Trip Report Corner : Eagle eyes on the trail

Trip reporter Katie McGregor, KatieJM, spotted this eagle while hiking along the northeast side of Lake Quinault. She shared this gorgeous moment in her trip report for Kestner Homestead–Maple Glade. She was hiking with a friend on New Year’s Day. They saw so many eagles and repeatedly stopped to watch them. This one was watching a large female eagle taking a bath in the river below, and Katie captured this image from a distance, just before he took off.

Crisp wildlife shots like this fierce eagle, trail beta and more can be found in trip reports. Photo by trip reporter KatieJM

Katie grew up in the area and loves it for its lush scenery and plentiful wildlife. She’s usually a landscape photographer, but it’s always a treat to capture a photo of wildlife. 

“I write trip reports because they were integral to my introduction to hiking,” Katie said. “As a teenager just discovering the joy of exploring our outdoor spaces, organizations like WTA were a huge help with discovering new places and understanding the logistics of safely and responsibly enjoying them. Now that I’m more experienced, I like to share my own adventures to provide that information for others. Plus, it’s fun to have a personal log of all of the trails I’ve hiked in our beautiful state!”

To enjoy more beautiful images from trip reports, or write your own, go to wta.org/tripreports.