Here's why: the trail begins with a moderate climb up a series of crumbling switchbacks through a pleasant, although somewhat scrappy forest. After the first mile, enter a clear cut and watch the trail go to pot. Erosion and brush make the going quite distasteful for another half mile, unless you have the sense to hike during late summer, when you will be too busy eating huckleberries to even make it to the ridge. But for those who persevere, the ridgetop, once gained, meanders pleasantly through woods, meadows and views of the Alpine Lakes and its poor, abused cousin: the Cle Elum drainage.

So, why go: Solitude. A very pleasant ridgewalk. And huckleberries in season. It's also a powerful illustration of logging and its impacts on trails, watersheds, and viewsheds. If the Cascade Conservation Partnership cannot secure funding for the private land through which the trail crosses, even more of the French Cabin Creek Trail will be logged by the end of the 2000 season.
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Driving Directions:
From I-90, take the Salmon La Sac road along the east shore of Cle Elum Lake. At the end of the lake, turn left onto FS Road 4308. Pass turnoffs for the Thorp Mountain and Knox Creek trailheads. About 6 miles from the main road, take a right fork to the French Cabin Creek Trailhead. The last quarter mile to the trailhead is the automotive equivalent of a bushwack, but the roadbed is good and can accomodate a standard passenger vehicle.
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