With enough camping and accommodations to handle thousands of people on a busy weekend, Leavenworth draws visitors across all seasons—but especially in summer, when purple lupine torches glow on staggered hillsides in the lingering golden hour.  

At the end of May I hiked the moderate switchbacks of Icicle Ridge with two friends who had driven over for the day from Spokane with their infant daughter and two dogs in tow. By the time we arrived at the trailhead at midday, a line of parked cars half a mile long threaded down from the sanctioned parking area.  

The Spokane friends had to get back on the road before baby meltdown, which left us a window of only a few hours for the hike. I couldn’t think of another close option, and rather than spend precious time surfing the spotty internet for a plan B, we joined the ranks of hikers scampering up and down the singletrack like ants in pursuit of competing pheromone trails. 

Icicle Ridge requires a sustained uphill effort, but a dappled canopy of shade protects hikers from the noontime sun. Physical distancing was easy to manage at first, but soon the hillside steepened, the trail narrowed, and it became impossible to give other parties the recommended 6 feet. A handful of hikers wore masks, and some stepped aside to yield to uphill traffic, as per standard trail etiquette, but most people trundled quickly downward without caution. We stepped off the trail as best we could dozens of times. Constantly negotiating the steady stream of people made it challenging to chat and spend time. 

Icicle Ridge wasn’t even the most transited trail that weekend at the end of May. At the Stuart Lake trailhead, which has become a pedestrian superhighway to Colchuck Lake and the rest of the Enchantments, hundreds of cars were parked illegally on both sides of Eightmile Road—despite “no parking” signs and obvious obstruction of the road. 

Chris Bentley with the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (OWNF), the land agency responsible for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, says this illegal parking creates a dangerous situation for other motorists and makes it impossible for emergency services to get through. OWNF staff has taken to Facebook, begging visitors to respect signage and follow the rules. 

Bentley understands why so many people flock to the Stuart Lake trailhead. “That is such a high use and beloved area of the forest. We realize it’s a favorite for the Seattle metro area for weekends. People all over the world come to backpack in Alpine Lakes Wilderness.”  

But many hikers don’t realize that the parking lot was built to accommodate the appropriate capacity of the trail system. When visitors choose to park in unsanctioned spots, and too many people are on the trail, “there’s going to be erosion, trash, human waste, and sanitation issues,” says Bentley. To make matters worse, overuse in one area degrades the whole system, since money designated for ongoing maintenance has to be used instead to restore prematurely damaged trails.  

Bentley says that overcrowding in a wilderness area is an even bigger issue because “part of its underlying purpose is to experience nature without human impacts.”  

In extreme cases, overcrowding can threaten access to these trails. “If we look at a recreation area and realize we don’t have the capacity to consistently be out there all day every day to monitor and make sure people follow rules, there are instances where we have had to close,” say Bentley. This may be especially true in the age of COVID-19, when overcrowding means physical distancing can’t be observed. 

Fortunately, there are groups in the region doing everything they can to keep trailheads open. Nonprofit organizations have formed to mobilize the local community to act in direct partnership with stakeholders like the OWNF. Jake Leonard is the general manager of the Riverfront Rock Gym in Wenatchee and a board member with the Leavenworth Mountain Association (LMA), which has taken on projects like installing additional toilets in the Icicle corridor and improving ad-hoc climbers’ trails around Leavenworth.  

“The [Icicle] Canyon is trashed at the end of the season,” says Leonard, so LMA hosts an annual Icicle Canyon Cleanup at the end of each season where local volunteers pick up thousands of pounds of trash, including beer bottles, fast food containers, and dirty diapers.  

“It’s scary the amount of impact we all have. If you’re not from the area…you might not see the impact over the whole season,” says Leonard. He encourages out-of-town visitors to “be more active stewards.”  He recommends that everyone pick up trash whenever they see it. “We all leave garbage unintentionally,” he says. “Pick it up so no one else has to see it,” even if it’s not yours.  

Leonard suggests exploring other parts of the forest. “There is a lot more to see in the Wenatchee Ranger District…There’s plenty of space, but the problem is that [one] area gets loved to death while other trailheads are empty or with just a few cars.”  

