2017/11/23 – Saddle Rock III / 馬鞍岩之三

  • Reading time:3 mins read
Main attraction
Main attraction

Photos from this trip can be found here.

Even east of the mountains couldn’t escape the rain. Mission-Naneum Ridges were still in clouds when we pulled into Wenatchee, so I forwent the original plan and headed up this one of my rainy day go-tos, which we last visited two years ago. As luck would have it, rain came down just as we approached the trailhead.

A brand spanking new parking lot had been put in place since our visit to Rooster Comb in May of this year. People were still out and about enjoying themselves despite the rainy weather. Rather than taking the main trail, pup and I got on one of the muddy side trails and hiked west into the canyon.

Sun at last
Sun at last

Photos from this trip can be found here.

Trail stayed on the right of the canyon until it finally dwindled, then we gradually scrambled our way up to Point 2125 from its steep south slopes. By the time we got to the top, most clouds had dissipated and sun was out in full force. Although the much needed heat was counterbalanced by the forecasted 20-plus mph wind. Nonetheless the sunshine was nice to have after morning’s rain.

Views of the mighty Columbia River gorge and the City of Wenatchee began to open up as we gained some elevation. Clouds never left the Mission-Naneum Ridges during our stay, and everything west of here looked gloomy. From the saddle south of Point 2228, we picked up the main trail and hiked westward to the fence of Hurd Ranch at 2,700′ before turning around.

Pot of gold
Pot of gold

Photos from this trip can be found here.

On the way back, we stayed on the main trail to the saddle rock feature and got a closer look at the views around the river gorge. By now the wind had died down significantly. We joined a handful of people and slowly made our way back to the parking lot on the super muddy trail.

Access: Saddle Rock Trailhead
Gear: none

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