Manastash Ridge — Sunday, May. 18, 2014

This is a short and sweet early season quad-crusher with plenty of spectacular views. To reach the trailhead, take 90 to exit 101 and head south (right, if coming from the west/Seattle) on Thorpe Highway. In about two miles, turn right on Cove Road and follow this to the end (little over 4 miles). We arrived at the trailhead at 1:15 and started up the most popular route, the Westerberg trail. The trail is exposed and steep almost immediately, so be prepared for the elements. The trail climbs deliberately and consistently at about a 20% gradient most of the way. In just under two miles, we climbed 1,640ft of elevation gain according to the GPS to reach the top of the ridge. Despite poor weather, the snow-capped Stuart Range rewarded us with pristine views most of the day and was definitely the highlight of the trip. Although, a variety of vibrant wildflowers still speckle the trail and surrounding hills, making this an excellent Spring training hike. Once on top, trails and roads branch out in several directions for exploring, some of which can be used to loop back to the trailhead. We hiked in rain most of the way up and down, and the trail was quite muddy and slippery as a result. Good traction was sufficient, but given the steepness of the descent, it could have posed footing problems for some hikers. Including some recreational exploring on the ridge we returned to the parking lot at 2:20.