Mileage: 1.5 miles RT (the entire loop is 7.3 from the TH)
Elevation Gain/Highest: 500/1898ft (1800ft gain on loop)
Map: Green Trails Leavenworth No 178, my GAIA
Favorite Eats After Hike: Gustav’s, Yodelin’s Broth Company, South, Dan’s Food Market, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
My Hike:
3/31/2017 My motto wherever I go is, if there is a trail, I’m going to find it. I was in Leavenworth for the weekend and wanted to do a short hike Friday night when I got there so I pulled out my Green Trails for Leavenworth and looked for the closest green line to town. I spotted some just to the northeast of downtown and figured it would be snow free enough for me to check out.
I could see the turn was off the Chumstick HWY onto a road called Freund Canyon. I, then, followed this until I spotted a sign for Freund Canyon and took the turn. The road was good until you turn on the second Y to the TH where it ends abruptly with snow. There was room to park, maybe 2 cars. It was clear that the trail was bike friendly from the tracks in the snow.
From my car, I could see 3 abandoned “trails” that started up the ridge so instead of taking the road, I just picked the steepest one and headed up. It was covered with intermittent snow and brush and I was pulling myself up and using my hands in places. My goal was just to get up high enough to the ridge so I could see down into the valley.
Eventually I made it up higher on the ridge where it was snow free and there was a boot path (game trail?) to follow up. My guess was that this was either just a local trail for those who live in the area or for more adventuresome bikers who like it steep.
I was aiming for the first “summit” on a ridge I could get to with hopes of views before the sun went down. I was rewarded shortly when I hit the beginning of the ridge and an old road that ran it. It looked like I could continue for a bit, so I walked the ridge until the next high point.
There didn’t seem to be a smart way up so I walked the snow covered road (biker trail) until it came down on the other side and I turned back on it to go up. I could see down into the Chumstick Valley on one side and up the canyon on the other. My favorite part? A warm breeze and little spring flowers starting among the flattened hilltop freshly freed from winter’s snow.
On the way down, there was a path to go back on, even if it was a bit sandy.
From here, as is often the case, there was a more gradual trail to follow than the stairclimber I went up that lead me to the bridge you cross when coming up the road to the TH.
I then completed the loop by walking up to my car. This was a perfect way to start my weekend and I’ll remember it for when I am in Leavenworth again. Hopefully next time the snow will be receded and I can walk the whole thing OR maybe do it as a snowshoe.
Directions: Drive through Leavenworth and turn north on to Chumstick HWY towards Plain. Drive 1.7 miles and make a left hand turn over the railroad tracks onto Freund Canyon Road (7702). Follow this road as it runs parallel to the HWY and then continue when it makes a sharp left onto a dirt road (there is a sign for Freund Canyon). Shortly there will be a Y in the road, keep left. It will look like you are driving onto private property but continue over a small bridge and up the dirt road. You will come to another Y shortly and keep left again to come to the trailhead.
Head over to my page for HWY 2 hikes to find more ideas!
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