Wenatchee Mountain is a minor peak directly south of the Mission Ridge ski area. It fits the need for a quick climb to a high vantage point (6742') if you're coming from Wenatchee. Views include major volcanoes and eastern Washington peaks north to Bonanza.
Maps: USGS Mission Peak quad. View our topo map. Note: use ‘Print Preview’ before printing to properly scale this map to a full sheet of paper.
Activity: Hiking
Nearest Town: Wenatchee
Skill Level: 3
Fitness Level: 2
Distance: About 6.5 miles
Elevation: About 2100 ft elevation gain
Recommended Season: Summer, fall
Access:
--From Wenatchee, drive up Squilchuck Rd, following signs for the Mission Ridge Ski Resort.
--Park in the Mission Ridge ski area parking lot (about 4500’)
Trip Instructions:
--One way to get to the top is to follow the ski runs coming down from Chair 4 ("Chak Chak" is one logical choice).
--Above the Chair 4 high point, the upper bowl is known as Bowl 4. A class 2 route can be found among the shattered basalt in Bowl 4 to the ridgecrest above. Follow this crest southwest to the summit. Numerous structures on the top house telecommunications equipment and a road also reaches the summit from the south.
--For an easier descent, walk the trail west towards the top of Chair 2, which leads to a service road down into the ski area proper.
Land Designation: Forest Service/Fish and Wildlife
Fees/Permits: None required
Trip Reporter: Charlie Hickenbottom, Wenatchee, 6/20/05
Leave It Better Than You Found It: This should be every outdoor user’s goal. Pick up trash left by others, pull noxious weeds along your route, disperse old fire rings (they encourage more fires), throw branches over spur trails and spurs between switchbacks (make it harder to do the wrong thing than the right thing).
Important Disclaimer: Treat this information as recommendations, not gospel. Things change, conditions change, and those contributing these reports are volunteers--they may make mistakes, fail to give complete information, or may not know all the issues affecting a route. So forget about finger pointing: If things go wrong, you are completely responsible for yourself and your actions. If you can’t live with that, you are prohibited from using our information.