Hiked up the Cady Ridge trail from the Little Wenatchee "Ford". Set up camp in an old, slightly off-trail site, about half a mile short of the PCT. Quick side trip to Lake Sally Ann. Headed back down the same way next day.
Road Conditions. Driving the paved section of the Rd 65 required some care as there were occasional bumps, missing bits of pavement, and poor visibility due to encroaching brush. The last couple miles were unpaved and rough (a high-clearance vehicle seemed like a good idea, as well as AWD if there's any chance of rain), but was at least thoroughly brushed out. The trailhead at the end of the road has space for only about 6 cars, plus another 6 or so on the side of the road before the turnaround is blocked for horse trailers (didn't see any), or parts of Rd 65 are turned into a one-way road.
Trail Conditions. A dozen or so blowdowns, but all but one were small-to-mid-sized and easy to step over. The one tedious blowdown was on top of the ridge, and required some climbing or crawling (or a long detour). There was a half-mile section of trail that lead straight up the ridge and that had some loose dirt and rocks, but nothing as bad as a typical climber's trail. There was running water near the bottom of the ridge, a few trickles half a mile before reaching the PCT, and of course at Lake Sally Ann. Some lingering patches of snow, but none to speak of on the trails.
Ripe Berries. 2 ripe blueberries; unlimited quantities are still a few weeks off...
Highlights. Meadows with plentiful wildflowers, including a lot of Sitka valerian and pink mountain heather. One fat marmot in the talus above our campsite.
Bug Status. Lots of small, non-biting flies on the way up. Manageable amount of mosquitoes on the ridge late and early in the day.
Crowds. Encountered a dozen or so parties on the trail on the first day, and saw people camped just below the PCT junction as well as at Lake Sally Ann. The parking lot was overflowing both days.
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