We hiked the Spokane Gulch trail on a mainly sunny, quite hot day in early May. The road to the trailhead is paved and the trail is signed and easy to find. The toilet at the trailhead is clean and well stocked.
The temperature was in the low 80’s at the trailhead, and the open areas along the trail were very hot. However, once we got past the open meadow at the start, we found welcome respite in the cool forest. The many switchbacks wove in and out of patches of forest and open grass-sage meadows, so we never had to endure the hot sun for long. The trail is in great shape, and the moderate grade and, while relentless, is not daunting. Views up and down the Methow Valley appear at the first open area and get better and better as you climb. Closer in, we were cheered by the variety of trailside flowers and flowering bushes including lots of delphiums and Chelan penstemons. Flowering chokecherries and bitterbrush and big patches of flowering arrow-leaved balsamroot brightened the dry, open areas, while the upper, moist forest floor was carpeted with the glossy green leaves and tall, delicate, yellow flowers of silver crown (Cacaliopsis). Everything is still green and growing, but we noticed some wilting in the hot sun, so the burst of growth may be short lived.
We enjoyed our lunch in the cool breeze at the top, about 2.1 miles from the trailhead. The views to the south, east and west are expansive and well worth the climb. The trail continued from where we stopped, but went noticeably downhill, so we turned around and headed back before the afternoon sun heated up the return trail too much. The entire trail is on the south-facing slope and so is exposed to the sun all day long. We were glad we had done it as a morning hike.
Although we did not encounter any snakes on our hike, we met a couple with a dog who told us that they had just seen a rattlesnake on the road just in front of the old trailhead, on the north side of the meadow. The previous day their other dog had been bitten by a rattlesnake in the same area (likely the same snake). According to them, their dog had “gone after” the snake, so it was a warning to leash your dog at least through this part of the trail. They told us that rattlers are quite common in the meadow area at this time of year.
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