|
Coon
Lake-McGregor-Bullion Loop Trail is full of options with three different trailheads
to choose from. One is .5 miles above Tumwater Bridge,
one at High Bridge and one at Bullion Campground. At
the Bullion Campground trailhead, there is also a small
loop trail and another leg of the trail that leads to
Cascade Corrals. This is
better understood by looking at the map. The
easiest route is to start above the Tumwater Bridge,
as the road has gained much, of the elevation for you. From
this trailhead you may elect to meet the Stehekin Road
at High Bridge, Bullion Campground or Cascade Corrals. Starting
at Tumwater Trailhead, it is an easy one mile through
mostly cedar and fir timber to Coon Lake and McGregor
Trail Junction.
An option for those wanting a longer-hike is
to turn left onto McGregor Mountain Trail for a ways and
then come back and continue on the loop. One
mile up the McGregor Mountain trail takes you to a nice
view of the valley and to a falls which provides, a scramble
trail to water. The
higher you go up McGregor Trail, the better the view!
This option is a good half-day hike for those
staying at Stehekin Valley Ranch or a good day hike if
part of the McGregor Mountain trail is used, since you
can hike all the way back to the ranch and not worry about
return transportation. Coon
Lake is nearly a mile long and rather marshy on the trail
end. You will often see wildlife, such as ducks,
deer and an occasional beaver on or near the lake. About
four-tenths of a mile after leaving the lake a stock trail
takes off to your left which goes to the East end of the
lake. You do not
want to take this turn. Another
two-tenths of a mile takes you to a junction that you will
need to make a decision at. Keeping
right will bring you to High Bridge, a left will continue
you on the loop towards Bullion Campground and Cascade
Corrals.
On
this route you will soon cross a large rockslide and have
a good view of the valley and Agnes Creek. Approximately
one mile past the junction, you will see a small sign which
says loop. A right here will take you to Bullion Campground
and the Stehekin Road, keeping left will take you on the
north leg of the Bullion loop trail for .5 mile and another
junction marked loop. You will need to watch for this sign will
closely because the horses that use this trail do not turn
here and this turn is hard to notice. What
you are looking for is a small 4"x4" post about
one quarter mile past the large rock slide. A
right here will continue you on the loop. It
will soon cross the road and skirt the river for a short
distance before crossing the road again and returning you
to Bullion Campground. A
left will bring you to Cascade Corrals (Stehekin Valley
Ranch) and if you are staying there, you can bear left
around the barn and field to the camp. If not, bear right on the driveway and it
will lead you to the Stehekin Valley Road.
This is the same trail that is used for horseback rides, so don't be
surprised to see five or six horses. The best thing to do when meeting
horses is to step off the trail on the lower side. Try
to avoid abrupt movements. A
horse will not spook when he sees you if you don't surprise him. It is
best if you let them know you are there, if you are not out in the open,
by chatting with the wrangler or guests.
Rainbow
Loop Trail is a five-mile
loop with the lower trailhead taking off from the road
2.6 miles from Stehekin Landing and the upper trailhead
at 5.0 miles up-valley from the landing or .4 miles above
Harlequin Bridge. I
recommend starting at the upper trailhead as the elevation
gain is a little less, Also, the first half of the loop
is forested, so it is cooler uphill hiking.
Two miles will bring you to the junction of Rainbow Loop and Rainbow Creek Trails; here you take a right. An optional hike is up Rainbow Creek Trail
a little more than a mile which will take you to an exposed bluff with
an excellent 180 degree view of Lake Chelan and the Stehekin Valley. Continuing right at the junction you will drop down a short distance
to where the trail crosses Rainbow Creek. This
is a nice spot for a rest
or lunch beside the creek. After
climbing up from the creek, the
next .4 miles you will be on a flat
bench that takes you past Boulder Creek Trail on your left.
Stay
right and you will start descending into the valley. On
the way down there are several nice views of the valley
and lake. If you do not plan on hiking the whole loop ,the lower leg is your best choice
for scenery.
There
are many other trails that could be considered moderate,
depending on how far and how fast you go.
Bridge
Creek Trail. Part of the Pacific Crest Trail System,
this trail can also make a nice day hike. Three
miles takes you to a bridge and a nice spot to rest or
try your hand at catching some wild Cutthroat Trout. If
you continue on from here you will switchback up about
one-half mile to a trail junction. Take
a left here and go up the North Fork of Bridge Creek
to Walker Park about three miles or continue on to Grizzly
Creek for a total of six miles. This trail takes you up a mountain valley
with only moderate elevation gain. Although not as picturesque
as some of the more strenuous hikes, this is nonetheless
a nice place to spend the day.
|