On a smoky and brutally hot day in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, I took on what I thought would be a moderate hike. The Icicle Ridge Trail, climbing to the top of Icicle Ridge, is a steep climb, but compared to what I had been doing all summer, I thought it would go by quickly and be a nice, chill day on the trail! What I didn’t factor in was the unforgiving conditions!
Feeling lazy, I didn’t start the hike until around noon, and by then it was well into the mid-90s! In the shade, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad, but this hike is extremely exposed to the sun, and combined with thick smoke, it turned out to be an absolute killer!
Miles/Elevation:
5.1 miles
1,755 feet vertical gain
About Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest:
Located along the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest stretches from the Canadian border in the north to the Goat Rocks Wilderness in the south, a distance of about 180 miles. This huge national forest contains over 1.7 million acres of land ranging from 1,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation!
The forest contains 6 different wilderness areas, providing massive amounts of open land for recreational activities. Hikers alone are presented with nearly 1,300 miles of wilderness trails! Recreational opportunities here are nearly limitless, no matter what you come here to do!
Getting To The Trailhead:
The trailhead accessing the Icicle Ridge Trail is the appropriately named Icicle Ridge Trailhead. Located on the outskirts of the city of Leavenworth, the trailhead is reached via a paved city road.
First reach Leavenworth by taking US-2. On the western outskirts of Leavenworth, turn onto Icicle Road from US-2 heading south. Continue on Icicle Road as it heads out of Leavenworth for 1.5 miles. After 1.5 miles, turn right onto a paved access road. There is a trailhead sign here. Continue into the forest away from the road for a couple hundred feet. Here, you will enter a round, gravel, parking area for the Icicle Ridge Trailhead.
The Icicle Ridge Trail:
Starting Off:
At the trailhead, you’ll find yourself in a pretty thick stand of forest near the base of Icicle Ridge. The trail leaves from the midpoint of the round trailhead parking area, and sets off on a gentle incline. Enjoy the gentle nature of the trail here, because it won’t last for long!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
After only .3 miles, you’ll hit the first switchback of the day, and from there, the trail only gets steeper! While switchbacks always signal a steep climb, the incline here actually isn’t too bad at the start. Switchbacks do take the worst of the bite away from steep ascents, but you’ll still be climbing solidly right from the start!
There are plenty of black bears in Washington so make sure you’re bear safe!
After a short stint through the dense leafy forest near the trailhead, the environment very quickly opens up to more open terrain: overgrown, leafy forest abates, and scattered pines become dominant. You’ll never fully leave the trees on this hike, but you will spend the majority of your time in direct sun. While that could be a positive in the cold, the near 100 degree temperatures while I was hiking made the exposure a definite negative!
The one plus side of having not much for tree cover is the near continuous expansive views of Leavenworth and the hills beyond. You’ll be looking east, away from the high peaks of the Cascades, for the entire ascent up the ridge, but the hills beyond Leavenworth still make for a decent backdrop.
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Once you hit the first switchback at about .3 miles, it is more or less constant switchbacks for the roughly 2 miles to the ridge crest. Sometimes they’re really tight, and sometimes the actual switchbacks are spaced well apart, but you’ll always be climbing and you’ll always have another switchback to look forward to!
The Second Half:
About half way up, I hit a wall. I had climbed nearly 1,000 vertical feet in about a mile and a half in roughly 100 degree temperatures, mostly in direct sunlight, through a thick blanket of smoke. The conditions were absolutely brutal, and I seriously thought about turning around.
Heat and heat related illnesses are no joke. People die every year from heatstroke and heat exhaustion, so it is something to take very seriously. Recently, a family died because of heat on a hike in California. Be very cautious in the heat!
I decided that rather than immediately turning around, I would instead take a breather in the shade, have some food, and drink some more water. After a fairly long breather, I felt better and decided to push on.
I think it’s important to mention that I knew I could turn around and have a downhill hike all the way to the trailhead. If I had a climb out, I probably would have turned around even earlier. Be cognizant of what is still ahead of you on a trail and factor that into your decision making.
After the break, the conditions didn’t really change much as I continued climbing, but I did feel a bit better, and my legs felt quite a bit stronger! As I approached the ridge and really started to get close, I noticed a change: I was back in the shade! As you begin to approach the ridgeline, the forest becomes much thicker, and I had shade once again!
On The Ridge:
Once I was back in the pines, it was a short final push to the crest of the ridge. Once at the crest, you’re rewarded with a really cool view looking west into the mountains right up a valley containing the Wenatchee River! However, the climb isn’t quite over! For the real deal, you’ve gotta continue to the right to the far end of the ridge!
This final little push along the ridge crest only has you gaining around 70 feet of elevation, but I was absolutely worked! However, I pushed through and made it out to the end of the ridge. In better conditions, I think this would be a really cool spot. Views to the left look up the canyon; views to the right look over Leavenworth; and views straight ahead look far out into the hills! However, the smoke clogged skies obscured a lot of the far off peaks.
After hiking out to the end of the ridge, I actually headed back to where the trail gains the ridge for a break because there is much more shade. After another lengthy break, I started back down to the trailhead.
Hiking Out:
The descent actually went really quick. The climb was absolutely brutal, but hiking down took no effort at all! The entire descent is only like 2.5 miles, so it’s really not a long trail, and while it is steep, the trail is actually pretty well built, making for easy walking. After a hot but relatively quick descent, I was back at the trailhead and ready to get back into air conditioning!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 7/10
This is a solid hike in the foothills of the Cascades, and while the views could be nice with clear conditions, I don’t think they would be exceptional even on the clearest day. Good not great views combined with a steep, unforgiving trail, just doesn’t seem like a 10/10 hike to me. Maybe with better conditions I would give this hike an 8/10, but I don’t think it’s anything spectacular, and there are much nicer trails in the area.
Pros:
- Nice views
- Easily accessible
- Well made trail
Cons:
- Very steep
- Brutal heat in summer
- Better hikes around
Alternative Hikes:
Canyon Crest Trail to Boundary Butte
Iron Bear Trail #1351 to Teanaway Ridge Trail #1363
When To Hike The Icicle Ridge Trail:
This trail probably could be hiked all year round, if you’re willing to strap on snowshoes during winter! If you’re not a snow person, this is a 3 season hike.
The Icicle Ridge Trail is at a low enough elevation that it won’t be snowed in nearly as long as the high peaks and valleys of the Cascades. I would expect to be able to hike this trail relatively snow free from sometime in April or early May, all the way to October or November.
I actually don’t think summer is the best time to hike this trail. It gets extremely hot at these lower elevations, so I would recommend hiking here in spring or fall. For the best chances at good weather and snow free conditions, I would personally recommend May or September!
Links For Further Reading:
Icicle Ridge — Washington Trails Association
