[anonwums]

I'm hoping to head out this weekend. I'm struggling to find something that meets my ideal criteria 1) Not snowed in. I don't want complicated navigation or technical gear 2) Reasonable distances per day, 10-15 miles 3) Within a 3.5 hour drive from Seattle 4) Road passable in 2 door Honda Civic. We take this on many potholed FS roads, but huge car-eating potholes aren't going to work 5) Ideally not entirely flat. If you can find a beautiful trip, I'd be willing to forgo this In a month, it will be very easy to find dozens of there. Not so much now. I've checked out the Teanaway but can't find any route that isn't really short. There's always the Olympic coast, but that's really pushing the driving distance. Icicle Ridge seems like an awesome choice... but just did it.

[payslee]

Head down to the Gifford. If you have a car shuttle, A quartz Creek / Lewis River trail 3-day trip is delightful, with lots of old growth and swimming opportunities. Or the Siouxon Creek area has loads and loads of backpack loops possible - although from Seattle your drive time might be higher than you want. Or if you want fewer trees and more meadows, the Goat Rocks must be melting out by now. -payslee

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I don't know what crossing Ingalls Creek would be like currently, but that trail is approx. 15 miles 1 way to Stuart Pass and has numerous intersections w/ trails that head up into the Teanaway. Some of those trails might be overgrown or close to non-existent now, but looking at a Green Trails map I have I see 6 intersections prior to Stuart Pass--Falls Creek, Cascade Creek, Hardscrabble Creek, Fourth Creek, Turnpike Creek and the climbers approach route linking Longs Pass to Mt. Stuart (Fourth Creek and Longs Pass are probably the best bets of all of those). There is an extensive network of interconnected trails throughout the Teanaway and numerous options for fairly easy off trail travel along ridge lines. Also the on again off again remnants of the County Line trail that runs along much of the Teanaway crest. I haven't done it all at once, but I've covered most of the distance from Stuart Pass to Navaho Peak by a combination of existing trail and x-country. The miles are there to be had if you get a bit creative. (note--looking at WTA TRs there is some blow down to contend with during some portions of Ingalls Cr., but sounds like crews have been up there working on the trail) Check out a recent TR for Estes Butte/Old Gib. Basalt Ridge/Garland Ridge in the same vicinity. Probably patches of snow but mostly melted out.

[Foist]

Waptus Lake. You could also loop over Polallie Ridge but that will probably still have some snow, at least on top of the ridge.

[Foist]

[joker]

If you get creative in the Teanaway, you could get that mileage no problem, either by combining various trails in a big loop or doing some portion off-trail to connect separate trails to form a loop... [edit: I see OTIUTB beat me to it, and with more detail to boot!]