Hex Mountain

Beautiful sunny day, we drove to the east side of Lake Cle Elum to hike up to Hex Mountain, 7 miles round trip with 2,600 ft of gain
Great place for social distancing, we saw 5 other hikers as we were coming back and the "trail" is very wide. Snow firm packed in the morning and starting to soften up in the afternoon, We used micro spikes about the last 1/2 up to Hex Mountain. Trail starts on logging roads. Although mostly snow covered, there were large areas with bare dirt and rock along the way.

view near the summer trailhead sign

Hex Mountain, our route goes up the left ridge.

Looking part way down the ridge to Cle Elum Lake

some peaks to the northwest

Mt Stuart seen through the trees

last bit up Hex Mountain is steeper that it looks

northward to Mt Stuart

southwest to Lake Cle Elum and Mt Rainier













Pano from atop Hex Man from Mt Stuart to Mt Rainier

Wildhorse Canyon

 We drove out near Temple Mountain to hike the Wildhorse Canyon Trail from the Behind the Reef Road. We stopped to see two pictograph sites on the way.
The first site was shortly after entering the Behind the Reef Road, on the side of this large rock formation.

 The pictographs here were very faded and difficult to get a good photo.
The figures appear to be holding hands
















The second site is about 1 mile along the Temple Mtn Road and is signed.

 The figures are up high on the cliff

 About 2.5 miles down the Behind the Reef Road is the Trailhead to Wildhorse Canyon. The trail follows the wash, we went down about 3.75 miles to where there is a pictograph site before returning. The hike totaled 7.5 miles with 450 ft of gain, including going up to see the pictograph

 The wash goes between cliffs/open areas through the San Rafael Reef

 I love the textures found in the sandstone cliffs

 drop off into the first slot along the wash (all of the slots we saw can be bypassed)

 Nice little slot

 The morning sun was blocked by the tall cliffs of the San Rafael Reef

 There was some water from the recent rains into the depressions leading down into the second slot

 It was pretty easy getting down into this slot

 lots of nice texture in the slot

 The wash goes through a narrow section of the Reef

 We looked down into the third slot, I did not think I could fit through the narrow opening, so we did the hike around.

 I did look down into this third slot from the other end and

















walked back to the north end, a large boulder is blocking the entrance.
















 Continuing down the wash

 The pictographs are located in a shallow alcove under the ledge about 90 feet above the wash.

We approached the alcove from the side

From the cliff under the alcove looking down, this is a very steep rock face.

 We were not able to go up into the alcove (too big of a step up for me).
There are some figures on the column on the right side of this photo and off towards the left under the overhang.







zoom of the main panel of pictographs taken from below the ledge

 figures on the column

 looking out towards the end of the wash
After coming down from the pictograph site we took a lunch break and returned back up the wash.

 some views along the hike back

 There were some wildflowers along the wash

 water collected in the depressions in the sandstone

 arch in a large boulder

one of many lizards we saw today

some of the wildflowers we saw along the way today: