There are different reported lengths for this trail, I was hoping that it went beyond the reported 3.5 miles. Right at 3.5 miles, there is no sign of a trail anywhere and the trees look almost impassable. (On the way out I saw that after that point is a nature reserve and you should not enter) Up until that point there are helpful ribbons and the trail is often clearly seen. There are some very overgrown sections in the last mile (see picture 2). I had to look around for the trail or ribbons at times, I had to consult Gaia once to find the trail.
A friend saw a rattlesnake on 2 different trips in the last week, I didn't see any (it was a cold morning). She also spotted poison ivy and sent me a picture (picture #4), about a foot tall, white berries.
There are many creek crossings. Some of the rocks were slimy/slippery, test them before you put your weight down. A few of the crossings were a little challenging (I'm a 3 out of 10 with creek crossings). When the trail goes up a rock field on the side of the canyon, there is one small section with a little exposure (see picture 3). A person who was a 1 out of 10 with exposure would be bothered by this, I'm a 3, and I was just a little more careful with my steps.
Very pretty colors, but not as spectacular as the colors I've seen in recent pictures from Cowiche. I don't have a lot of experience in when colors are best here. My guess is they are in the downswing overall. But, there is still a lot of color and many of the trees haven't turned yet (including many aspens).
Logs were airlifted into the creek for restoration purposes, this link has an explanation of the effort.
http://yakamafish-nsn.gov/restore/projects/yakima-basin-wood-fiesta
The drive through Yakima Canyon is beautiful. The geology of the canyon is interesting. An excellent Nick Zentner (an entertaining professor from CWU) lecture on the geology of the canyon and the ridges in this area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o19BMrPmhs&t=112s
I'm leading a Mountaineers hike here on Oct 27th, a free guest membership gets you 2 free activities.
https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/activities/day-hike-umtanum-creek-canyon-10
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