Rooster Comb overlooks the City of Wenatchee. It’s also right outside the eastern border of the Dry Gulch Preserve. From the top, one can also see the mighty Columbia River stretching across the valley.
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Rooster Comb at a Glance
Access: Saddle Rock Trailhead
Round Trip: 2.6 miles
Elevation Range: 1060′-1920′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface
The pups and I stayed in Wenatchee after yesterday’s trip. So we could make use of another warm and sunny day. I wanted to find something low key for the dogs. But I also wanted to try someplace new in the Wenatchee foothills.
It’s our first time up Rooster Comb, and it was surprisingly empty. But the neighboring Saddle Rock, on the other hand, was busy with early risers. We found several paths and a jeep trail winding through the northern slopes.
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En Route to Rooster Comb
We first hiked down Dry Gulch Road. There we got on a trail before going through the second gate. The steep path first went up the northwest-trending slope. Later it crossed a dirt road at 2100′ below the high point.
The high point had a great view of the city. So we stayed for a while before going down onto the jeep road. From there, we walked northeast.
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Bypassing Rooster Comb
Later we walked past a resting garden snake past the saddle. Soon after, we startled a rattlesnake in the shrub. So right away, I changed my mind about going up to the summit.
We met a horse rider on the way back. Mary was part of the Appleatchee Riders club. She rode her blue-eyed 12-year-old female horse, “Snoop.” So the dogs got the chance to meet one close up.
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Meeting an Equestrian and Out
Mary told me about the rules of private versus public land use in the area. Glad I had met someone knowledgeable like her. Otherwise, I wasn’t sure of places off-limits to hikers.
Mary also mentioned that the City of Wenatchee is building an 80-space public lot. So that explained the construction I saw earlier. It was next to the existing “privately-owned” parking area.
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Outro
Too bad we couldn’t make it up to the top. But I’m not a fan when it comes to reptiles. But we will go back again when the weather isn’t so warm!