Chumstick Mountain in Entiat Mountains is an old heliograph lookout with nearly 2000′ of prominence. The newly finished 5600′ high road on June 26, 1931, was the highest within Wenatchee National Forest. It soon grew famous with sightseers and “spooners.”
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Chumstick Mountain at a Glance
Access: Derby Canyon Road
Round-Trip: 2 miles
Elevation Range: 4950′-5810′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface
Chumstick Mountain has been on the back burners because of the long roads. One can drive to the top without leaving their car. So it’s long been an appeal to the public for a quick glimpse of the area.
To prepare for the following day’s climb, the pup and I went to the peak for a conditioner. In turn, it would allow me to cross it off my list finally. Apart from potential windfalls on the road, it’d be a direct drive.
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Derby Canyon Road
Lower Derby Canyon Road was rough past the residential area, So I drove slowly and wound through canyon ridges. Then road conditions improved past 3200′. En route were many spur paths, so I kept my map in hand.
Without snow, one can drive straight up to the top, like how it was today. But we needed exercise, so I parked two miles south of the summit after a tedious 13-mile drive.
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Chumstick Mountain Summit Views
Straight ahead of where I parked was a bike trail. So we hiked it to avoid the lower roadway. Then from the top of the path, we walked one mile on the road up to the summit.
A convoy of SUVs and jeeps was leaving when we arrived. Glad we could at least enjoy some quietness given the popularity of this place. Soon, two bikers came up, and I chatted with one for a while.
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Outro
A dozen or so big cars came up later. But not before the pup and I left to hang out by the south ridge. But the group only stayed about 15 minutes, so we went back up and enjoyed more solitude.
It was a hazy day with some views to the west and the south. Low clouds had obscured The Enchantments to see anything. Afterward, we hung out in Leavenworth before going over to Salmon La Sac.
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