Kachess ridge

 

I headed over the pass to get some sun shine and to see if I could hike with out getting into snow.  I headed up the silver creek trail by Easton and after 1200 feet elevation gain, I hit the snow.

 

Not wishing to walk through the snow and post holing all of the time, I headed straight up the ridge.  Ridge hikes are usually a lot of fun.  They have open, quite often have a nice breeze and usually have great views, but ridges by their nature tend to either have a lot of ups and downs, or as in this case, just go strait up.  Still it’s better than snow.

 

The snow has been off of the ridge for several weeks, so the wild flowers were starting to come out.

and in the meadows, the lupine, the over achiever of the flower world was in full bloom.

It was a pleasant if somewhat tiring hike.  It looks like it will be several weeks for trails through the trees will be clear of snow.

Oh, and for all of you relatives in Arizona and southern California.  Here is a picture to show you what green looks like.

Pictures of hike

Ainsley Canyon

 

Though it was beautiful here on Saturday Jim and I headed over to eastern Washington  where we wouldn’t run into snow.  It is a beautiful hike.  The meadows have recovered from winter and are lush.  Of course our wet spring really helps that.  There isn’t really a trail in the area, or at least the ones in the guide books aren’t the ones I follow. 

The hike has a bit of everything.  A walk in the forest,

interesting lava rock formations

and if you climb high enough, which requires scrambling up those interesting lava rock formations, great views of the Stuart range.

We went up looking for flowers.  The  arrow leaf balsam root is a little past its prime,

and it’ll be about two weeks before the lupine are in full bloom.

On the way out, we ran across an old homestead or possible a home for summer pasture of cattle.  The area around was planted in alfalfa which should make the elk who currently stay there very very happy.

All in all, it was a sunny day and great to lay in the sun.

Photos from hike

arboretum

 

When I set Wednesday as a hiking day earlier in the week, the weather forecast had been for good weather, but by Wednesday, that was but a dream.  But I still wanted to get out and walk for a couple of hours so I headed down to the arboretum in Seattle, which makes for a very easy hike.  No back pack, no hiking boots, no lugging water and food.  Just me and my camera.

Across from the Japanese tea garden, they have put in four new areas featuring the plants of Washington, Chile, and a couple of other areas whose names  I forget.

The Washington connections has a nice shelter and interpretive center which became very interesting to me when it began to rain. They’ve got a lot of signs up which identify the plants I see when I’m hiking.

The Rhododendrons and azaleas are past their prime, but still enjoyable.  There are some really, really big Rhododendrons here. They are over thirty feet tall.

 

There are enough trails, official and unofficial,  to keep you wandering back and forth for hours. I know, I did it and still didn’t cover all of them.  There are lots of glens, hidden ponds

and surprises around every corner.

There were acres and acres of yellow flowers, just like the ones I’ve been pulling from our flower beds the last three days.  They look very impressive when they cover a two acre meadow. Perhaps I should have left them and just dreamt bigger dreams.

So if it is sunny and you would like to go for a two hour walk near the fine coffee shops and restaurants of Madison Park, head over to the Washington Park Arboretum.

Many many more pictures of the arboretum

Nisqually Delta

 

I had selected Wednesday to hike because the weather report indicated it would be the best day, but when I got up this morning it was raining.  So I headed off t the Nisqually Delta where I figured the rainy pictures of a swamp would be appropriate.   I was pleasantly surprised.  There was no rain and the delta is gorgeous.

It was full of birds

and other animals. (Which did not seem to include insects, which seemed unusual in a salt water estuary.). I even saw a weasel which would set 15 feet in front of me and dart off as soon as I raised my camera.

The delta has a boardwalk that extends for close to two miles over the tide flats.  It has an elevation gain of about six inches.  Dogs and bicycles are not allowed. No sinking up to your knees in the mud, no cuts from the sharp grasses and at least this time, no bugs.  How would you know that you’re hiking?  But if you go, check the tides.  As the tide is coming in, everything in the picture below would be covered with water.

If you are a birder, this is the place to be.

If you just want to have fun, it is still a good place to be and it is only an hour drive away from Seattle.  It has nice rest rooms, good displays along the walk that explain everything in front of you and a gift shop.  What more could you want?  And Norma’s at the end of the exit makes a great hamburger.

 

Pictures from hike