Unearthing Lesser Known and Spectacular mountain Routes
The mountains are full of secrets for those brave souls willing to follow their intuition and urge to explore. Through the "Hidden Gems" series, we document the exploration of lesser known and spectacular routes through mountain environments. Along the way, we'll share some tips for safely exploring unknown terrain and details on the routes we highlight.
Come here for GPX files and route info for the routes from 'Hidden Gems' episodes.
Come here for GPX files and route info for the routes from 'Hidden Gems' episodes.
Episode 1: The War Eagle Loop
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Filmed June 20, 2020
Location: Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness North Cascade Mountains - Washington State Route Length: 22.5 miles Elevation Gain: 5,634' For Hidden Gems Episode 1, our initial plan was to link up the War Creek and Eagle Creek drainages via the Chelan Summit Trail. The plan was reworked mid-route for maximum enjoyment after visual confirmation of high amounts of snow in the forested lowlands between Deep Hole Spring and Eagle Pass.
Our reroute took us to the summit of Splawn Mountain, then down the ridge leading east off the summit to eventually meet back up with the trail we approached on in the War Creek drainage. This route involved a pleasant level of challenge, including route finding and some low level scrambling. The views of the Sawtooth peaks were breathtaking, and the peekaboo views of the northern end of Lake Chelan clued us in to how remote we were. Those interested in running the complete War-Eagle loop would encounter mostly snow free trail by mid-July. Happy trails! |
Download the .gpx File for our Modified War Eagle Loop
Trent and Abram looking north off the unnamed ridge towards Williams Butte and Camel's Hump
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