Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area - Wild Horse Wind & Solar Facility, WA

This hike was one of my bucket list for quite a while since I noticed the wind turbines along I-90 near Ellensburg. I am glad I finally made it.

There are four trails you can explore in the area depending on your interest....Ridgeline Solar Trail (2.4 miles RT), Bitterroot Trail (1 mile RT), Bluebird Canyon Trail (1.7 miles RT) and Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Routes (8 miles? RT).

I started my hike at the Renewal Energy visitor center located in 3 miles up on Beacon Ridge Road from Vantage Highway. As part of the hike, I highly recommend to stop by the Renewable Energy Center because you can get basic info on the hiking trails, permit and also learn about a unique renewable energy complex of the wind and the sun. The staff at the center is very helpful and I learned so much about the wind turbines and renewable energy. There is a restroom, too (nice and clean!). You don't need a hiking permit to hike Ridgeline Solar Trail, Bitterroot Trail, Bluebird Canyon Trail, but to hike Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Trail, an Access Permit is required at the center.

Those turbines are gigantic!...360ft tall and blades are 240ft diameter made of fiberglass. It costs $3 million to build one turbine which generates power enough for 40 households annually. Lifespan of turbine is about 20 - 30 years. It takes about 15 years for return of investment and after that will be profit minus operating costs. The complex can generate electricity for 70,000 households per year. The turbine has a wind sensor to sense wind directions for efficiency and newer turbine designs can generate 4 times more energy than the current ones which were built over 10 years ago. About 10% of Puget Sound Energy is generated by the wind. I learned something new - wind turbines and renewable energy.

The trails are well maintained and good condition, and you encounter no significant elevation gains (a gentle few hundred feet) with Ridgeline Solar Trail, Bitterroot Trail and Bluebird Canyon Trail. There are trail signs, but they are very small....a small plate attached on a small rock on the ground! So, the map I got at the visitor center was helpful to navigate. I didn't hike Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Trail in this trip, but I was told parts of the trail get faint and sketchy, so carrying a map seems a good idea if you are hiking Whiskey Dick Mountain Backcountry Trail.

It was quite interesting to hike along those wind turbines on the mountain hills. From the top of Ridgeline Solar Trail, you can view the entire wind facility with Mt. Rainier and Mt Stuart range in the distance. I was hoping to see some wildlife, but no luck yesterday....deer and elk can be sighted. Wildflowers are still out there and blooming. There were about 5 - 10 mile winds yesterday, which helped not sweating too much and also kept bugs away, I think. By the way, this is a desert hike, so be prepared for hot, dry and sun-exposed conditions when you do this hike.