Happy New Year! Yakima Ridge parallels the south of Umtanum Ridge. Like Hog Ranch Buttes, it’s inside the vast Yakima Training Center. Manastash Ridge East Peak, on the other hand, is two ridges away to the north.
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Yakima Ridge and Manastash Ridge East Peak at a Glance
Access: Yakima Training Center (access info)
Round Trip: 4.3 miles and 3 miles
Elevation Range: 2840′-4184′ and 2200′-3229′
Gear: none
Route Info: Bob Bolton
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Yakima Ridge High Point
Last month, I went through the lengthy process of getting a recreation card. So I wanted to come back again before it would soon expire. But this time, I only had to sign in and specify the zones for both places. Then we’re on our way.
Later we drove 20 miles to get to the bottom of the hills. Yes, this area is enormous! Only this time, we couldn’t drive up to the ridge as we did on Hog Ranch Buttes. So we started walking from the main road.
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The North Route
We followed a road that wasn’t on my map. But it went south in a straight line up to the ridge. The fresh snow from the past few days was just slick enough to have me start sliding. So I put on microspikes from the get-go.
Next to the road was a fence. Along the way, we would see signs that read “unexploded ordnance do not enter.” There’s nothing more comforting than walking alongside undischarged firearms and ammunition.
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Yakima Ridge Summit
The scenery behind us was constant. Then it expanded quickly the minute we stepped onto the gusty ridge. Though, it was way too windy to enjoy the views. So we retreated to the north side of the crest.
The area looked more beautiful with a new white coat. I changed into dry clothes, and then we explored the top for a bit. Despite low clouds, I could still make out places like Selah Butte and Yakima Skyline Ridge,
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En Route to Manastash Ridge
On a clear day, we’d also see Mount Adams and maybe Mount Rainier. But not today. Soon, we left the windy ridge behind. The sun showed up for a few minutes on our way down. Though, it only cast rays on the other side of Selah Creek.
We still had time to make a quick hike up to Manastash Ridge. So from the gate, we went straight up the southern slopes. The hills looked steeper than it was. Then from the crest, we hiked west a short distance to reach the flat summit.
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Manastash Ridge East Peak Summit and Out
Despite low clouds, most notable places here were still visible. We could see Yakima Ridge, where we were earlier. Kittitas Valley and Interstate 82 were right under our feet. Plus, the west summit was just west of the freeway.
We left the top at sunset. But the 1.5 miles back to the bottom went by in the blink of an eye. Back at the car, I briefly talked to a man looking for a friend’s missing pup in the area. I hope they found that poor dog.
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So beautiful! Wish I were there!