We wanted to rack up some miles for exercise and conditioning while checking on the wildflower progress in the Northern Wenatchee Foothills area to include Sage Hills and the Horselake Reserve area. There are many options for the distance and destination of your choosing with all the trails that have carved up the place. I remember parking off Broadview and hiking cross country via the long North Ridge leading to both of Horselake's summits but that was then and this is now.
We started at the bottom of Horselake Rd. under generally overcast skies which persisted the whole day with accompanied cool West winds keeping a fast steady pace in between the stops for pictures hiking Southernly over all into the Sage Hills area and not to far from the Day Drive TH before turning back North and following excellent trail around the contours of the terrain eventually heading up onto Horselakes North Ridge at around 3000' where we took lunch at the top with good views slightly below the ridge after 6.8 miles. There still remains some sporadic snow at that elevation with areas of mud but generally good trail travel while at low elevations we saw early Balsam Root and plenty of Buttercups, Yellow and Blue bells, and a few Spring Beauties. We dropped down off the ridge and over to the Glacier View trail following it around back by the old homestead and ending at the Reserve TH. It looks like everything is ready to bloom once the rain subsides and we get some more sunshine. Good time as always 11 mi, 2500' r/t.
We started at the lower Horselake Rd. access to Sage Hills hiking North to South.
Sporadic Balsamm Root along the way at lower elevations.
You have to love the open trail and views we were making good time and miles but the cool wind and general overcast dulled the landscape and mountains to the West.
We had lunch on the lower North side of a highpoint Twin Peaks North side had snow and there was sporadic snow above 3000' on the ridge with wet areas and mud.
Looks like a good leg stretcher! I read in the paper that they are extending another loop off the Glacier View trail. Did you see any evidence of that work going on up there?
I don’t know if they need another trail the number of trails out there is cutting up the terrain Steve said he didn’t see some sections of trail on the existing map but they are there and reproducing.🤔
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