Kachess Ridge
Hiked 2010-05-29
Overview
Kachess Ridge is a hike near Lake Kachess, about an hour and 15 minutes east of Seattle.
Notes
The trail follows a ridge in the Cascades up through a fairly typical northwest forest. As a consequence, it is fairly rocky, and in May it's early in the season so it's muddy as well.
To the north as you hike up the ridge, you can see another ridge across a canyon. You may be lucky and catch some mountain goats which frequent this area. It may be a wise idea to bring binoculars for goat-sighting.
It is sad that a number of trees have died in this area. I am not sure whether it is an insect, fungus, or perhaps something else that caused it.
Since this whole area (and most of the central Cascades) was subject to a high amount of glacial activity, you'll frequently come across rock deposits like the one pictured below. These are rather common.
The trail also skirts above the creek that feeds Lake Kachess in certain parts. This creek is still rushing pretty fast in May.
After awhile, you are above the tree line.
The ridge affords great views of surrounding areas. There are similar views closer to Seattle, such as Rattlesnake Ledge, Little Si, or Mailbox Peak, but Kachess Ridge has the advantage of being less traveled.
If you're ever camping at Lake Kachess, Lake Easton, or any of the other nearby camping areas, it's worth taking the trip up to Kachess Ridge for a hike.
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