Skip navigation

Category Archives: hike

A Short Steep Hike

We joined Lindsey and Little Bear for a hike to Lookout Mountain, the site of a US Forest Service fire lookout. I wonder what came first – the mountain’s name or the fire lookout? The trail is only 1.3 miles but it gains 1100 feet up to a high point of 5518 feet overlooking the Methow Valley. Distant views were hazy with lingering smoke from prescribed burns. One of these days I will get there on a day with bright blue skies and snow-capped mountains but not this time.

I love these lichen covered snags.
Oh look, Sky brought us a stick.
Haven’t you seen enough flowers yet?
What a good group.

McLaughlin Canyon

The girls and I traveled to an agility event Friday, stopping on the way for a hike and then lunch with friends near Tonasket. It was a perfect spring day. Sunny and warm. At the start of the hike it was still frozen in the shadows but that changed while we were out. A creek tumbled down the canyon wall disappearing into the ground before it got to the canyon floor. Buttercups were blooming. Canyon Wrens were singing. A Golden Eagle stirred up all the Rock Pigeons. A fine outing.

We saw or heard these birds: Chukar, Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Pigeon, Northern Flicker, Say’s Phoebe, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Canyon Wren, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Western Meadowlark. There were also lots of marmots.

Such interesting geology
Water in an otherwise dry place
According to this sign, much of the trail is on private land.
Buttercups
Sky wrestled with a sagebrush. She lost
Waited for someone to pop out of the hole but no luck.

One Day, Two Lakes

Mid-October and the days were getting shorter. We managed to get in two short hikes to two beautiful lakes – Cutthroat and Blue. Next year I think we ought to add Ann and Rainy Lakes and have a four-lake day. I think this may have been the sixth or seventh time I went to Blue Lake in 2017. And I went to Cutthroat a few times in the last few months. Such pretty places and so close to home. I feel lucky.

Yellow is the dominant color. Soon it will be white.

Cutthroat Lake
Still hunting season so they were still wearing their orange.
Blue Lake
Larch needles
So long til next year!

September 25

Oh my gosh. I guess I was working a lot and got way far behind on my photos. This hike was to Twisp Pass at the end of September. My girls didn’t get to go since Sky was recuperating and it was a pretty long hike for Luna. She probably could have gone but it was best for her to keep Sky company. Lindsey and I saw a Golden Eagle and a mountain goat in the distance.

We have had a good long season of fall colors following the hot dry summer of 2017.

October 10

Our next venture out and about was to Cutthroat Lake. It’s a short hike to a beautiful place and I especially like it in the fall. It was a real test to see if Sky was actually healed. I really wanted to take it slowly with her for fear that she would start limping again. Not only did we give up our walks and hikes, we also gave up agility and retrieving. As you can imagine, this was a real hardship on the dog. Fortunately, she has not had any setbacks!

The larch trees were magnificent.