One last desert fling of hiking before it gets too hot, I thought. Well, hot was here now (as well as the west side on this day). But that didn't seem to matter as Hardy Canyon had a drying breeze to make it not feel the 90+ outside that the hot sun was blasting down. I easily found the access point to Hardy Canyon, just 4+ miles south of Wenas/Ellensburg Pass road junction in the northern Wenas Valley. There's even a sign at the gated road with ample gravel to pull out to park by it. The initial 1/8 mile passed through a thick ""forest"" of wild rose that was the most fragrant strolling I've done in a long time! Hummingbirds and butterflies were abundant, and just after crossing Wenas Creek on a wooden bridge an owl was seen flying out of a cottonwood tree. Not a great horned owl, not a barn owl....might have been either a barred owl or long-eared owl. I need to hike south here someday to catch the Pine Canyon road and hike up it, as it looks from the valley floor to be an exceptional canyon to trek up this eastern side of Cleman Mountain. Winding through thick aspen, birch, and cottonwood stands in the valley floor another 1/8 mile (return in fall for colors!) the way begins to work up into Hardy Canyon. The next 1/4 mile or so passes by a nice set of 20 or so bluebird houses, and the bluebirds were very active even in the heat. One was very accommodating and allowed me great access to exceptional photography for 10 minutes at close range. Wild onion was thickly blooming all over. The canyon became narrow and areas along the old jeep track at times were rather grassy and overgrown with chokecherry, serviceberry, and other lush plant life hugging the canyon bottom. This made for some much more careful hiking since keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes was more difficult. But it is this lush vegetation that makes the canyon a magnet for wildlife. Two mule deer greeted us along the way on the path. Thousands of butterflies were everywhere, especially in the upper canyon once the flowers became thick with both sulfur and heart-leafed buckwheat. Western meadowlarks were everywhere, as were the ever beautiful Western Kingbirds--they were thick! I photographed a pair of them on one occasion, which was a thrill. And oh yes, two rattlesnakes were loudly heard, but alas never sighted. The rest of the time was a buzz of crickets and other insects that fill the canyons with song. Grouse were heard in the thick brush of the canyon bottom as well. No fewer than six lizard sightings were enjoyed as well, but all were too quick to hide away before photography of their lovely faces could commence. Darn! After more than 2 miles or so I headed on back down the canyon as I wanted to hike up Black Canyon as well. The views looking east from Hardy Canyon are outstanding, as you look at Umtanum Ridge from the west side and the best views up into the deep cut of Black Canyon that are available. What a canyon that is! So, on to discovering where to hike up in it was next.