ATTRACTIONS. The Tronsen Meadow Non-Motorized Winter Recreation Area, located just north of Blewett Pass, is a fabulous resource for snowshoers, Nordic skiers, backcountry skiers, and sledders. Snowshoers can explore many miles of snowed-over roads (and five to six square miles of woods) without throngs of people or snowmobiles. Snowshoers can also find several peaks to climb. 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.
Forest Road 7245 offers many trip options. Beginners (or families with younger kids) can walk the road at the start and turn around at any point. Snowshoers with more navigation skills can branch off the trunk route of the road and explore smaller trails, woods, ridges or peaks.
SKILL: 1 to 2 (beginner to intermediate options).
FITNESS: 1 to 2 ( easy to intermediate options).
DISTANCE. About 2.8 miles (one way) to the end of Road 7245
ELEVATION. Start: 3,920. High point: 4,680 Gain 760 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 at Milepost 164.6 (about .2 miles past the Tronsen Meadows Road [Road 7240] and a half mile before Blewett Pass) park in a small pullout on the east side of the highway. Forest Road 7245 intersects the highway here.
TRIP INSTRUCTIONS:
— Start walking up FS Road 7245. The road heads uphill in a generally southerly direction for the first half mile then it hooks west and north as it climbs around a little knoll. Beyond the knoll the road bends around to the south again and eventually strikes off in an easterly to southeasterly direction.
–A little more than a mile from the start, Spur 411 branches off to the left. For this trip stay right on the main road.
–About 0.75 miles beyond Spur 411 you’ll intersect a narrower and much steeper backcountry skiing/snowshoeing trail. Turning right here would take you on the trail used to access the top of Diamond Head and the peak we identify as East Diamond Head (see map). Turning left gives a connection to road 7240. For this trip ignore these turns and go straight on the main road.
–Follow the main road about another mile as it climbs steadily and eventually ends. During this last half mile of trail there are a variety of slopes above you (on your right) that more experienced snowshoers and backcountry skiers can use to access the ridgeline. This last leg of the trip also yields many nice views of the surroundings.
–From the end of the road you can 1) return the way you came (mainly downhill) 2) traverse east through clearings and forests over to Trail 1205 3) Descend the slopes below you in a northwesterly direction and connect to Road 7240. Options 2 and 3 are not recommended unless you have reasonable navigation skills.
RECOMMENDED SEASON: Winter through early spring.
USES ALLOWED: Nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and 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 12/2009
MAPS. See our topo map below. Also see 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 broken. Skis perform much better when they’re gliding inside the channels packed by other skiers.
TRIP REPORTER: Andy Dappen 12/20/2006
Leave It Better Than You found It. This should be every user’s goal. Pick up trash left by others, pull noxious weeds along your route, disperse old fire rings, throw branches over unwanted spur trails…
Disclaimer. Treat this information as recommendations, not gospel. Conditions change and those contributing these reports are volunteers–they may make mistakes or not know all the issues affecting a route. You are responsible for yourself, your actions, and your safety. If you won’t accept that responsibility, you are prohibited from using our information.
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