Hike of the week: Views return to the Teanaway with summer weather

We had unfinished business in the Teanaway. Recently we got skunked by snow on the Jungle Creek Trail and were unable to make a loop via the Way Creek Trail. A return was in order to finish the other end of the loop, starting from Way Creek.

Four of us squeezed into Bob's car and headed over Snoqualmie Pass in November-like weather. It felt like winter when we stopped at the Cle Elum ranger station for an update on the Jungle Creek Road; on our last visit, a portion of the road had slumped and a tree had blocked the road about a half-mile from the Jungle Creek trailhead.

The ranger station was closed for a staff picnic. We thought it was a lousy day for a picnic, but we wished the best for them and continued to the Jungle Creek Road and, hopefully, the Way Creek trailhead.

The Jungle Creek Road had melted out, but the potholes were getting worse, so we parked just short of the slump. Good news: The road is free of snow, a work crew has removed the tree, and cars can squeeze by the slump.

However, we didn't want to hike back to the car to drive farther just to get stopped by a bottomless pothole, so we kept hiking. We were a little grim at hiking the road in the rain except for Bob, who was delighted with the scented, shrub-lined road. Flowering currant, trilliums and serviceberry border the road; the rain made the vegetation intensely green, almost psychedelic.

By the time we reached the Way Creek trailhead at 3,600 feet, the rain had let up, so we stopped for a snack. The combination of food and improving weather encouraged us and we were eager to continue.

The hike starts off uphill on a steep and muddy Jeep track with deep ruts where vehicles have driven. Convenient side trails weave in and out of the track -- a little kinder to hikers than the road and not as slippery. As we climbed, more flowers appeared -- mertensia, ballhead waterleaf, arnica and lupine, all sparkling with diamondlike water drops.

The road becomes trail in a heavily wooded area that has been cleared of downed trees. The forest soon thinned out and on a clear day there would be views, but with heavy cloud cover on our day, views were minimal. Sadly, many of the conifers at midelevations seem to be dying, with rust-colored needles, a result of insect infestations.

The flowers are oblivious to the troubled forest, and we saw Indian paintbrush, arnica, desert parsley and lomatiums. The trail grows stony and narrow as it contours around a rocky hillside. Snags covered with neon-colored moss look like monsters out of a fairy tale.

After crossing a small snow patch, we topped out on the ridge crest at 4,800 feet. Here hikers can make a loop back to the road via the Jungle Creek trail (turn right to do so), but we could see snow chutes crossing the trail, and recent reports indicated that much of that route was still mostly under snow.

We were not prepared for a snowy hike, so we hunkered down for lunch before exploring further. On a clear day, there would be good views of the Stuart Range, but given the cloud cover, all we could see were glimpses of nearby ridges, some bare, others partially under snow.

Where the snow has melted out along the ridge crest, we spotted more flowers, including glacier lilies and smooth douglasia, a sure sign of impending summer.

There wasn't much time for further exploration, so we turned toward Malcolm Mountain (left), following a very faint path toward a rocky knob where a few lichencovered pines seemed to hold the rock pile together. We were tempted to follow the ridge to a higher point but were past turnaround.

As we retraced our route, the sun tried but failed to materialize. At times we hiked in clouds, at times in drizzle. By the time we were back at the car, we were hungry and fought over the M&Ms as we headed back to civilization and the November-like weather at the pass.

There is hope for hikers tired of the snow. Most of the snow should be gone within a couple of weeks of good weather, at least in the Teanaway. Then experienced hikers with route-finding skills can study the map for loops, obscure summits and one-way hikes with a car shuttle; there are options aplenty.

In summer, be prepared to encounter horses and motorcycles on the Way Creek Trail and the Jungle Creek Trail. The trail is multiple-use; only ATVs are prohibited.

If you walk the road, it is 1.5 miles between the Jungle Creek trailhead and Way Creek trailhead. If you start from the slump, add another half-mile each way.

IF YOU GO

Getting there -- From Seattle drive east on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass to Exit 85, east of Cle Elum. Cross over the freeway overpass and turn right onto state Route 970 (north). Continue about five miles and turn left onto Teanaway River Road and continue until the pavement ends (about 13 miles) at 29 Pines Campground. Turn left just beyond the campground on Road 9701 (Jungle Creek Road) and continue to the Way Creek trailhead at 3,600 feet (no facilities). If the slump before the Jungle Creek trailhead concerns you, park beside the road and continue on foot to the trailhead. From the slump it is about a half-mile to the Jungle Creek trailhead (3,000 feet) and 2 miles to the Way Creek trailhead at 3,600 feet (there is 600 feet of elevation gain between the trailheads).

Trail data -- If you take the Jungle Creek Trail instead, it is about 7 miles round trip and 1,900 feet gain to the Way Creek Trail junction on the ridge crest. The map is Green Trails No. 209 Mount Stuart. A Northwest Forest Pass is required.

Information -- The Way Creek Trail is open to mountain bikes, horses and motorcycles (closed to ATVs). Call the Cle Elum Ranger District at 509-852-1100 or visit the Web site for Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest at www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee; information may not be up-to-date. As budgets shrink, so do trail crews.

trail data

Way Creek Trail

Length: 4 miles round trip from trailhead

Elevation gain: 1,200 feet

Rating: Moderate

Location: Cle Elum

Scenery: Excellent (wildflowers, views of the Stuart Range)

Trail condition: Fair

Challenges: The first part is a steep, muddy Jeep trail. Be on alert for ticks and rattlesnakes.