This will be my first hunt into a wilderness area in 15 years. We have hunted Icicle Ridge in the Alpine Wilderness Area out of Leavenworth, but that's it. We now hunt Goldendale area on a 3 mile walk in beyond a locked gate. Even that is getting busier. Always wanted to pack in where no one is, and so we are looking at a drop camp in the Ice Lake area off the Entiat, or Lake Michael Area in the Cle Elum drainage area. Both are 11 miles in. Am told the Entiat is more productive than Alpine, but either way the glacier will be longer than we'll likely want to hike from camp. We will be close to the timberline, above which is where I hear the big bucks like to hang out in summer (I had hoped "above" did not mean near the glacier). Last year, I hear they got 4" of snow on opening day, so maybe we'll get some weather to send those big racks down.

I saw Duncan Hill and Cow Creek on the Forest Service Map. Is this where you hunted late buck, and stopped when they took it away, or did it become less productive? I want a huge buck this year and am in search of the most productive area to do that. The topos in this area do appear steep, fortunately, we'll be riding in.