Mount Baldy, WA, USA
As I was visiting my beloved Washington state last weekend, I couldn't help but fit a bit of hiking into the packed weekend. The constraints for choosing the hike were pretty limiting: not too far, not too high, something with a view of the mountains, something new. Unfortunately, "not too far" usually means hikes along I-90, of which there are plenty of very similar ones.
However, this weekend's hike to Mt Baldy has shown me that there is a lot of Washington state that I haven't seen yet. It provides an alternative view at the valley from the one you usually see from Bandera Mountain, Mason Lake or Granite Mountain hikes.
Finding the trail head can be a bit of a challenge. Once you leave the parking lot, almost immediately after there is a large sign with no mention of Mt Baldy on it. Right before the sign, there is a trail veering towards the river - that's the one you want. If soon after reaching the river you get to cross it via a bridge - you are on the right track.
What I particularly liked about this trail was that you start getting the views pretty early on the way up. Starting with the views of the lakes:
Kachess Lake:
Cle Elum Lake:
and then of mountain ridges on the other side (I believe, that's Easton Ridge - there is an alternative hike exploring it that starts from the same trailhead):
Honestly, it's quite unfair of the ridges' to boast their beauty this way... :)
Wildflowers were in direct competition with the gorgeous views of the mountains:
The only part that I did not like about this trail was its steepness. There are almost no switchbacks at all, and closer to the top the trail stretches at the 30 degree angle. 1000 feet per mile is what you should expect on this trail:
But it's so worth. It's always so worth it... :-)
However, this weekend's hike to Mt Baldy has shown me that there is a lot of Washington state that I haven't seen yet. It provides an alternative view at the valley from the one you usually see from Bandera Mountain, Mason Lake or Granite Mountain hikes.
Finding the trail head can be a bit of a challenge. Once you leave the parking lot, almost immediately after there is a large sign with no mention of Mt Baldy on it. Right before the sign, there is a trail veering towards the river - that's the one you want. If soon after reaching the river you get to cross it via a bridge - you are on the right track.
What I particularly liked about this trail was that you start getting the views pretty early on the way up. Starting with the views of the lakes:
Kachess Lake:
Cle Elum Lake:
and then of mountain ridges on the other side (I believe, that's Easton Ridge - there is an alternative hike exploring it that starts from the same trailhead):
Honestly, it's quite unfair of the ridges' to boast their beauty this way... :)
Wildflowers were in direct competition with the gorgeous views of the mountains:
The only part that I did not like about this trail was its steepness. There are almost no switchbacks at all, and closer to the top the trail stretches at the 30 degree angle. 1000 feet per mile is what you should expect on this trail:
But it's so worth. It's always so worth it... :-)