Trail MapsWashington Cascades
By Mike "Started 8/23/04
Check here for Alpine Lakes Wilderness trail conditions, detours & closures.
There are some as of 7/30/9
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/conditions/index.shtml
Lemah Meadows closes Crest Trail
Snoqualmie Summit at PCT Trail Head 5/6/2009...
Found parking lot to Southbound trailhead blocked with snow burm by ski area personnel.
Snow depth at southbound trailhead looks to be about 5' or 6' deep at this time.
Northbound trailhead parking lot still blocked by unplowed snow. Easy 5' deep in shade.
Teanaway Middle Fork & West Fork 5/6/2009
Drove into Middle Fork to Trailhead and found just little patches of snow. River running to high to continue up trail and snow would still be deep in places.
Drove into West Fork to just above Dingbat Creek. Found patches of snow in shady areas and river running to high to continue up trail.
Riding in the Teanaway area is still limited to lower elevations.
Salmon La Sac 5/7/2009
Reports from my buddy Tom who lives at Boulder Creek show the Fish Lake road is only open to China Point because of lingering snow.
Tom figures it will be another 2 weeks before he can drive into his place at Boulder Creek.
Better read this... New for 2009
Weed-free Feed Required in Northwest ForestsMike & Patti were laid up most of 2008. Patti had carpal tunnel surgery done on both wrists and Mike's Dad died mid summer.
So we did not get out any the summer of 2008. We are looking forward to updating the trail reports early spring 2009.
The animals are fat & sassey and will take some time to get in shape. <grin>
The winter windfall has been cut out of the way at least. The Forest Service has put up a road-closed sign at Camp Creek. Four Wheeled rigs have been going on around it and on up to Fish Lake, but pulling a Horse Trailer in there is another story. The pull off for Paddy Go Easy is still snowed in. The trails out from Fish Lake are snowed in also.
I expect the trails in this area to be blocked by windfall for the summer, as the Forest Service is overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done. I would be expecting the same problem all over the Central Cascades trail system this summer.
Chinook Pass
Pictures of Chinook Pass Arch showing spring snow depths over the years. This can give you an idea of why the trails open so late in the year.
I get a feel for when the Cascades will be clear enough for trail work by looking at these pictures.
Chinook Pass-Cayuse Pass Snow Removal Update & Pictures
4/14/2007 I90 PCT Trailhead
Mike & Patti stopped by the Snoqualmie Pass Trailhead for the Pacific Crest Trail.
We found about 6’ of snow on the ground both Northbound and Southbound.
The Southbound parking area is snowplowed right up to the sign where the trail takes of into the woods.
The road into the northbound parking lot has not been plowed.
Below are a couple of pictures at the southbound trailhead.
Picture taken at southbound trailhead spring 4/14/07
Notice top of sign & compare to next picture
For comparison, taken summer 2002 (Notice top of sign)
This picture taken from the trailhead sign looking south down PCT.
4/14/2007
Mike and Patti snowshoed up the North side of Manastash Ridge just North of
Barbra Springs checking snow conditions.
Still to deep for horses...
8/27/2006
John, Janice & Joan rode West Cady Ridge trail the weekend of 8/26-27/2006 and found it in good shape.
That Sunday they rode east to Dishpan Gap, then south on the PCT 4.5 miles to Cady Pass and then back down
Pass Creek to the trucks. They found this 22.3 mile ride to be in good shape also.
7/29/2006
John & Janice rode the PCT from Snoqualmie Summit south to Mirror Lake the weekend of 7/29-30/2006
and found the trail in fine shape. The section from Mirror Lake to Blowout Mt. was cleared by the Cle Elum
Forest Service crew. Patti & Mike are trying to get up and check out the section from
Government Meadows north to Blowout MT.
5/30/2006
CAMPGROUND CLOSURE INFORMATION: Salmon la Sac Campground and Cayuse Horse Camp will be closed this summer to make much needed repairs and updates. Work began in Salmon la Sac Campground in the fall of 2005 with the replacement of the existing bathrooms with new vault toilets. This summer (2006) work will continue to address the aging water system that services both campgrounds.
