Spring Hiking On a Brand New Trail - Cashmere Canyon Preserve, 5.14.21
It seems like it’s been quite awhile since my last hike here at home in Washington. But Spring has sprung and being between all these RV trips I had time on my hands and itchy feet (not from Athlete’s Foot!). My friend Greg Dilley and I are set for a seven day backpack trip to the Olympic Mountains in early August so we wanted to get in as many training hikes as possible before that trip. With most of the high country still buried in the snows of Winter, finding snow free hikes can be a challenge, especially because everyone and their uncle are doing the same thing right now it seems. But luck was upon us and Greg came up with a great one for today.
He happened across some information about a brand new trail that has only been open for less than a month. It is called the Cashmere Canyon Preserve and it is located on the drier, warmer eastern slopes of the Cascades. This trail system was a joint cooperation between several local ranchers and the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust. It had been in the planning stages for several years but finally came to fruition and last month it opened to the public with several inter-connected trails that allow up to a twelve mile double loop with over 3,000’ of elevation gain. With no big public announcement, we had the chance to be some of the first people to explore this new trail system. Even better, there are very strict rules that no dogs, motorized vehicles, drones, bicycles or horses are allowed on the trails. It is meant for us purists, the hikers. Can I get an amen? Amen!
We left Lake Stevens at 5:45AM and arrived at the brand new trailhead (complete with a brand new outhouse) at 8:15. The trail was mostly made up of an old roadbed that wound its way two miles up to a saddle through rolling flower covered hillsides. There is no shade on this hike and it would be a real drag in the heat of summer but at 8:30 in the morning in May it was warm but just fine. The real beauty of this hike at this time was that the bright yellow Balsamroot and the purple Lupine were out in full force and in spots it looked like a sea of yellow covering the hillside. As we climbed higher the still snow covered peaks of Mission Ridge came into view.
Looking up from near the trailhead
Lupine covered hills
Balsamroot
Lupine
Tons of flowers!
At the saddle we came to a junction. This is where the trail splits into two loops. The northern loop encircles a large hill and is a little over three miles long. We chose the southern loop which had an option to climb to two high points along the trail. This loop traversed a hill and then gradually descended as it wrapped around to the south side of the mountain.
Lots of fuzzy moss on the trees here
Balsamroot
As we wrapped around the trail eventually began to climb once again to the north and led us to a prominent point called Little Bear. Another half mile down and up put us at the high point of the trip on top of a point called Sunrise. This point had a few big pines for shade to sit under and eat our lunch. To the east we could look down on Highway 2 as it heads along the Wenatchee River. Further east was the city of Wenatchee. To the southwest we had really great views of the incredible Enchantment Peaks. It was a sublime spot for a lunch break.
McClellan Peak, Little Annapurna and the Temple in the Enchantments
Cashmere Mountain
Greg on the Sunrise Point
Fields of Balsamroot
We didn’t do the northern loop so all in all I think the hike was about seven miles and 2,800’ of elevation gain. It was just right for what we were looking for. During the peak of the bloom this place would be a photographer’s dream at sunrise or sunset. Hmmm…