Living Our Dream: Cedar Creek Trail #476

One trail recommended to us by the Forest Service ranger was the Cedar Creek Trail #476. Just about 20 miles from where we are camping in Twisp, up along the Cascade Loop Highway Route 20 towards the national park, seemed like a nice walk. Said about 300 feet elevation, rated easy to moderate, and 1.7 miles long one way to falls. The weather forecast for the balance of our stay said rain every day, chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. We had to buck it up and just do it.

Cedar Creek Trail is shown on map, lower right

Found the trailhead very easily, parked the car and right in front grazing away were 4 deer. They warily watched us, stayed around and fed off something in the gravel dirt, and we packed up/changed into our hiking boots and off we went. There was another car already in the lot, when we got there it was about 9:30am. Early enough that we would avoid the rush - this particular hike is supposed to be family friendly and quite popular.

I see you!

Switchbacks for about 1/2 mile climbing up in elevation, then sorta leveled out and continued on into the canyon. We were hiking in the Sawtooth Wilderness, this same wilderness area flows southward and down to the Lake Chelan area, our next camping spot in a week. We did not see any evidence no matter where we looked of fires, the path was well worn, just wide enough for one person, but you knew others have tread there. And horses. Had rained the night before and we did see deer tracks. At one point Dave said he thought what we were looking at where bear tracks.

Trail moved in and out of forest canopy

Indian Paintbrush

Looking up the trail, saw lots of snow

All of a sudden a mountain biker came by, he said there was another coming, so we waited. Amazing sport! Zoom came by the next person and we continued on. Came up to a huge pile of poop - scat - and Dave said - Grizzly. Great. And very very fresh, really stunk. The bikers came through first and the bear was that close, pooped on the trail, then meandered on. I am sure the bikers would have said something had they seen it. So the Grizzly must have been right by the trail as they zoomed by. Lucky them!

Scat about 8 inches wide, each 'tube' was about 2" in diameter! Huge.

Continued on the trail, got to Cedar Falls, took some pictures, continued meandering up the trail - it would go for another 7 miles if we chose to follow it - looking for more falls and then turned around. By then lots of people were coming at us up the trail and I felt better because with more people, no bears.

Sloped bank down to creek - lots of flowers

On our way back, passed the scat again, and then I got such a fright! Barkley came running along the trail at us, stopped, turned around and waited, then his mom and dad came into sight. I told them that Barkley scared me and told them about the bear scat a little ways up.

Met Barkley!!

Just being in the raw wilderness, truly amazing. Wildflowers, smell of the cedar and pine, birds singing, hearing the creek below us (we were on a ridge), just a lovely day.

Beautiful area

Path just meandered

After getting back to the car, we decided to drive up near Washington Pass and find a place to look out and have our lunch. Saw 4 young folks scouting the area out - lots of waterfalls cascading from the glaciers - and as we got ready to head back, they were pulling out their climbing gear and were going on a hike. Dave thought they may have been rangers and were going to do some field study or something. Regardless, wow.