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ragman and rodman Member
Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics Location: http://rgervin.com/ |
These two Backcourt peaks are probably done on separate days if their most popular routes are used... however, by using the Liberty-Beehive road off of the Mission Ridge road, both of these hikes are easily done in a single short day.
From Wenatchee, drive the Squilchuck road as though you were going to the Squilchuck State Park... but just before going through the park gate, turn right onto the paved Mission Ridge road and keep driving until you reach the gravel Liberty Beehive road on the right.
The gravel Liberty Beehive road is also signed as FS 9712. Most of you are probably more familiar with 9712 as the road you use to access Haney Meadow via the town of Liberty or connecting to it via FS 9716 from Blewett (Swauk) Pass and then continuing to Haney Meadow.
From the Mission Ridge road we drove the Liberty-Beehive road 4.1 miles to the Devils Gulch trailhead (~5000')... where the trail wound its way for more than two miles to a junction with the Mission Ridge Trail #1201... which we used for ~.25 miles before leaving it and going cross-country to finish off the last 150 feet of elevation gain to the partially treed summit (4963').
~5 miles roundtrip, gaining 1160 feet of elevation.
Returning to our car via the same route, we continued driving the Liberty-Beehive road for another 2.7 miles to an unofficial trail at ~5800 feet... look for a distinct, though unsigned, path on the left... just before reaching a pullout on the right that is large enough to park a few cars.
After hiking ~1 mile we passed by an unnamed lake, leaving one more mile of hiking to the Mission Peak summit (6876'). Broad, but distant views that included Rainier, the Dutch Miller Peaks, Stuart Range, Glacier Peak, some of the Teanaway Peaks, Wenatchee and the Columbia River.
~4 miles roundtrip, gaining 1050 feet of elevation.
Note that the last 1.5 miles of the Liberty-Beehive road from the Devils Gulch trailhead to the Mission Peak trailhead requires a high-clearance vehicle.
Map and photos of our hike to Mission Peak and Mission Ridge.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
That's a nice snowshoe in the winter too, I saw a new sign by the reservoir / unnamed lake and it is now named, it's "Thea Lake".
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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Leafguy Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 525 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
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Leafguy
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Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:07 pm
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For some reason, having lived in the area for years, I had never gone to Mission Peak. Sunday my wife and I decided to go. Nice short trail with little elevation gain. What great views. The pond on the way up (someone put a sign up proclaiming it "Thea Lake") was frozen. I tossed a baseball bat sized stick onto it and it just made a loud clunk, bounced, and slid halfway across. The ice was very clear and hadn't appeared to be that thick. Too bad the neighbor kid didn't go. I could have had him check it for thickness and depth.
Rob, does the trail that takes off to the left partway up head over to the "Bomber Bowl" part of the ski area? I might have to go back up and check it out.
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tomastaylor Member
Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 90 | TRs | Pics
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ragman and rodman Member
Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics Location: http://rgervin.com/ |
Leafguy wrote: | The pond on the way up (someone put a sign up proclaiming it "Thea Lake") was frozen. I tossed a baseball bat sized stick onto it and it just made a loud clunk, bounced, and slid halfway across. The ice was very clear and hadn't appeared to be that thick. Too bad the neighbor kid didn't go. I could have had him check it for thickness and depth. |
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ragman and rodman Member
Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics Location: http://rgervin.com/ |
Not much... but there was at least one cement block that probably held one of the lookout posts.
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