Weather for Labor Day Weekend (August 30 - September 1)

Saturday’s weather for Central Washington is expected to be cloudy near the Cascade Crest, partly sunny in Leavenworth, and mostly sunny in Wenatchee and places east. Temperatures should be very pleasant (in the high 70s in Leavenworth and Wenatchee). Similar weather and temperatures are expected Sunday and Monday. Near the Cascade Crest there is a slight chance of rain (20 to 30 percent) on Saturday and Sunday. Stay a bit east of the divide and the weather should be dry.

Bugs

Mosquitoes are disappearing fast, but flies are said to be thick in some low-lying forested areas. Cold weather and freezes beat back the bugs and we’ve had some cold temperatures up high so objectives above 4,500 feet are likely to be bug free.

Recommended Hikes and Climbs

• Given the forecast, staying a bit east of the divide is recommended. Nason Ridge, Dirtyface Mountain, Mount David, Colchuck Lake, Lake Caroline, Klone Peak, Tronsen Ridge, Larch Lake, Poet Ridge, Earl Peak, and Duncan Ridge should all be good day hikes or overnight trips. See our ‘Hiking-Backpacking guidebook.
• East-slope climbing and mountaineering routes should be good in the Icicle Creek area or on Snow Creek Wall. Routes in the Enchantments, the Stuart Range, and around Mt. Maude are likely to good but long, technical routes could be a little riskier as far as rain goes.

Biking

• The mountain biking should be great all around the region. With the cooler temperatures forecasted, you probably don’t need to worry about commuting up to higher ground – do those favorite routes right around town like Freund Canyon, Tumwater Mountain, or Derby Canyon near Leavenworth; Twin Peaks, Sage Hills, Saddle Rock, or Burch Mountain near Wenatchee; Chelan Butte, Pot Peak, or Devils Backbone near Chelan. See our ‘Biking-Mountain’ guidebook.
• The road riding should also be great given the temperatures. Try the Little Wenatchee-White River circuit up by Lake Wenatchee or the Leavenworth-to-Wenatchee ride through the orchards. Around Wenatchee, try the Badger Mountain Ride or do the Palisades Ride. See our ‘Biking-Road’ guidebook.

Paddling

• There’s still some local whitewater to enjoy. The Tumwater Canyon just west of Leavenworth is at a good level for expert kayakers. At these flows, the difficulty is more like class 4 to 4+ rather than class 5. The water is dropping steadily and is reading 1,000 at the Peshastin gauge today (Wednesday). Some locals consider this run good until the water drops below 800 cfs. Other locals feel rapids like (Quarter Mile, Chaos and, POW) are runnable until about 500 cfs.  
• The House Run (getting on the river below Exit Falls about .6 miles west of Leavenworth and floating down to the bridge where Icicle Road crosses the Wenatchee River is in good shape too (class 3 or 3+). This is a short run (about 1.25 miles) so milk all the play spots. The most notable rapid on this run is about .4 miles upstream of the bridge and named Tinley’s Fall. The take-out is on river left immediately downstream of the bridge. Some locals feel this little section of river always has enough water to run. You can also float from the take-out bridge another 2.1 miles downstream to Waterfront Park. This section of river is very slow and many people actually innertube it.
•  The classic Wenatchee River run (Peshastin to Cashmere) is way below what rafters consider a minimum level (2,000 cfs) but kayakers with plastic boats can still bump their way down. At these levels many kayakers prefer getting on the river at Peshastin Creek or Rodeo Hole. Snowblind is a little tricky at low water because it has some ledges with recirculating water.
• For more information about kayaking any of these runs, call or visit Leavenworth Mountain Sports (509-548-7864).

Tubing

The Leavenworth run from the Icicle Road bridge on the west end of town to Waterfront Park is still excellent for tubing and the water is fairly warm (as far as the Wenatchee River goes, that is). Temperatures aren’t expected to be too warm this weekend so this might be a chilly run unless you have wetsuits. Bring a snorkel and goggles and, as you drift through some of the pools, look for 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.