Umtanum Creek Canyon — Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017

Gorgeous fall hike under a mostly cloudless sky, while the western part of the state was cloudy and occasionally raining. Most trees are just starting to turn. My report will just focus on the one non-straightforward part of the hike, which is the trail. The trail is not signposted and cell phone signal is limited to non-existent in the canyon, so first-time hikers should be sure to save a copy of the WTA hiking description. We set off to hike the full three miles out and back but never found the creek crossing (we also forgot that there was a crossing) and ended up following another trail (an animal track?) in and out of a few thickets and then up onto a scree slope on the south side of the creek that led to a side canyon before petering out. Saw a few other groups thrashing around off trail during our hike. Given how mellow the terrain is, and how (relatively) developed the parking lot area is, it's a shame that the trail is un-signed - and that there isn't really a formal trail in the first place. For those wanting to hike back into the canyon for more than a mile, be sure to make an offline copy of the description and ask others on the trail for information. And be prepared for some basic route-finding. Even with the frustration of losing the trail, though, we had a wonderful time.