Umtanum Creek Canyon — Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019

Ethan, Brenda, Jonah, Karen, & I walked up Umtanum Canyon on this clear, sunny day.  It was mild in the sun, but cool in the shade.  We took the trail to the right at the fork just past a flat-topped boulder.  This is the main trail and takes you over to an easy creek crossing.  There was a blow-down just before the creek, but it didn't pose much of an obstacle.  Just across the creek there are a number of apple trees and a pear tree at the site of the old homestead.  They were loaded with fruit and we found quite a few that did not have much insect damage.  We continued up the canyon to where the creek makes an S curve (about 3.5 miles from the suspension bridge) and climbed into the sun for lunch.  While us old folks ate and enjoyed the sun, Brenda & Jonah, youngsters that they are, climbed to the top of the ridge and back.  Afterwards, we made our way back the way we had come.  By this time the bottom of the canyon was mostly in shade.  The color in the canyon was well past its peak.  Thanks to the winds we've had that last couple of days, the shrubs and perhaps 60% of the trees had lost their leaves.  As the photos show, however, there were still plenty of places with nice color.  The trail is overgrown in places, especially beyond the 3rd crossing, but here there was lots of orange flagging and we didn't have much difficulty finding our way.  And you have to remember, the canyon is on WDFW land and the trail is not a "formal" trail.  It is just a boot trail that has had extensive use for decades.  The only maintenance it receives is from the boots that walk it (though years ago WTA did do some work on a section of trail just before the 3rd crossing).  Other than a party of Mountaineers, we didn't see many other hikers until we were almost back to the cars.  But high on the south side of the canyon we did see a lot of crows, magpies, and a coyote working on a carcass.