Shoulder Season Backpacking Field Trip - Yakima Skyline Ridge

Meet in Selah, WA 9-10:00 AM TBD

Discover Pass is required for each car.

Field Trip for the Seattle Shoulder Season Backpacking Course. 

Covid-19   We will follow all the Mountaineers protocols--including each participant must bring a facemask and hand sanitizer.  

This trip will be a shuttle loop, beginning at the TH for Black Canyon and ending at a TH Southwest of Yakima Skyline Ridge. There will be a  16 mile shuttle drive between the THs.  First nights camp will be at lovely Oasis Spring high on Umtanum Ridge, while the second night's camp will be among the Aspens along Roza Creek. Travel will take place on trails, jeep tracks and cross-country.  Here is the Gaia route.

https://www.gaiagps.com/public/jHejnmNbZ5ddpivqbeHkEud0

Participants need be okay with sharing a ride for this 16 mile shuttle and one participant will need to drive this route again at the end of the trip to retrieve the shuttle car.  All participants will need to wear a double blue or blue and cloth face mask or an N-95 or KN-95 mask while doing the shuttle.  Furthermore the car windows of the shuttle car(s) will need to be liberally open to provide ventilation. This is required for Covid safety.

Day 1: Drive to Yakima Skyline (southern) TH, leave two cars and then proceed with one or two cars to Black Canyon TH.  Backpack up through Black Canyon to the top of Umtanum Ridge and then Southeast on the ridge to Oasis Camp.  6.5 miles, 1780' gain. Likely have an evening fire. Optional exploration of canyon near campground  in the evening.

Day 2: Pack-up and backpack further down the ridge on the jeep track then drop down the South side of the ridge cross-country/off-trail to reach and then parallel Roza Creek.  Follow Roza Creek to it confluence with the Yakima River on both off-trail and a jeep track.  Camp along the Yakima River. 11.2 miles, 790' gain, 2900' loss. Enjoy a fire in the evening.

Day 3: Optional morning exploration North along the Yakima River.  Then pack-up and head out to Yakima Skyline (southern) TH, first on trail and then cross-country, 8 miles, 2200' gain