Frenchman Coulee — Monday, Sep. 19, 2016

Central Washington > Potholes Region

I didn't like the forecast for heavy rain and thunderstorms so I headed east hoping for sunshine. The drive started a little rough. Heavy morning traffic on 405 allowed me to travel about 4 miles in the first hour. Then the rain started and there was a lot of standing water on I-90 headed over the pass. By the time I got to Cle Elum the clouds lifted and I was relieved to know that I would get a dose of Vitamin D after all. Frenchman Coulee is easy to find. Take exit 143 and follow the signs. before you get to the trailhead you will see a Discovery Pass parking lot with pit toilet. This is where the rock climbers hang out. Use the facilities and head down the road where you will find the trailhead on the right. The trail is really an old road that runs parallel to the one you drive in on. Straight and flat. Pretty if you look up at the rock formations and clouds. I left the pups at home knowing if be in rattlesnake territory. Happy to say I didn't see any. The closer you get to the waterfall, the more garbage you see. Junk that got dumped off the road, broken glass, etc. I tried to focus on the clouds and the wind, headed back to the car and drove up the road to the rock climbing area. I climbed around there for a while and enjoyed the view from the top. Much cleaner up there. Tip- If you want to explore this type of terrain, I'd recommend the Ancient Lakes trail. Also, the Ginko interpretive center in Vantage is closed on Mondays.