Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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47.28490°N / 120.44°W |
Route Type:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Summer, Fall |
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Time Required:
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Less than two hours |
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Overview
As I mentioned on the front page, you could hike up through the ski area if it were formally allowed or during the ski season, you could possibly ride the chair lift up to the top and then snowshoe over to Mission Peak from there. There are probably other ways to get this peak but the way I went up worked really great and that is the Old Lookout trail. When the lookout was established in 1935, a trail was created that led up to the lookout from the north side. Today, the trail is bermed so that 4WD or ATV's don't go up it and it has no trail sign or indication that it is the old trail. In fact, the first time Eric Noel and I drove the road, we missed it and ended up wasting about an hour before we backtracked and found it. I'll give you the GPS coordinates and you'll have no problem finding where the trail is. It is easy to miss otherwise and yet, if you are looking for it, you can find it without a GPS by studying the map closely. Still, we missed it the first time.Getting There
Refer to the text on the front page to get to Wenatchee. From the south end of Wenatchee, take the Mission Ridge ski area road and the Squilchuck State Park signs and follow the road up past Wenatchee Heights. Just after passing the turnoff for Squilchuck State park and a turn off for Scout-a-Vista, watch for a road that takes off to the right, just prior to a hair pin turn. The GPS coordinate for the road is HERE.When you bring up topozone, go to the 1/24,000 scale and you'll see the road more clearly. The road rapidly gains elevation from the road you just left at 3400 feet and also twists and turns alot as it heads towards the Beehive
Reservoir and you'll pass a signed turnoff (on the left) for the Beehive Spring Campground, a barebones campground with a few spots to camp at. Continue past the Beehive Reservoir and stay left at the next two junctions. At the next junction, stay left again until at the 4800 foot level, you'll go from heading south to heading west at this POINT just beyond BM 4840 on the map. The road swings back south again and then as you get to around 5400 feet of elevation, it trends back to the west. The "good" forest road deteriorates a bit HERE
Continue on to this point HERE and look for a spot to park. Room enough for two vehicles on the north side of the road, opposite the berm that marks the lookout trail. You can do this without a GPS of course but if you do use the GPS, you will find that a good adjunct to the topozone maps I have just linked to.
Route Description
The trail begins near BM 5868 on the map and heads south past a pond on what was once a jeep track. Continue on up the track until it becomes a single lane path and you'll have no problems following the trail unless snow is still present. Should that be the case, study your map and the way should be relatively easy to pick out as it goes southwest until it hits a switchback HEREThe trail then heads south east directly to the peak.
From that switchback, it is less than a couple hundred yards to the final bit before the summit.
Easy hike, figure on two hours round trip not counting summit wanderings and less than 3 miles. Elevation gain was under 700 feet so you could take someone who doesn't want to do a big hike on this one. The road in gets rough in a few spots but unless you have low clearance most vehicles shouldn't have a problem.
