Ideas for a spring trip east of the Cascades in WA?

A narrow target to hit. There are a couple of options on The Gorge, but not going to meet 15 miles/day for a couple days. Eagle Creek, etc. Try asking on nwhikers.net and see what you come up with.

Yes, I'm just starting to make use of nwhikers — Jerry's work on those online field guides is a great help with some of my other planning!

We were looking at the Gorge last year and we need to avoid snow, which ruled that out. Solitude is also something that she cares about (I'm indifferent).

Blue Mountains look interesting, but that may be too much of a haul for our time span.

Variables we have going for us:

* dates are flexible, just looking for something early and arid. Have enough leeway now to aim for an optimal time.
* two vehicles — so we can do a a shuttle

Blue mountains are wonderful but the trails I haunt tend to be snowed over in the Spring. Check with the Ranger Station but I believe Panjab trail tends to melt off early on.

It's certainly not equidistant but there are trails, like Enchanted Valley in Oly NP and Thunder Creek in North Cascades NP which are hikeable in the Spring.

I did some day hiking in Umtanum Creek Canyon with my two monkeys. I'd like to get back that way and am planning a sub 24 in that area. Where did you hike exactly and what would you recommend?

My habit is to hike the Blues every Memorial Day weekend. Usually can't drive to any of the high trailheads, so it's most often Panjab/Indian Corral. Panjab is usually clear till the very top, but it's generally hard to find four days' hiking without getting snow bound. I've made it as far east as the Sheephead Spring area on patchy snow. South to Oregon Butte usually involves a mile or two on snow. I've looped by Oregon Butte, west to Teepee, then out Turkey Creek, but the segment to Teepee, being on a north-facing slope, is one of the last spots in the range to melt out. Often rainy. Always enjoyable.

4 days?

Take a Greyhound from Seattle to Steven's Pass, head south on PCT, then east on the Icicle ridge trail for four days, coming out at Leavenworth. Take the Trailways bus back to Seattle.