Icicle Creek and Wenatchee

Day 2 of our road trip to Leavenworth and we awoke to another sunny day and headed to nearby Icicle Creek.  (You can see the story and pictures from Day 1 here if you missed it.)

Icicle Creek originates near the crest of the Cascades and flows into the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth.  This wilderness area draws hikers, campers, and rock climbers.

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It also draws serious backpackers to one of the most popular hikes in the country:  The Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

According to the Washington Trails Association website:  “In the Enchantments, nature has carved one of the magnificent places of this world–an alpine paradise of granite worn smooth by glaciers, larches manicured by wind and cold, and crystal blue lakes strung together by a creek that tumbles and thunders between them. Seemingly everywhere, herds of mountain goats calmly wander by. Superlatives simply don’t suffice, and you quickly find yourself resorting to otherworldly comparisons, just like the early visitors who bestowed place names like Aasgard, Sprite and Leprechaun on the fairytale surroundings.”

We stopped by the trail head to check it out.

No we did not take the hike. It’s challenging for even the strongest hiker and requires a minimum of two days (and that assumes you have the coveted permits, determined months in advance by lottery.)  It’s a hike that every backpacker in the state dreams about doing.  Bob did it once and we have the pictures to prove it.

Enchanting, yes, but not for me.  I never did take to backpacking. I had one failed attempt in high school and never tried again. (But that’s another story.)

After our fill of Icicle Creek we moved on to Wenatchee where we stopped for lunch at the Pybus Public Market and took a walk along the Columbia River.

The paved Apple Capital Loop Trail follows the river and has boat ramps, playgrounds, a railway, and sculptures. My favorite is PED.

Amazing that in just two days time we had covered so much ground, enjoyed sunshine and forests and mountains and flowing rivers all adorned in fall color.  A wonderful time for sure but it’s always good to be back home.

~Susanne