Today's hike was, in a sense, the continuation of a hike I began a few days ago (Sept 17.) On that occasion, I first explored forest trails in McCollum Park, then hiked the North Creek Trail as far south as its junction with Mill Creek Blvd, just north of 164th St SE.
Today, I began at North Creek Park's southern trailhead, reached via 183rd St SE in Mill Creek. My first visit here.
Today's weather was great, sunny but not too warm. A pleasant contrast to my former hike when rain seemed imminent.
The gravel trail dropped a few feet, then continued across the marshy area on a boardwalk. Both sides of the boardwalk were lined with tall grasses and cattails, and in a few places there was a hint of standing water. But it's been a dry year, and I'm sure that in some years, or early in any year, more standing water would have been evident.
In about 1,200 feet, a side trail on the left, signed somewhat poetically "Peat Bog Pond," leads about 400 feet to a dead end. A sign offers explanatory comments on how "Wetlands Gather Water and Wildlife."
I returned to the main trail and continued north another 1,200 feet or so where another signed trail on the left points to a "Viewpoint." I was curious what that would be, so took the trail some 600 feet west where it dead ends at what might be, in a moister season, a small pond.
I was startled to note the charred remains of an information board that had fallen over. This seemed an unlikely location for a lightning strike, and what (or who) might have caused the conflagration was a mystery.
I returned again to the main trail and continued on north. The route here showed more signs of standing water, and occasionally the tread was slightly bouncy.
Farther north, the trail leaves the boardwalk for a graveled extension, then leaves the park and continues on to reach pavement on 9th Ave SE. I followed this narrow street north, crossed busy 164 St SE at the light, then veered left a bit to continue north on Mill Creek Blvd. Soon, I reached the familiar location where I had ended my hike a week earlier.
The trails (mostly boardwalks) today were in good condition, with a little tilt in a few places. Here and there along the way, overhanging grasses at the edges of the boardwalk had been trimmed back.
Even though it's fall now, a few wildflowers were blooming. A week ago I was glad to see a few orange impatiens at McCollum Park, but today I saw many more here. I also noted a few composites that I didn't know, and many tiny blue flowers.
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