Did a full day 40+ mile push starting at Little Giant, going up the Napeequa and over High Pass, and finishing through Spider Gap. 

This is one of the best 40ish mile loops in the world at this time of year. Fall colors are spectacular and trail conditions are good. The views from Cloudy Pass towards Lyman Lakes and at Little Giant down the Napeequa are two of the best views on established trails in the entire PNW.

Get out there now while you can! 

A huge thank you to the Wenatchee River RD Trail Crew that just finish doing much needed trail work 10 days ago. They cut out 80 wind fall and brushed out the worst sections. There's still some mild brush to contend with so if it is wet then you will get soaked.

This is one of the harder hikes that I've done with 4200 feet of elevation gain and 10.7 miles round trip. The trail starts with a relatively easy ford of the Chiwawa river. The ford is just 100 feet from the TH so just put on your water shoes at the car and carry your boots and a towel in a bag.  The water is fairly cold and was as deep as just below the knee caps at one point. Most of the crossing is mid calf depth.

The first 2 miles of trail is on outstanding tread through attractive forest. It  gains elevation at a civilized rate of 500 feet/mile.  At 2.3 miles the pitch abruptly changes to 1500 feet/mile for 0.2 miles. It then moderates before it steeply drops about 200 feet to the creek crossing at 3.2 miles. This is a reliable water source.  Beyond the creek, the trail becomes very steep and gains 1300 feet in the next mile.  There's also a steep rock section with cairns at 3.8 miles that last for a little over 0.1 miles. The last mile to the pass gains at a steep but reasonable 1000ft/mile.  This last mile traverses beautiful meadows with intense peak fall color right now.  The huckleberries are also sweet, ripe, and very plentiful.  Probably the most huckleberries that I've ever seen!  

Once at the pass you need to continue 0.1 miles up the ridge to the north to  get a spectacular view down into Napeequa Valley.  Clark Mountain (8600ft) with it's beefy glacier and Glacier Peak are the highlight peaks in the view.  There are just a few alpine larches around the pass but they are still green. The Napeequa Valley is still about a week shy of full fall color.

High buck hunting season ended yesterday so didn't have to deal with that unpleasantry.  We only saw 5 other people (2 groups) all day.  The weather was cool and cloudy.

Horses are technically allowed on this trail but fortunately I didn't see any signs of horse use.  I actually don't think that a horse could even make it up this trail with some of the steep and rocky sections.  It's a good thing since this steep and sandy trail would be quickly trashed if a horse was taken on it.

10.7mile RT with 4200 feet elevation gain.

I have looked at this hike for years and got gobsmackingly lucky. Tucked away at the end of a long drive for me in the middle of a sleepless week, everything was more than worth it; easily one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever been on.

Getting there: the river road is paved up until the last 8 miles, and the potholes don't really start until the last 4 miles, but all fairly tame by forest road standards; my manual front-wheel drive had no issues. If everyone is parked respectfully, I guesstimate maybe 8 spots at the turnoff for the trailhead, but there were multiple empty campgrounds further down the road that would not add much mileage. (Closest one was Nineteen Mile Campground.) Check for when they close and don't block the road, it's quite narrow. I went on a weekday and when I arrived at 1030, there were several spots. I encountered one couple finishing their day hike. You can sign in at the trailhead so they can track trail usage and give it good resources.

On the hike itself, I only saw a pair of hunters staked out and a trio descending; I otherwise had it all to myself. Do wear bright colors as it is hunting season. The river crossing seems as low as it will get; it is perhaps a foot deep. I wore water shoes and was glad I had them. I loved that the hike broke itself up into varied sections; the first two miles a steady climb up through the forest; the second mile and a half steep through short scrubby trees and brush (which gave much more shade than I thought), with the section on bare rock navigable with cairns, but easy to lose the trail. Crews have been hard at work on the vegetated sections and the trail is quite clear. The last and best section, though also quite steep, never failed to deliver views, berries, and stunning red and gold foliage. The only thing I could gasp out was "wow!"

And then of course I had the top entirely to myself. Normally I enjoy a good twenty minutes or so and am happy to head home, but this one left me reluctant to leave. I watched the clouds hug Glacier and its neighbors, the river roll below in the sun, and the autumn colors ripple on the upper meadows.

I'll sing the praises of this gem forever, and for all the people who've worked hard to maintain this. Remember to leave no trace so all can celebrate and enjoy.

Great job trail crew! Reading prior reports we were nervous about this hike but found it to be in good condition following the recent work. We had no trail finding issues, there were tons of tasty blueberries and the fall colors were truly spectacular. I think they’ll start popping soon down in the neepqua valley as well. Loved it, and totally worth the effort. 

I can't believe it's taken me so long to do this hike, it's lovely!

On the morning drive to the trailhead, my car's temperature gauge read as low as 33 degrees. The road to the trailhead was rough but mostly just rocky with some potholes navigable with careful driving. Parking is fairly limited at the trailhead but multiple spots were left around 8am. I suspect many of the already parked cars belonged to overnighters. There are no facilities at the trailhead. However, there are numerous car campgrounds on Chiwawa River Road, and the Atkinson Flat campground bathroom is easily accessible with a quick turnoff (I imagine this will get locked up for the season at some point).

When you start the trail, the Chiwawa river crossing appears almost immediately - it's probably less than 20 steps from the trailhead. Had I realized this, I would've just worn my river crossing shoes from the car. I brought an old pair of trail runners for the crossing. Crossing with poles felt sturdy - the bottom of the river is medium sized rocks and not slippery, and there is a small current but nothing too strong. I forgot to pay attention to how high the water was, which means it was definitely below my knee and probably more like mid-calf height (I'm 5'8"). My main observation was that the river was VERY cold :) I also noticed that after the crossing, someone had stashed their river crossing sandals for the way back (cute Tevas!).

The first three miles of the trail are pleasant and mostly forested. It warmed up fast (and so did I) and I quickly wished I had worn shorts instead of long pants. At around three miles, there is a stream that would be a good place to refill water. Soon, the views start to gradually open up, and the grade of the trail gets a bit more challenging - I was definitely slower during miles 4 and 5 than during the start of the trail. There is also a brief section about 3.5 miles in where you are on a rock outcropping with cairns to help navigate. I would not want to go through this section in the dark, because the cairns take some care to spot even when it's light.

The area around Little Giant Pass is full of fall colors right now - it is stunning. There are also lots of ripe blueberries. If you need to refill water, there is a small stream around mile 4 and another just after. Near the streams, there are two separate trailside camps, each with room for 2-3 tents. I would love to stay the night in either camp. From the pass itself, you can't see the Napeequa winding its way down the valley. But if you follow the faint trail to the right of the pass that leads up the ridge, you can get a better view. This was my favorite part of the hike. The Napeequa Valley with Clark Mountain and Glacier Peak in the background is just gorgeous.

Every time I come to this area, I add more places to my list that I need to come back and see. I met some backpackers who had spent the night in the Napeequa Valley, some backpackers headed in, and a PCT thru hiker on their way north. I was jealous of them all! I also saw a hunter and about 6 other day hikers. Expect some company, but not crowds on this trail.