Frenchman Coulee — Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023

Ethan, Karen, & I returned to Frenchman Coulee on this mild, sunny day.  This time we parked at the climber's trailhead with the two outhouses and followed the trail up the Frenchman Coulee Rib and across the rib to the Sunshine Wall Slot (aka the Near Trail Cave).  We went down the slot and then walked out the trail along the narrow bench at the base of Sunshine Wall all the way to the end of the rib.  Along the way we heard a canyon wren. We then walked back up to the top of the rib and found a nice spot overlooking Echo Basin for lunch.  It was sunny and warm and we stayed our usual hour or so.  As we ate, we were treated to some areal acrobatics by 3 ravens.   Finally we headed back along the top of the rib and down to the car.  The trail below Sunshine Wall looks impossible from a distance, but is really a good trail, though it has some loose rock and is exposed here and there.  It probably not a trail for the faint of heart.  We were surprised at how few climbers were there on such a beautiful day.