Went for a mini 'thru hike' this weekend between Ellensburg and Yakima starting from the Manastash trailhead and ending at the Yakima Skyline trailhead. We used CalTopo to map out a roughly 31-mile route that included as much trail-time as possible, but also used a few dirt roads to make it work.

Starting from the Boy Scout Trail, the trail here is in great condition and has a decent amount of tree cover to keep the blazing sun off of you. The elevation gain is pretty rapid here, but after you make it the top, you'll have a few miles of fairly mellow trail. We followed something called the 'Gun Smoke' trail from here and connected up with the dirt road to Umtanum Falls.

Umtanum Falls was by far the busiest section of trail we visited. When we hiked down to the parking lot around 11 it was nearly full and bustling. We headed down to the falls to check it out and filter some extra water, then backtracked a bit to connect with the next section of trail. Trail signage from this point on was fairly minimal, so I can't say for sure what the actual name of the this next bit of trail is.

We followed this route up until our campsite at Oasis Springs just over 13 miles in from our starting point. We had hoped to find some water here (given the name), but had no such luck. We did get to enjoy a massive hail storm, though. We set up tents in a nice tree-filled spot and called it a night pretty early.

The next day, we got an early start to beat the heat and followed Umtanum Ridge east for quite a bit until making a ridiculously steep descent down an old gravel road towards Roza Creek. We had hoped to find water in Roza Creek, but unfortunately it had already dried out for the season. With that option out the window, the only water source left was straight from the Yakima River. We stocked up on water down by the train tracks and enjoyed some shade while we ate our lunch.

From here, we headed up something signed as "Horse Trail" which I believe is also the Upper Yakima Skyline Trail? It's a steep and super exposed ascent which was not great in the midday heat. But it was also incredibly windy, which helped to cool us down (and also made me feel like I blow right off the edge of the canyon). This area had the best views of the entire trip -- you're hiking almost directly above the Yakima River with Mount Baldy looming just to your east.

After a bit of ridgeline hiking, the Horse Trail joins up with the classic Yakima Skyline Trail and it's all downhill from there until the trailhead. From our campsite, it was about 17 miles to the trailhead.

Tues June 2, 2020: The Covid Chronicles

Hiked Boy Scout Trail up and back. Trail follows a ravine up the hillside and is shaded by looming Ponderosas. Steep grade. Expect to work those glutes and hamstrings on the climb. Lots of wildflowers (Balsamroot, Indian Paintbrush, Phlox, Lupine...), but I am guessing they were more abundant and vigorous a couple weeks prior. Windy up top! Gorgeous panoramic views. Guestbook at the summit viewpoint that you can sign.

Bluebird sighting along the irrigation canal on the return trip. Not quite visible enough to determine specific variety.

Followed up with a pint of Blackberry Wheat at Whipsaw Brewing in Ellensberg. First public beer in quite some time!
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I've mountain biked Manastash before from the other access point from Umptanum Road. Interesting to come in from the other side. Check out Trailforks for more details!

Amother blue sky day in eastern WA. Lower section of Westburg trail in excellent shape.  As you near the top there are sections that are quite muddy and slick.  Micro spikes would really help.  Patchy snow still lingers near the ridge.  Love all the bluebird nesting boxes that dot the trail.  Spotted western bluebird en route to ridge.  We had a pair of mt bluebirds join us for lunch at the ridge. Looped out via the boy scout trail which at least had a few switchbacks as you leave the ridge and some patchy snow.  This trail was in better shape than the Westburg trail.  First of flowers just starting to emerge.

I would not even consider hiking these trails without spikes. There is very hard packed snow and sheer water ice on the trails on Manastash Ridge right now. With spikes, we had no problems. We ascended the Boy Scout trail and came down the Westberg. We saw about eight or 10 other hikers today. All these trails lead to beautiful views of the Kittitas Valley and, when clear, the Stuart Range. This is a great hiking area for winter exercise. 

The trailhead for this hike is the same as that for the more we’ll-known Westberg Trail in the Ellensburg area. The Westberg is in the hiking guide on this site. To escape the rainy weather, we decided to hike up Manastash Ridge. This is a frequent place to hike for me, so we took a new hike in the area and ascended the Prater Trail and came down the Boy Scout Trail. These trail are just to the west of the most popular trail in the area, the Westberg Trail. I avoid the Westberg because it is kind of an eroded mess. In the picture included on this report, the blue dot is our ascent route, the Prater Trail. There is a posted map at the start by the canal, so you can see what’s what. This trail is fairly gradual for the first half, but you pay for that later as you enter the woods. From then on it is steep, especially the very last tight switchbacks to the summit. The trail is not heavily travelled and we saw just about 15 other hikers. The snow is now gone and the trail is drying out so the slippery muddy mess is pretty much over now. There are a few flowers down low and we saw grass widow and yellow bells. The views from up high are great, and we could see weather moving across from the west and windmills churning away.