Salmon la Sac and Cayuse Horse Camp were constructed by CCC crews in the 1930's. Generations of families and friends have enjoyed camping in these campgrounds. The work we accomplish this summer will allow those traditions to continue; hopefully with a higher quality experience. Salmon la Sac and Cayuse are scheduled to re-open for the 2007 camping season.
Please click here for more information.
For more information, please contact the Cle Elum Ranger Station at (509) 825-1100.
Patti & Mike checked this out 5/29/06 and found the Waptus Lake Trailhead open for day riding & pack in parking. (Forest Pass Required)
"Pacific Crest Trail"
2004
7/28/04
Mike & Patti Reid hiked from the road above Olalie Meadows north to Rockville Creek
and brushed the PCT trail out. It was 84 degrees on our way out at 3:30 PM
Talked to Cle Elum Ranger district and they say the trail is clear from Blowout Mt. north to I90 Summit and four miles north of I90 Summit.
Patti & Mike plan to check out the section from Government Meadows north to Blowout Mt. soon... Will keep you posted.
2003
7/5/2003
Mike & Patti Reid and Janice McAllen hiked through from the I-90 Trailhead to Olalie Meadows Trailhead and cleaned trail. The PCT is open for stock in this section. We did hear that there are a few slowdowns south of Olalie Meadows. This section we will get to another day. "Soon"7/12/2003
Mike & Patti hiked south from Olalie Meadows and cleared out the blow downs that the Forest Service told us about. We got rained out that evening and did not make it all the way to Mirror Lake to verify that the trail was clear. The Forest Service told us that the only blow downs were in the first 2 miles South of Olalie Meadows and we did clear them.
On 8/9/2002 Patti & Janice planned to ride from Snoqualmie Pass to Crystal Mt. on the Crest Trail. Mike as support would meet them at Stampede Pass the first night and Government Meadows the second night. Picking them up at Crystal Mt. on the third day. Well 8/10/02 found us unloading and packing up at the I90 trailhead. The girls took off and made it about 150 yards and were stopped dead by windfall. They came back out to the road and went back up to the Crest Trail through the Ski area. Once back on the trail they headed south again. This time they made it just south of Lodge Lake (abt 2.5 miles) and were stopped again by windfall on a steep side hill.
"Mike & Patti plan to clear this area soon and will update this report."
We aborted the planned ride and camped at Stampede Pass riding both North & South from that point. The trail is clear to Blowout Mt. going south from Stampede and clear to Yakima Pass going north from Stampede.
Mike went in on foot the next weekend (8/18/02) and cleared the trail from the I90 trailhead south to Olalli Meadow and the Cold Creek trailhead.
9/6/02 Patti & Janice tried to ride north from Goverment Meadows on the PCT. They got just north of Windy Gap and had to turn back because of windfall. The next day they rode south to Airplane Meadows and managed to get around the numerous windfall. Mike met up with a Forest Service trail crew at Rods gap that was in clearing the trial down to Crystal Mt.
So as of 9/10/02 the PCT will be clear from Goverment Meadows to Bear Gap near Crystal Mt.Mike will be going in to clear from Windy Gap north to Green Pass
the week of 9/9-13/02.
9/10/02 Mike & Vern Fitzgerald went in on foot to Windy Gap and started cutting out the trail North towards Green Pass. After 8 hours & 5 tanks of saw gas we had made it just north the Falls Creek Burn. (about 2.5 miles) Plan to go back and finish to Green Pass this week.
Patti & Mike went the next day and cleared north towards Green Pass. We got stopped by a logging operation just short of Greens Pass. They had the trail blocked with their operation. We reported to the Enumclaw Forest Service Office and they said they would send in a trail crew when the logging was completed and clear on north to Blowout Mt.
9/8/02 Patti & Janice rode the Greenwater Lakes Trail (old Echo Lake Trail) and found it open and in good shape to Echo Lake.
Goverment Meadows PCT Trailhead 9/7/02
