It must have been an April Fools joke. The calendar said ""spring"", but the bitterly cold wind that greeted us at the trailhead parking lot said ""winter."" At least the weather was better than at Snoqualmie Pass, where it was 29 F and snowing. Here, deep in the desert country east of the Cascades, blue skies prevailed, a soul-uplifting sight for our group of mossy, rain-soaked Seattle escapees. Bright sun battled the cold air to a draw, so it wasn't such a bad day to hike. Spring was just getting going in the canyon. The trees were still bare, but the hillsides were greening up and buttercups provided splashes of color. We followed the canyon trail about four miles, to the third ford. Because of the heavy brush, high water in the creek, and basically non-existent trail beyond this point, we didn't feel like continuing farther. A gravel beach by the creek provided the perfect sunning spot for a long lunch break.

A great break from the clouds and drizzle on the west side of this state, we left on our small hike, about 2 miles into the canyon, around mid-day. It was in the mid 60's. Not a lot of other folks, not a lot of animals or flowers yet, but there was evidence of beaver activity. Several dams were along the stream. We even saw a beaver 'springboard', where a short tree was felled under a higher and bigger tree, so that one could be cut up and dragged away in smaller pieces. Amazing! This is a good late winter hike for those not wanting to contend with snow, although others said they hiked up onto Untanum Ridge and encountered patches near the top. Anyone who likes desert hiking, this is a good time to get out before it gets too hot. Enjoy!

I led my monthly Winter Walk for the Cascadians today. I was recovering from a nasty head cold so I needed an easy walk & Umtanum Canyon fit the bill. Our party of 6 walked 31/2-4 miles up the canyon & had lunch in the sun on a buttress on the south side of the creek. The lower part of the trail was compact ice with about 1/2 inch of snow which gave us some traction. Farther up it was just 6-8 inches of snow. The creek crossings were icy, but not too difficult. The day was sunny, but this time of year the canyon is mostly in the shade. We saw one small heard of big horn sheep in the distance as we ate lunch. Except for the last 1/4 mile back to the cars we had the canyon pretty much to ourselves.

Ticks. Ticks. Ticks. Good, mellow hike, although fewer flowers than I hoped. There are many trails leading up the canyon. None seem better than any other. We also hiked up to the falls. Quite beautiful. We saw a lazuli bunting, quite the handsome little birdy. Oh yeah, did I mention ticks.

The flowers are peaking right now in Central Washington... it was a beautiful day - 70 degrees, sunny, no ticks, no rattlesnakes. Saw tons of wildflowers and every color songbird you could imagine, including a couple orioles and handful of goldfinches. The trail was fairly crowded with bird watchers, but mostly we were alone and it was quiet and peaceful. A great hike for this time of year.