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Icicle Ridge
This spectacular hike runs on the Icicle Ridge route, near Leavenworth, Washington. During the summer, crowds can plague the more popular lake basins, but if you make it up early or late, you will most definitely not be disappointed. The hike can be done from any number of entry and exits, but we did the route using the most common trailheads, and made a loop hike out of it. (The hike we did is covered in "100 Hikes in Washington's Alpine Lakes" published by The Mountaineers, and can be found on Green Trails Maps Number 176 and 177) Starting out from the road end, the first 6 miles or so runs northwest up the relatively flat Icicle Creek valley, and can be completed quite quickly. Due to high use, you can only camp in designated spots (this applies to the entire hike). The first camping possibilities are at French Creek, but it's best to continue past as this place is a zoo in the summer. A good place to camp on night 1 is just beyond the bridge over Icicle Creek, about 6 miles in. Just beyond this camp, by about 100 yards, you encounter the trail sign for Frosty/Wildhorse Trail #1592, and leave the peaceful forest floor for high country views. 4.5 miles of constant ascent, past a few pretty camps in the valley and at Lake Margaret puts you at the first of three named passes, Frosty Pass. Stop and enjoy expansive views, north to Glacier Peak, and south to Mts. Daniel and Hinman. Savor the views of the Icicle Creek valley, now 4 miles and 3,000 feet below. At this point, one can turn northwest toward an unmaintained trail to Upper Doelle Lake and Stevens Pass, or follow the well trodden trail eastward (Trail 1570) toward Lake Mary, a well-regarded base camp in the shadows of Snowgrass Mountain, the dominant peak along the hike. Lake Mary is about 1/2 mile off the trail, but is worth a side trip at the least. Several small, beautiful camps lie near the outlet and in the basin; pit toilets are available here also. No fires above 5,000 feet!! Continuing east from Lake Mary (there is a hard-to-find trail that allows one to skip re-walking the trail into the Lake), we rounded the southern flanks of Snowgrass and up and over Mary Pass, the second pass of the three pass trip. Views on this section are astounding, all the way south to Mt. Rainier, and sweeping expansively over the peaks to the east and west as well. From Mary Pass, the next lake, Upper Florence Lake is visible, along with Grindstone Mt. and the Spanish Camp Creek basin. Upper Florence Lake is a wonderful, gewel-like lake set off the main trail and down several hundred feet. Several mind-blowing camp sites are situated between the little lake and the lip of the valley. The best views from camp on the whole trail are here, but so is one of the windiest sites this author has camped at ever. Be prepared, and in the event of incoming weather, forget it. Sunset from this lake is magnificent. If the weather turns on you, there is a trail to Lower Florence Lake, in Spanish Camp Basin; the lower lake is about 1,000 feet below the upper lake and in a sheltered area. There is apparently a way down and out through the Spanish Creek drainage; this trail is shown on old forest service and mining claims maps but doesn't appear on Green Trails. Use caution. Continuing east out of the Florence Lake basin, we rounded yet another drainage into Spanish Camp basin and proceeded to the last named pass, Ladies Pass. Views to the north up the Chiwaukum drainage are worth a stop for lunch. From Ladies Pass, we continued up a rather frightening (for those not fond of exposure and heights) side-hill traverse of Cape Horn Mt., and down into the Lake Edna basin. Lake Edna is the most barren basin of all, sitting in a small, north-facing cirque, and presents the last real camping opportunities in the high country. From Lake Edna, you continue east, crossing several small cirques and ascending to yet another, unnamed pass, to the junction with the Chatter Creek trail (# 1580). The descent down Chatter Creek trail is short and sweet, but steep, accomplishing in 5 miles what the Icicle Creek and Frosty Pass Trails do in 9! Probably not a fun trail to walk up, but the horsemen enjoy laughing at those of us on foot. Several good camping sites present themselves in the valley below the head wall, and after descending the valley, you drop out onto the Icicle Creek road, about 3 miles from the original entry point. Several trails connect to the trail head, but at this point hitch-hiking seems like a great idea. Finding yourself back at the trail head, head back into Leavenworth and treat yourself to a brew. You've earned it, and completed a classic route through the central Cascades. We completed our trip in late September, when the leaves were fully aflame with red and yellow, and the skies were still blue and clear. Saw four people in five days, and two of them were USFS rangers.
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