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ATTRACTIONS:
--The Tronsen Meadow Non-Motorized Winter Recreation Area, located just north of Blewett Pass, is a fabulous resource for skiers, snowshoers, and sledders. This is not a "groomed" skiing area but Nordic skiers on light-touring gear can explore many miles of snowed over roads (and five to six square miles of woods) without the distractions of throngs of people or snowmobiles. Backcountry skiers will find several peaks to climb with excellent powder slopes to descend. Finally, there’s good scenery to enjoy--you’ll get many views of Diamond Head to the south; Miller Peak, Navaho Peak and the Enchantments to the west.
--This particular loop offers many variations. Beginners or families with younger kids can ski the road at the start and turn around at any point.
DISTANCE:
5.5 to 7.5 miles depending on the variations followed
ELEVATION:
Start: 3,890. High point: 4,400. Gain 500 feet
ACCESS:
From the Y Junction at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 97 east of Leavenworth, drive south on Highway 97. Pay attention to the milepost signs and, about a mile before Blewett Pass (milepost 164.8), park on the east side of the highway along the plowed shoulder. Forest Road 7240 intersects the highway here.
TRIP INSTRUCTIONS: (Mileage figures are approximate)
-- Start skiing up FS Road 7240. In several places, you may notice smaller, steeper roads and trails forking off. Stay on the largest road which climbs at a mellow but steady pace. After about .6 miles, the road starts hooking to the right and the pitch steepens. This is the steepest part of the road and, depending on snow conditions, may tax the arms some.
--.8 miles from the start you’ll enter something of a clearing where there’s a major intersection. A large ponderosa pine has blue signs noting two trail options. The trail going straight ahead climbs over a little berm and follows a smaller road .3 to .4 miles to Tronsen Meadows (a good option for a short trip). For this tour, however, follow the main road as it hooks left at the major intersection.
--After another mile, the road enters the parking lot for the Tronsen Meadow Trail (Trail #1205). This is a good turn-around point for beginners and small kids. Those game to carry on will follow the trail. The route narrows down a lot now.
--After a few hundred yards you should notice a wooden sign noting the trail goes right and a blue arrow noting the skier’s trail goes straight ahead. The trail noted by the wooden sign will be of interest to backcountry skiers and snowshoers who want to access Tronsen Ridge and Haney Meadows. For this tour, however, you want to go straight, following the blue arrow.
--For the next half-mile, the trail is a bit tricky: Deadfall, dips, and little creeks all create obstacles. On light touring gear, this can be challenging — don’t forget about the option of removing your skis and walking around obstacles where you could fall or snap a ski. The tricky skiing ends when the trail merges with an old road bed that is slightly overgrown.
--After .2 miles this slightly overgrown road bed merges with a much larger road at something of a switchback (this road is FS Road 7230, although it’s not signed as such). A nice way to add two extra miles of skiing to this tour is to keep skiing straight ahead at the switchback and climbing slightly along Spur Road 7230-511. Spur 511 contours west-facing slopes and gives you nice views of the high Cascades before it suddenly ends after a mile. Return to the switchback.
--To carry on with this tour, follow the main road (not the spur) downhill in a northwesterly direction. This is pleasant, quiet skiing because few people make their way out here.
--Three quarters of a mile later, the road enters a yard-sized clearing and hooks to the right. If you want to shorten the trip and end up where you parked, go straight ahead and downhill here, traveling cross-country (this is noted as a green dashed line on our map and requires considerably more skiing skill). For this tour, however, hook right and keep to the road as it gradually heads downhill.
--After another mile, FS Road 7230 makes a big switchback and a gated spur road (7230-211) takes off to the right. You want to turn left and double back on yourself, following the main road downhill.
--For the next third of a mile, the road drops quite steeply and, in icy or firm snow conditions, this could be treacherous on very lightweight Nordic gear. Skier beware.
--When I did this tour, I skied down to Highway 97 (a third of a mile from the last switchback), and walked .3 to .4 miles up the highway (south) to the car. Upon returning home and checking a newer map, I notice that another snowed over road (a few hundred yards before the highway) should parallel the highway in a southerly direction and should get you within several hundred yards of the start without the need to walk the highway. Details about this option will be posted when we learn more.
RECOMMENDED SEASON:
Winter through early spring.
USES ALLOWED:
Nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, sledding
USES NOT ALLOWED:
No motorized vehicles allowed
LAND DESIGNATION:
Forest Service lands
FEES/PERMITS:
No Sno-Park permit or Forest Pass needed as of 12/2006
MAPS:
USGS 7.5-minute Series: Blewett Pass
NOTE:
Snowshoers will maintain better relations with their skiing brethren by making their own snowshoeing path beside, rather than over, the tracks skiers have lain. Skis perform much better when they’re gliding inside the channels packed by other skiers. Along narrow trails, there’s often no other option except for snowshoers and skiers to travel along the same course—so be it. On wider roads, however, skiers will very much appreciate snowshoers who don’t destroy the double-track grooves skiers have laid.
TRIP REPORTER (and date): Andy Dappen 12/05/2006
LEAVE IT BETTER than YOU FOUND IT:
Leaving no trace is a good starting point so pack out all your trash, cut no switchbacks, pick no plants, take no artifacts, make no fire rings, cut no trees, and dispose of human waste properly. ‘Leaving It Better than You Found It,’ however, should be every outdoor user’s goal. Pick up the trash others have left behind, pull noxious weeds along your route, disperse fire rings found at campsites (they encourage more fires), throw logs and branches over spur trails and spurs between switchbacks (make it harder to do the wrong thing than the right thing).
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