Chris Bentley encourages getting involved in groups like the LMA, which “can make a serious impact.” Comprised of more than 4 million acres, “the forest can use all the hands it can get. It’s a huge endeavor to keep it functional, beautiful, and biodiverse.” 

The hard reality is that, on many weekends, the answer to overcrowding at places like Stuart Lake or Icicle Ridge is no longer to get there early. The answer is to go somewhere else. “Find your next favorite hike,” Bentley recommends. “There are hundreds of beautiful hikes in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest that are within striking distance. They are absolutely worth the hike and worth the time.”

Summer Hess is the managing editor of Out There Venture. She’s taken up the challenge to find her next favorite Leavenworth hike, which is currently Blackjack Ridge Trail to the summit of Blackjack Mountain. 

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A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to Waste Loop.

Don’t wait…register today! The first 200 paid registrants will receive a custom Vapur Anti-bottle. Early bird pricing ends March 28th. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ogradys-earth-day-5k-tickets-66967641017

Coming from out of town? Celebrate your finish with our O’Grady’s Earth Day 5k package
https://www.sleepinglady.com/hotel-accommodations-5k.php

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Jingle Bell 5K Run: Dress up in festive, colorful attire for this fun-run or walk on Dec. 7 at Spokane’s Riverfront Park to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation.  

Festivals & Tree Lightings: Regional events include Parade of Lights in Missoula (Dec. 7); Wallace Retro Christmas festival (Dec. 7-8 & 14-15); Holiday Fest & Tree Lighting in Pullman (Dec. 7), which includes a YMCA Kid’s Jingle Bell Fun Run; and the epic Christmas Lighting Festival in Leavenworth (Dec. 6-8, 13-15, & 20-22). 

Holiday Lights: Destinations include Manito Park’s Gaiser Conservatory  in Spokane, open Dec. 7-31 (extended dates this year); Luminaria Walk at Yakima Area Arboretum (Dec. 9-10); and Lighted Boat Parade along the Columbia River between Kennewick and Richland (Dec. 6 and 7). 

DIY moonlit fat bike, snowshoe, or cross-country ski adventure. The Cold Full Moon is December 12—also referred to as the “frost” or “long nights moon” according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.  

Christmas Tree Hunt: Cut down your own tree at a Christmas tree farm or make the hunt a National Forest backcountry adventure. Purchase a tree-cutting permit from your local U.S. Forest Service ranger office and follow regulations to harvest your own rustic fir tree. More info at fs.fed.us. (Can also harvest trees on BLM land.)

Ice Skating & Yoga at Riverfront Park: Riverfront Park Skate Ribbon is open daily, with free ice-skating lessons every Sunday, 11 a.m.-noon, and there are free yoga classes at the Pavilion on Tuesday evenings.   

Cross-country ski and fat bike in the city: When there is enough snow in Spokane and many other Inland NW towns, groomed trails may be available at select locations. In Spokane, that includes Indian Canyon Golf Course (ski only), Riverside State Park (ski and fat bike), and Dwight Merkel Park (ski and fat bike). All are free to use, except the state park requires a Discover Pass. More details at the City of Spokane website. 

Night Skiing/Snowboarding: Starting Friday, Dec. 20, Mt. Spokane’s alpine area remains opens for night skiing until 9:00 p.m. (earlier time this year), recurring Wednesdays-Saturdays through mid-March. (Note: Previous years night skiing ended at 9:30 p.m.) Sunsets and summit views of area city lights are spectacular. Other regional resorts also offer night skiing. 

Dress-up like Santa and ski/snowboard for free: On Dec. 21, Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park will host an all-day Holiday Party, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., as well as a Jingle Rails terrain park event. Anyone who dresses in a full Santa outfit receives a free lift ticket that day. Lookout Pass hosts its Santa dress-up and ski-free day on Dec. 22. 

Ski/Ride with Santa: On Dec. 23, Santa Claus will visit Schweitzer Mountain Resort to ski and ride with kids. Then on Dec. 24 he’ll fly to Lookout Pass, and also make time to visit Schweitzer on Christmas Eve for the annual kids’ balloon parade.   

New Year’s Eve Festivities: Watch (or ski in) the Torchlight Parade at Lookout Pass. Fun begins at 5 p.m. (see participation requirements online). Spokane’s Riverfront Park hosts a New Year’s Pavilion Party from 8 p.m.-midnight.

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