|
Icicle Creek Road
"100 Best Cross-country Ski Trails in Washington"
by Vicky Spring & Tom Kirkendall
|
More Washington cross-country skiing
 |
 |
Open to: all uses
Surface: forest road
Rating: easiest
Round trip: 9 miles
Skiing time: 4 hours
Elevation gain: 780 feet
High point: 2,080 feet
Best: January - mid-March
Avalanche potential: low
Maps: Green Trails Leavenworth #178 and Chiwaukum Mtns. #177
Description:
A narrow valley, flanked by stunning mountains and sliced by a rushing creek that lives up to its icy name, provides a very scenic backdrop for this easy tour up Icicle Creek valley.
The Icicle Creek valley is very narrow and the surrounding mountains very steep. In midwinter, these two factors combine to keep the valley floor shaded and cool, a place where the snow lingers after it has melted from the groomed trails in the Leavenworth resort area.
This is a "shared" road, which means you can expect to see snowmobiles. The most conspicuous are the machines of the homeowners who live upvalley and commute to work and school.
Access: Drive Highway 2 to the western end of Leavenworth, then turn south on Icicle Creek Road. After 4 miles the road ends at a gate. The large Snow Lakes trailhead does winter service as a sno-park. A Leavenworth groomed trail pass is not required to ski Icicle Creek Road; however, your Northwest Forest Pass must be prominently displayed on your windshield.
The Tour: The first thing you will notice as you start up the valley is the scenery; from the serrated mountaintops thousands of feet above to the enchanting snow mushrooms covering the rocks in the river below, this area is beautiful. The next thing to notice is the presence or absence of the snowmobiles that are usually parked in a neat row just inside the gate. These snowmobiles belong to the families who live up the valley.
The presence, or absence, of the snowmobiles should serve as a reminder that you are sharing your road with other users. Be on the lookout for machines at all times; however, these local commuters are some of the most polite and conscientious snowmobilers around, so do not be afraid to take the kids with you.
From the moment you leave the car, the scenery is a distraction. Do not be tempted to leave the road in search of a better view of the creek; walls of snow overhang the river and are dangerous. At 4.5 miles, go left to Bridge Creek Campground (2,080 feet). This sparsely forested camp area makes an excellent lunch spot and turnaround point. Bridge Creek also marks the end of most snowmobile travel. If you wish to continue upvalley, you will probably have to break trail.
Copyright © 2002 Mountaineers Books
|
|
|
