Umtanum Creek Canyon — Saturday, Mar. 5, 2022

Given the good weather on a weekend AM, we decided to get away from the crowds by checking out this trail in the Yakima River Canyon.  There were about 10 cars in the lot when we arrived.  The early parts of the  hike were muddy where the snow had recently melted.  There are lots of braided trails throughout the hike which can make it difficult to navigate some times.  We missed the first creek crossing by following one of those trails and having to backtrack. First crossing is via a small log and rocks. Poles were helpful.  The second crossing has many logs side-by-side.   Navigation through the burnt-out areas was tricky as there were lots of bootpaths that sometimes abruptly ended. In other places, the compacted snow and ice from others hadn't melted, leaving a clear trail.  There were only a few icy spots to cross - fortunately the trail is flat. We turned around slightly after crossing the scree near 3 miles.   By the time we returned to the car, the temps were near 60 F and we passed hiked in shorts and tank tops.