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