Strange subtropical weather in Eastern Washington prevailed on our hike. The air was misty and humid, and the warmth was trying hard to melt all of the snow and ice left over from the recent cold snap. The Umtanum Canyon trail itself was covered with 6" to a foot of packed snow...not bad footing but you might bring Yaktrax. We hiked on the trail for awhile, then were tempted by the sunny and dry south-facing slope of the canyon. A short but steep scramble to us to a fine perch on a lava cliff, where we lingered and soaked up the bright warm sun. More off-trail exploration took us to the top of the ridge and down a steep user trail back to the trailhead. Even though the slope was bare of snow, slick mud made the descent a challenge. Interesting January conditions, indeed!
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