Weekend Weather (August 23-24):
Saturday’s weather for Central Washington is expected to be sunny and warm throughout the entire area (expect a high of 90 in Wenatchee). On Sunday it is expected to be just slightly cooler (high of 87 in Wenatchee) with a 30 percent chance of rain on the Cascade Crest, a slight chance of rain around Leavenworth, and sunny weather in Wenatchee.
Bugs.
The mosquitoes are on the decline, but the flies are hatching and are thick in some zones–especially at lower elevations. Cold weather and freezes beat back the bugs and we had some cold temperatures up high earlier in the week. High objectives (those above 4,500 feet) are likely to be far more pleasant than low-lying outings.
Recommended Hikes and Climbs:
- Given the forecast, Saturday is the preferred day to hike near the Cascade Crest (Minotaur Lake, Nason Ridge, Merritt Lake etc), to bag a high peak (Rock Mountain, Mount David, Dirtyface Mountain, Mount Colchuck), or to tackle a long, technical climbing route (Snow Creek Wall, Dragontail Peak).
- Sunday you’re still likely to avoid any serious rainfall on East Slope outings near Leavenworth (Colchuck Lake, Lake Caroline, Stuart Lake, Icicle Ridge), Blewett Pass (Tronsen Ridge, Tronsen Meadows), Entiat (Silver Falls, Klone Peak, Larch Lakes), or Chelan (Pot Peak, Devils Backbone). The cragging up Icicle Creek will probably be fine on Sunday but rock climbers who want to be sure their parade is not rained upon will find Vantage to be a safer bet.
Biking. Mountain biking and road riding should be great all around the region this weekend. If you’re riding around Wenatchee or places east of Wenatchee, temperatures should be quite pleasant until early afternoon.
Paddling:
- There’s still some local whitewater to enjoy. The Tumwater Canyon (Wenatchee River) is at an excellent level and is currently more of Class 4+ than a Class 5 in difficulty.
- The House Rock run (below Exit Falls down to the bridge where Icicle Road crosses the Wenatchee River) is in good shape (class 3 or 3+).
- The classic run on the Wenatchee River (Peshastin down to Cashmere) is below recommended levels (2,000 cfs) but the river gauge at Monitor is reading 1,500 cfs and the river is still doable – it’s just slower and scrappier. Many boaters prefer putting in at Peshastin Creek or Rodeo Hole at these water levels. Snowblind is a little tricky now as it has some ledges with recirculating water.
Tubing. The Leavenworth run is still nice and the water is quite warm (on a relative basis, that is). Put in at the bridge where the Icicle Road crosses the Wenatchee River (near the west end of Leavenworth) and float down to Waterfront Park. Bring a snorkel and goggles and, as you drift through some of the pools, checkout the salmon.
Roads. The Icicle River Road is still closed along its upper stretches as a result of the big slide that occurred in late spring. The road to Mission Ridge is also closed above the turn off to the Beehive Reservoir and that same road can have long delays on the mile-long section of road between Squilchuck State Park and the Beehive Reservoir Road (call 509-884-9579) for more details about the construction.