Getting up to Wenatchee Mountain (aka Microwave) never gets old, no matter how many times you’ve made the summit in winter or summer. It’s the highest point inside our ski area boundary, and the reward at the top is a 360-degree view that’s hard to beat: due west you’re staring straight at Rainier, drop your eyes to the north and east and you’ve got the entire ski area spreading out below you, swing around and it’s the Columbia and Wenatchee Valleys, and looking south you can watch the foothills slope downward toward the Ellensburg. It’s the full majesty of the east side of the Cascades on display.
This was my first trip up Microwave since the lifts stopped turning, and there’s more than one way to get there. Depending on your route, you’ll likely clock a roundtrip journey of 8-12 miles. The simplest playbook is to follow the Summer Road all the way to the top of Chair 2, then just follow the ridgeline out across Windy Ridge and up toward Microwave. My preferred line: from the top of Tumwater 2, head upslope toward the Bathtub via the Drain Pipe (“Drain Pipe” refers to the skiers’ left exit out of the bottom of Bathtub in winter). Then, follow the bottom of the Bathtub below Windy Ridge, eventually traversing up the slope on your right with the aim of intersecting the ridgeline at the saddle between Windy and Micro. You’ll likely find a faint trail through the scree to help guide your progress. Then, follow that ridge up to the summit.
I made the trip late in the day, right in that 6-to-7:30pm golden hour window, and it delivered: blue skies, comfortable temps, and the lupine in dense bloom right now, whole hillsides blanketed purple, with the low evening sun lighting it all up across the mountain. With the heat building most afternoons this time of year, I’d recommend hiking either early morning or evening rather than the middle of the day.
No snow left up top at this point means the route is dry and in good shape the whole way, and the summit is well worth the effort to get there. One thing to keep in mind: once you leave the Summer Road, you’ll be traveling cross-country. To make the push for the Wenatchee Mountain summit, you should be comfortable with navigating uneven terrain and talus. For anyone looking for a simpler ascent that provides similarly rewarding views, the route to the top of Chair 2 via the Summer Road is always a beautiful ascent.
If you’re headed up this weekend: Saturday is also race day for the Devil’s Gulch Trail Race here on the mountain, so expect more cars in the lot and more runners out on some of our roads and trails. And once you’re back down, Chair 5 Pub’s got Trivia Night tonight and live music with Micah J tomorrow night, a good way to close out a day up here. Hope to see you out there this weekend.
Base Area Forecast
Saturday 7/11: Sunny, with a high near 71. West wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday 7/12: Sunny, with a high near 70. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Chair 5 Pub Schedule
Friday 7/10: 4–9pm (Trivia Night, 6:30–8pm)
Saturday 7/11: 11am–9pm (Live Music with Micah J, 6:30–8:30pm)
Sunday 7/12: 9am–2pm
No chairlifts run during the summer season.
Summer Access Policy
During the summer season (May–October), public access within the Mission Ridge Special Use Permit area is permitted except where restricted due to maintenance and construction. We love seeing the Mission Ridge community in the mountains and on the trails year-round, but please make sure to check out the full access policy by clicking the link below.
