Despite the nice weather, the parking lot was less than half full when we arrived at noon, and the trail wasn't crowded.

Days are getting short, so we didn't hike in more than a few miles before turning around. The trail up to that point was almost like a stroll in the park; just two small stream crossings. The trail branched several times; we always followed the more worn branch. Not sure it even matters...

Other than birds, the only wildlife we saw were several Bighorn sheep (on the south ridge of the canyon).

I took a walk in Umtanum Canyon on this mostly sunny day. There's still quite a bit of fall color left, especially the cottonwoods, though it is definitely past its peak. I hiked up the first sidecanyon to the left as far as the aspen grove at the spring. These trees were still looking very nice. Later in the afternoon I went down to the main canyon, but only went as far as the first big aspen grove. These trees had mostly lost their leaves, but were still attractive anyway. Umtanum Canyon is always a colorful end of Oct - early Nov hike.

This is probably the best time of year to see Umtanum, not too hot and pretty colors everywhere. The foliage should continue to be nice for at least a few more weeks.

Our excitement on the trail today was the dogs finding a decomposing porcupine pelt and getting quills stuck all over their snouts. My son took the photo below of me holding Ruby as I was struggling to remove quills. What we didn't see was the rattle snake in the photo just to the right of Ruby and below my arm. A few seconds later I was standing ON the snake when my son yells "SNAKE!!" and we both had heart attacks.

It was too cold for the snake to have much energy and he gave us a feeble rattle and hid under a bush. I finished removing the quills and got out of there, although not necessarily in that order.

As a side note, those quills hurt and are hard to get out. I got one jammed in the end of my finger as I struggled with the dogs, and they are covered with nearly invisible barbs that resist your efforts to pull them out. It's quite painful :D

Umtanum Canyon is a desert oasis in more ways than one. Until July 15, the trail is closed after 3.25 miles to protect the sensitive ecosystem, so it doesn't offer much if you are a mileage hound or a peak bagger. But if you are interested in exploring the floor of a rich desert canyon enlivened by Umtanum Creek, you may love this hike. Go now while the rattlesnakes still sleep! Go early for the best chance of spotting wildlife. Go anytime if you want to avoid crowds...though the parking lot was full of people launching rafts and kayaks into the Yakima River, I ran into only a handful of people, most with big scopes for the abundant and varied bird watching to be found in the canyon.

On the trail expect to be intoxicated with the scent of sage and wild rose (still blooming, but not for much longer), Lewis's Mock Orange and what smelled to me like wild chamomile. The creek meanders along the floor of the canyon punctuated periodically by beaver dams and quiet pools. The sun was bright but tempered today by high clouds. I sat for a while at the edge of the creek and no sooner was I settled when a doe tiptoed out of the high grass and passed within 6 feet of me. Rumor has it that a herd of big horned sheep live in the canyon, but I did not have the priveledge of seeing them today.

To get there head east on I90 to the Canyon Road exit in Ellensburg. Drive south on the Canyon Road following the Yakima River. Turn into the Umtanum Recreation Area parking lot just past milepost 17. Pay $5 to park. Bring sunscreen and lots of water and bug stuff. Have fun crossing the suspension bridge to get to the trail.