Just wanted to follow up on wafflesnfalafel's post, "One kind of interesting little discovery - looks like the park folks are using some sort of data logger on a medium sized cedar tree some distance off trail - wonder what they are studying." This is an experiment by State Parks partner, the UW Bothell Environmental studies group to study holly dispersion. The more we know about this invasive species, the better we can learn how to eliminate or at least control it! 

Walked the St Edwards State Park trails Friday morning.  Discover Pass required as per normal.  Parking can get tight on a busy day especially with the Catholic Seminary building converted to a fancy hotel now but no problem today.  The full restrooms at the lot were open and in good condition.  The route was a messy clockwise exterior loop with additional wanderings on some of the side trails.  There are a bunch of trees down from our recent storms but nearly all are bucked up and out of the way with the exception of one spot along the water where the whole trail was pulled up/damaged when a tree’s root ball went over, though there is an easy detour around it.  There is a bit of mud but honestly not bad at all as it can get pretty slippery/slimy after extensive rains.  Not much wildlife out - some ducks down by the lake, robins, juncos, etc in the woods plus a couple raven >grok, grok<ing over head.  One kind of interesting little discovery - looks like the park folks are using some sort of data logger on a medium sized cedar tree some distance off trail - wonder what they are studying.  A nice little woodsy walk with lots to see. 

We hiked about 7 miles this morning on the trails around St Edwards and to Bastyr and back.   This is a nice local option when you have limited time to a well maintained trail system and a little bit of elevation.   The park is big enough that it never seems crowded on trail.

Lovely loop at St Edward for the First Day Hike. This has become one of my favorite annual traditions.

The park has some beautiful forest and a lovely native plant garden. The trail can be steep and is muddy at parts but is very doable.

Lot was mostly full at 10am. Plenty of bathrooms around. Playground was a hit with the kids and I enjoyed the art inside the lodge.

I participated in a group exercise program that included visiting the lake and various stretching, strength, and cardio exercises. We heard flickers, chickadees, crows, robins, red-breasted nuthatches, and golden-crowned kinglets and saw some interesting mushrooms someone said were "honey mushrooms" and not good for eating. We were very fortunate NOT to get rained on between 10-12. Great temperature for outdoor exercise.

There were lots of groups with small children, and two beagles baying excitedly over finding the scent of something. I love seeing a park used so much during the middle of the week. We walked down one of the wider paths to the lake that had been completely cleared of leaves and back up the same path. And, as an unexpected bonus, I was able to purchase my November 2024-2025 Discovery Pass right there on the grounds! I'm set for hiking for another year!