Ethan & I drove up to Eagle's Nest and then hiked east out Whites Ridge.  They have been making improvements to the Eagle's Nest day-use area and viewpoint.  Last year they put in a 3' high wall at the viewpoint and this year they have put in an accessible trail from the parking area to the viewpoint. The day-use area is still closed because they are not done with the work, but the outhouse is open and stocked with TP.  We parked beside the road and walked to the viewpoint and then about 1.5 miles out Whites Ridge to a nice high point with views of Darland Mtn and the whole upper watershed of the North Fork of Ahtanum Creek.  Mt Rainier was hidden in the clouds.  There were lots of wildflowers.  At the beginning the buckwheat was profuse and farther along it was groundsel and then Thompson's paintbrush.  At one point we saw quite a bit of Whitestem frasera (Frasera albicaulis) and then at the top we saw Giant frasera (Frasera speciosa), also known as Monument Plant or Elkweed.  We were followed game/boot trails or just made our way along the crest of the ridge.  Much of the route was rocky, which made for slower going (the minor obstacles).    We didn't see any other hikers and no wildlife except for a few birds.  The day was mostly sunny and warm when it was calm and cool when the wind was blowing.

Ethan & I needed a close-by hike today, so we went up the Ahtanum to Whites Ridge.  We did not, however, hike either the Whites Ridge Trail nor the section of the Gray Rock Trail that crosses Whites Ridge.  Instead we parked at the Eagle's Nest Day Use Area (new picnic tables, metal fire pits, a clean, well stocked outhouse, and an improved viewpoint) and walked east cross country along the top of the ridge over the first high point (approx 6300') to the high point above Whites Pocket (approx 6100') where we found a nice spot with a view of Mt Rainier over the headwaters of the North Fork of Ahtanum Creek for lunch.  We stayed our usual hour so before heading back the way we had come.  The cliffs on the north side of the ridge, especially between Eagle's Nest and the first high point, were spectacular.  There were lots of different wildflowers in bloom.  The buckwheat was especially prolific and there were a few places where the Yakima Bird's Beak (Cordylanthys capitatus) was profuse and a few places with lots of Whitestem Frasera (Frasera albicaulis), as well as specimens of Oregon Catchfly (Silene oregana) scattered along the ridge, all plants that I don't see very often.  We were under a cloud much of the morning, but the sun came out for lunch & the hike back to the car.  We didn't see any wildlife (though there was elk sign & smell) and, except for one car that showed up at Eagle's Nest before we started hiking, we didn't see any other people.

There were no other cars in the White's Ridge lot at 6 a.m., and it was a surprising 20 degrees cooler than in Yakima (59 @ the TH!). The trail is a loop—just under 10 miles according to my GPS and various other sources—and I went clockwise, turning left after crossing the road from the lot. Though the surface was initially loose dirt/dust due to some light equestrian traffic, it improved quickly.

The route winds slowly up the south side of the ridge through bright green meadows and thick stands of pine. There were a few sets of short switchbacks, but I was surprised by their gentleness. Though the trail crosses several forest roads, the crossings are clear (many are marked with warning signs or White's Ridge trail signs) and not confusing. I startled several groups of elk and birds were plentiful.

Toward the east end of the loop, the switchbacks lengthen and take you across to the opposite side of the ridge. Through this stretch there were some robust stands of purple flowers (lupine?!), which were almost at their peak, and a few small stands of paintbrush that were just beginning to bloom. It appeared as though some maintenance had been recently completed here, as this was the cleanest, widest section.

The trail crosses a 4x4 road near the high point, then turns east-ish and winds down the north side of the ridge. There were a few brief and basic views of the valley (none on the south side), but they were not expansive. The surface on this side was slightly rockier and steeper in a few spots (though not difficult by any stretch) but in great condition with only some very minor/recent blowdown. The last two or so miles to close the loop were much dryer, dustier, and rockier than the first two on the way up. 

This was my first time in the Ahtanum State Forest, and I was pleasantly surprised by the loveliness of the forest and vegetation, as well as the excellent condition of the trail, facilities, and overall atmosphere. 

NOTE: I anticipated having trouble finding the TH due to several earlier reports, but the lot and trail are well marked and easy to find (though the coordinates on the WTA site are indeed wrong). Continue driving past the Ahtanum Meadows Campground on the left, Ahtanum Guard Station on the right, and up a small grade. Lot is on the left and TH is right next to it (just south of the entrance). 

We couldn’t find a trail at Ahtanum Springs. So we drove to White’s Ridge Trailhead, which is by the entrance to the big parking lot. Drive past the campgrounds and you see the trailhead marked with a small sign. Lupin was just starting to bloom. Nice day for a hike.

READ THIS TO FIND DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD!! The coordinates provided are wrong and will
NOT take you to the trailhead! It looked like it would be the trailhead based on a there being a nice lot, but after spending a few hours doing what we thought might be the hike, my pal and I stumbled across a map of the area that showed where we were supposed to hiking. Reference the attached map photo for this chunk- the coordinates take you to the Ahtanum Meadows and you are supposed to be hiking White Ridges, which is west of there!

Was a great day regardless but please reference this picture and use it to get to the trailhead from the coordinates provided! Disregard all trail notes as we never made it to the actual hike due to this issue.