Umtanum Creek Canyon — Tuesday, Jun. 5, 2018

After setting up camp at Big Pines CG in Yakima Canyon, we drove to the Umtanum Recreation Area to hike Umtanum Creek Canyon. The small CG was full with 106 students from  Explorer West Middle School and their leaders. They had arrived today and were to be in the area until Friday. They divided into small groups to hike.  One group came to Big Pines CG the next morning to pick up trash. The area where we normally cross the creek had fallen brush and small limbs which we couldn't go under or over so we stayed on the South side of the creek the whole time which meant we went through many brushy areas, but fortunately did not find any ticks. A few sticky geranium, pearly everlasting, monkey flowers and some white shrubs and flowers we couldn't identify were still blooming. Mosquitoes were a nuisance! We saw one lazuli bunting, two cedar waxwings and heard but never saw many yellow-breasted chats. Having been unable to hike in May, it was good to be on the trail again!