[Sculpin]

The Chelan-Douglas County Land Trust has been at it again. The low mountains that rise north of Highway 2 between Leavenworth and Wenatchee, part of the Entiat Range, are simply sublime in the spring bloom. Carpets of bright flowers and stunning panoramas of the Stuart Range. It used to be that I had to bushwhack to these places, but now there is pretty much a trail on all of them. Most were built by mountain bikers with all that entails (zoning out is dangerous!), but some are motorcycle and some were built just for hikers. This one is the latter. The Land Trust worked out a deal with private landowners to open part of a 2,000+ acre reserve east of Cashmere to the public under a conservation easement. There is now a big parking lot, privy, and signboard to welcome you to "Cashmere Canyons," as long as you don't plan on using your bike or bringing your dog (they seem to be pretty serious about the no-dogs policy, you have been warned.) The trailhead is three miles up the Nahahum Canyon road out of Cashmere. The signboard describes a rare plant in the reserve:

Signboard in the parking lot

...so of course we had to look for it, and of course it was my wife Lynn who found it:

Delphinium xantholeucum

The hike begins on a closed ranch road in shrub-steppe that has been grazed to oblivion, with an impressive collection of alien weedy grasses. Balsamroot, the flowers spent by this time, pokes through but not much else. As you get higher up the road, the vegetation consistently improves until there is little evidence of grazing damage at the top. About a half mile in, we spotted a happy population of Lazuli Bunting in this thicket (no bird images, sorry, I have the wrong camera for that).

Where the Lazuli Buntings play

The road continues up at a perfect grade for old bones, through ever-improving scenery.

Serene

Portrait of a Lupine

Near the ridgeline, there was a spectacular display of Phlox speciosus and balsamroot.

Springtime, and the living is easy

The main road/trail from the parking lot reaches a junction at a saddle. Both options from here lead to very scenic loops along the ridge. The panorama did not disappoint.

Lupines galore

Crag views

The balsamroot are still perfect up top, but don't wait!

[Hiker Mama]

Thank you for this review! Does the grade stay good for old bones the whole way? Did you see/hear any rattlesnakes?

[Sculpin]