Icicle Ridge

 Drove out to Leavenworth to hike a portion of the Icicle Ridge Trail. We started at the trailhead at 1,200 ft.  We did a 6 mile round trip hike with 1,800 ft of gain.
We heard quail and grouse, but did not see them today.

 The trail is mostly in the forest, with some open meadows.
The balsam root was beginning to bloom.

We could see a snowy peak to the south as the trail continued along switchbacks going up the ridge

 a view of Icicle Creek to the south

 At the saddle the trail splits:
To the left the trail continues climbing Icicle Ridge for many more miles and lots of elevation gain. The upper ridge is still covered in snow.
The trail to the right is a short spur trail going out along the ridge to a good view spot.

The spur trail is about 0.2 miles one way with 100 ft of gain or so.

 There was lots of spring beauty in bloom all along the trail

 looking back down the spur trail to the south and a snow covered Icicle Ridge

 To the east, looking down on Icicle Creek heading towards Leavenworth and the Wenatchee River








Pano to the south and west: Wedge Man (far left), Icicle Ridge with water falls, Tumwater Canyon and the Wenatchee Ridge and Tumwater Mtn

 As we were hiking back down the trail, we saw a couple of deer (zoom photos)

some of the wildflowers we saw in bloom today: