Beaver Hill and Plain Ridge perch over Chumstick Highway by Natapoc Mountain. The roadway connects the Plain Valley and the City of Leavenworth via an old railroad grade. Meanwhile, it gives access to many beautiful valleys.
See more trip photos here.
For Beaver Hill on Tiger Mountain, check out this post.
Beaver Hill and Plain Ridge at a Glance
Access: Beaver Hill-Plain Ridge Pass
Round Trip: 3.7 miles
Elevation Range: 2260′-3088′
Gear: microspikes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Plain, Washington
The community’s name was once Beaver Valley over a hundred years ago. But the postal service didn’t approve it because it was too long. So the residents requested a more “plain” name, which couldn’t have been simpler.
Yesterday’s last-minute trip didn’t leave us much time to explore. I cut the outing short to be in Wenatchee at a decent hour to start early on Beaver Hill. The trip was also an excuse to visit the 59er Diner on the way home.
See more trip photos here.
Beaver Hill
Beaver Hill is southeast of Plain, one of the few gems along Wenatchee River Valley. It provides excellent solitude and a short, one-mile hike to the top. To the west stands Natapoc Mountain, which doesn’t see many people.
The hill also makes an excellent beginner’s hike because of the short distance and moderate elevation. The 600′ gain over two miles was perfect for the puppy. Then we would explore other places later if we had more time.
See more trip photos here.
North Ridge Route
From the pass, we hiked southwest uphill while hugging the ridgeline. It wasn’t long before we were at the false peak, also the northwest summit. Then it was a quick, 10-minute ridge traverse to the semi-forested summit.
It’s been cold from the get-go, with temperatures in the low 30s. There was snow on the ground, but not enough to break out the snowshoes yet. So I used microspikes to keep from slipping on the sometimes icy trail.
See more trip photos here.
Beaver Hill Summit Views
Beaver Hill stands a little over 2800′, with both summits offering decent views of the area. I could see Icicle Ridge and even the top of The Enchantments peaks. Plus, Plain and the nearby high points were all within our sight.
We also had views of the prominent Natapoc Mountain to the west and Tumwater Mountain to the south. But I couldn’t see to the north because of the trees. In the springtime, a variety of wildflowers would strew the hillside.
See more trip photos here.
Onward to Plain Ridge
Since we still had time, I wanted to explore more in today’s gorgeous weather. So I decided to visit Plain Ridge north of the pass as well. Despite not researching beforehand, I knew the southwest ridge would be straightforward.
After dropping off the snowshoes back at the car, we ran across the road. Then we went back into the trees on the west slope and scrambled. Soon, we reached the ridgeline and walked the road in recent snowmobile tracks.
See more trip photos here.
Plain Ridge Summit Plus Exit
The road bypassed the summit from the north, so we left it and stayed on the crest. Snowshoes would’ve come in handy as we postholed half of the time. But it wasn’t long before we were on the woodsy high point.
Below the top was an opening that looked over Chumstick Highway to the south. So I took a few photos before going back to the road. Then we retraced our steps and scrambled to the car at the pass to finish the trip.
See more trip photos here.