Friday, October 14, 2011

Wandering an Icicle gorge

Location: Leavenworth

Distance: 4 miles

Elevation gain: 150 feet

Propelling my parents back into nature called for a special hike so I took them to Leavenworth and scouted out a short stroll through a diverse conifer forest. It was drizzly and gray as we hit the trail and veered left, opting to head downhill first. Icicle River was churning beside us and although the heavy fog blocked our views of the surrounding peaks, we had an up-close view of the trees changing yellow, orange and red for fall.

After crossing a sturdy bridge and admiring the natural carvings on the rocks below, we headed upriver and began working our way on a loop around a gorge carved by the large tributary of the Wenatchee River. The flatness of the walk allowed lots of opportunities for admiring the dark fir stands and pines. We peeked over several viewpoints to the river below and eventually crossed Jack Creek and found ourselves at a mostly deserted campground. We picked up the trail again a little way down the road and continued downstream until we found the car.

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