Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 12260 | TRs | Pics Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:36 pm Tronsen Ridge 6/14
From Blewett Pass summit, take Five Mi. Road (on the right if coming from Cle Elum) about 3 miles to the trailhead. The road is rough and brush is encroaching. It not only will scratch your vehicle (I personally don't care about that), but it obscures any pullouts that are available in the case of meeting an oncoming vehicle. The ruts seem to have gotten worse this year, but choose your line - Jim straddled most of the ruts (well - his car did) and he made it just fine in a fairly low clearance Subaru station wagon.
This trail is in full bloom. Tweedyii Lewisia, mariposa lillies, columbia clematis, tons of penstemmon, and locoweed in it's pod stage were the showcase of the day.
Thunder boomed overhead and we waited to see if it would pass us by. It did - we ditched our trekking poles along the trail in case another thunderstorm came along. It did, and we waited that one out, too.
At one point, Jim came up to us and announced, "well it's been about 20 minutes since the last - "
BOOM RUMBLE BOOM BANG!
So we had to wait another 20 minutes.
We turned around at the cliffy spot, making it an 8 mile RT day.
Gorgeous flowers on this trail. Many in full bloom and will be beyond prime soon, but more still on the way.
The trail will be opened to motorized use Monday Jun 15. I've never had an issue with motorbikes, so that would not deter me from going - so go!
-------------- "The next couple of miles smelt like burnt turkey and kept reminding me of thanksgivings with my ex-wife. "
chris-mbhc, NWHiker's Bulwer-Lytton contestant for 2011
-------------- ♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 1992 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle, WA
Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:23 am
Nice!! My dad and I really enjoyed our trip there last weekend. Looks like there are only a few new additions in the flower realm since last weekend, notably the alien pods (aka locoweed) and Old Man's Whiskers...of course I might have just walked by them too.
RE: the road condition...I had assumed that this road was unmaintained given that it is not listed as a "good gravel or 1 lane asphalt" on Green Trails and rather "other gravel or dirt road." Big bummer because this is a trail that would see a lot more use if you could get to it more easily...
Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 12260 | TRs | Pics Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Mon Jun 15, 2009 12:46 pm
Thank you for the photo compliments. You'd have to work pretty hard to get bad photos on Tronsen Ridge. The rumbling thunder was a big treat to me. I love the sounds of Nature (the birdsong on Tronsen Ridge is among the richest and varied).
Re the road: I just thought of something. Unless there's logging to be had (nope), I guess it's not reasonable to fix the slumped portions - they'd have to blast into the cliff to fix it. Perhaps the slope isn't stable enough for a grader (those are lateral cracks).
But they could brush it - I assume they have the machines to do so...? They probably do so every few years.
-------------- "The next couple of miles smelt like burnt turkey and kept reminding me of thanksgivings with my ex-wife. "
chris-mbhc, NWHiker's Bulwer-Lytton contestant for 2011
Egads...I didn't count the pics....sorry for posting so many.
First...we didn't even get to the TH before the photos began. We had this fear that we might not see tweedii on the trail. Then, when we got there...right away, Kim's flopped on the ground next to the car taking pics. Then...ten minutes up the trail...more flopping. I came up with the idea of calling the trail and people shots on this trip "stumps and rumps"...saw lots of them.
Stumps and Rumps
Lots and lots of pics on this trail. We hit it at peak. Awesome!
Flowers!
Finally...for you Quark...
Stats: RT to Lichen Rock is about 8.5 miles and 1,885' gain.
-------------- I found it. I found it! I found what comes after the "..."
PiB, that's a damn fine Drink A Mug A Milk Emile truck shot! Especially since you only had a few seconds to grab your camera. Oh, and the flower shots are nice too.
My little ol' Mazda sedan made it up this road in 2003, but was scraping bottom in spots. I called the Cle Elum R.S. to complain. They said this road is actually in the Leavenworth district but is kinda like a neglected stepchild , off in the corner all by itself. So I called Leavenworth and, sure enough, no one had ever even heard about the Five Mile Rd. It would be a minor tragedy to lose access to those flowers, so if enough of you call, maybe.......
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Sooooo tweedelicous!! Great photos 
, off in the corner all by itself. So I called Leavenworth and, sure enough, no one had ever even heard about the Five Mile Rd. It would be a minor tragedy to lose access to those flowers, so if enough of you call, maybe.......
