2. Carry out human waste and toilet paper —even on day hikes. “We strongly encourage people to bring bags… The reality is that even when you’re hiking for a day, you can’t always control when nature calls,” says Chris Bentley with OWNF, the land agency responsible for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.  Human-waste bags are available for purchase at your local gear shop or online. 

3. Stay on designated trails—especially on trails that receive a lot of traffic. “Wandering off trail inevitably leads to unofficial trails, and those cause erosion issues,” says Bentley. “Also, sensitive plants in alpine high step area don’t bounce back like they do on the rainy west side.” 

4. Plan for contingencies and hazards—even if you’re only out for a few hours. “I can’t tell you how many horror stories I’ve heard of people showing up with flip flops and a 20-ounce bottle of water, ready to do a 10-mile hike. That’s totally unwise,” says Bentley. He stresses the importance of hiking with the 10 essentials and being equipped to spend the night out if something goes wrong. 

5. Be honest about your skill level—even if you really, really want to do a specific hike. “Just because you’ve heard from a friend that there’s a beautiful view doesn’t mean that you are prepared to take that journey to get there,” warns Bentley. The most common rescue situations happen when people who aren’t prepared try a hike that’s beyond their ability and they get injured, tired, or sun stroke. “We do have instances of people losing their lives because they were not prepared.” 

Check out the Recreate Responsibly website for more information about outdoor recreation safety.

Read more about the hiking in the Central Cascades region in this story from our July-August 2020 issue, “Loving Leavenworth.”

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Jessica Stoller with the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce is optimistic that visitors will be mindful of social distancing practices while enjoying both the town and recreation. “We know that things are a little different from what we are all used to; we also know it takes a little more patience to adjust to these new protocols. Just know that we are working hard to be fully open and provide a great experience for all those visiting.” She explains that shops are open and restaurants can accommodate both dine-in and take-out experiences.   

“We are still the same beautiful, friendly town that will be smiling at you when you visit; we’ll just be smiling from behind a mask for now,” says Stroller. 

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• Fourth of July: A steep but beautiful 5-mile trail climbs 5,000 feet to the top of Icicle Ridge. Turn left at the top and go 1/2 mile to the site of an old fire lookout.  
• Chatter Creek: A 5.5-mile trail that gains 3,800 feet into a beautiful alpine basin and ridgetop. 
• Blackjack Ridge: A steep 3.5-mile climb of 4,000 feet through shady forest and then an open alpine ridge with some of the best views of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. 
• Icicle Creek: A mostly flat, easy trail through beautiful lush old growth. 
• Round Mountain and Nason Ridge: The Round Mountain trail climbs steeply for 1 mile to join Nason Ridge Trail. Turn left for a more gradual 3 miles to Alpine Lookout with great views of Lake Wenatchee, White River and Little Wenatchee valleys, and Glacier peak. 
• Rock Mountain: A steep 4-mile and 4,000-foot climb to the site of an old fire lookout. The trail passes near beautiful Rock Lake in an alpine basin. 
• Lanham Lake: An easy day hike of about 3 miles round-trip. It enters a nice stand of old growth forest to reach the lake and views of Jim Hill Mountain. 

Originally published as “Find Your Next Favorite Hike” as a sidebar to the “Loving Leavenworth” feature story in the July-August 2020 issue.

Resources for more trail information:

• Washington Trails Association website
• Day Hiking Central Cascades – guidebook by Craig Romano and Alan Bauer (photography), published by Mountaineers Books.

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The Access Fund is pleased to announce that they have acquired Alphabet Rock and Icehouse Boulders in Icicle Canyon outside Leavenworth. This conservation project is the result of a collaboration among Access Fund, the private landowner, local partner organizations, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The property will soon be transferred to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, marking another success story for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).  

The 11-acre private property includes Alphabet Rock and the Icehouse Boulders, as well as the initial access path to Givler’s Dome and outlier crags on adjacent USFS lands. Together, these granite cliffs and outcrops feature more than 40 historic cracks, slabs, faces, and hueco-filled roofs, ranging in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.13, as well as dozens of challenging boulder problems. The prominent 250-foot Givler’s Crack, Dogleg Crack, and Meat Grinder are just a few classics that have attracted climbers since the 1970s.  

The Access Fund now owns the parcel as a short-term holding, using funds from its Climbing Conservation Loan Program (CCLP). The same loan fund and conservation strategy enabled Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC) to acquire the Lower Index Town Wall in 2009. Since then, the Access Fund has loaned approximately $3.2 million to 27 climbing areas across the country. Now, the Access Fund will transfer the property to Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest later this year to permanently protect the area as public land. The USFS has secured federal LWCF dollars to complete the property transfer. Right now, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering permanent, dedicated funding for LWCF in the Great American Outdoors Act, which recently passed the U.S. Senate with bi-partisan support.   

“Historic crags like Alphabet Rock and Givler’s Dome have been a cherished resource to climbers for half a century,” says Leavenworth Mountain Association (LMA) Board President Alison Miller. “Protection of this parcel is an essential part of LMA’s work to conserve and steward climbing areas and natural resources throughout Icicle Canyon.”

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