Iron and Ice

Monday was a perfect day for a hike. The weather was crisp but all of the forecasts said no rain.

I planned to hike the John Wayne Trail which is recognized as the Iron Horse Sate Park from North Bend to the Columbia River. This trail is the recovered rail bed of the Milwaukee Road rail system and stretches all the way to the Idaho border. Making it, I suspect, the longest, skinniest state park around.

The trail head had some interesting graphics. The Milwaukee Road was electric and the trains could gather power and re-feed the circuits when going downhill. This rail run from Seattle was vital for the silk trade. Raw silk from Asia was quickly transported east. The opening of the Panama Canal and the development of nylon and other synthetics put this system to rest. The rail route here kept a team of 100+ men who made sure the line was free of snow in the season. At the top of the mountains there is a 2.3 mile long tunnel which this trail once went through. Unfortunately the deterioration of the tunnels, which were blasted through rock, has made it necessary to detour off the trail at the summit.

Also the trail head has some of the prettiest privies I have ever seen.

I found a walking stick that someone left. This is a usual thing around here. People will find an old piece of tree limb and if you are lucky it is the right shape weight and height for a walking stick. The stick I used last year I found in April and we had many a hike together. This new stick will join me on this years journeys.

The woods were strangely quiet here. I was disappointed and a bit surprised to not hear more bird chatter. The south side of the trail skirts the Ceder River Watershed and this area is strictly off limits. To the north the I-90 corridor is just over the way. This part of the trail gradually climbs at rail grade (about 2%) and cuts through the woods bringing you out at a ridge right across from Mt Si. From I-90 you can see old bridges and trestles. It was my intention to hike to the large trestle just the other side of Twin Falls.

I was not long on underway when it started to snow teensy little flakes. No more than a sprinkle it was more charming than anything else. Here and there patches of recent frozen graupel decorated the grassy edges. I could not resist this little scene of mushrooms and frosty mosses covered in pillowy frozen rain pellets, known as graupel. It would continue to flutter sprinkles of snow on and off all day.

Along the way there are handy markers from the railroad days. It is 2135 miles to Chicago.

I wish I had paid attention to the signs at the trail head telling me how far to Twin Falls. I seemed to remember from my trail guide book that the trestle should be 3 miles.

There was plenty to look at along the way. After a mile or so, evidence that this elevation is still getting plenty of winter was all around. Frozen runoff and spray coated plants and hung icicles from rock face walls. In some areas where the rail bed had blasted through rock, the drips and trickles produced some fantastic sculptures.

Like this ice bound branch of a Salal.

Or this enrobed Sword Fern.

There were a lot of nameless beds of running water, and some creeks which required bridges. This beautiful waterfall is at Boetzke Creek. I am not sure how high it is but those are some pretty large old tree trunks at the base.

I had a happy encounter with a Pacific Wren (formerly Winter Wren) It clearly did not care for my standing and trying to get blurry pictures of him. This was the best I could do. Later in a month or so, these fellows will be so busy singing that you can usually get closer for photo-ops.

Moss and lichen was everywhere. I always am in awe of moss covered Big-leaf Maples. The moss can actually act as drought protection and many of these big trees have root systems in the branches that take up water from the moss sponges.

This stack of old rail timber very likely serves as a home and nest area for all kinds of critters.

About 1 1/2 hours out I knew that my memory for the distance to the trestle was faulty. I knew it could not be too far since I could clearly hear I-90 roaring past. A woman coming from the other direction told me she had seen something special at the trestle. I asked her how far and she said about 2 1/2 miles. Wow 5 1/2 miles is certainly more than I planned for but I had some incentive now so I kicked into a bit higher gear.

I encountered a gentleman who, like me, had a lot of interesting in photographing the ice. It is nice to chat and share along the trail.

It really seemed like no time when we reached the trestle. This spot is called the Deception Crags and it is popular with rock wall climbers. It is hard to appreciate the size of this rock face but notice the Douglas Fir trees against the wall. I would say they are at least 35 - 50 feet tall.

And here was the prize that made the hike worthwhile. Thirty-five miles from downtown Seattle a Mountain Goat sits grazing on moss and lichens.

Certainly made for a great day out. My new stick, the one on the left and I are off to a good start in our partnership.

Happy Valentines Day

To all my Nature Friends , Near and Far.

Bear Creek Wild Area

The last two weekends I have not wanted to stray too far afield as my car is ailing. I paid visits to Cougar Mountain Wildland Regional Park/ Bear Creek Wild Area. It is close to home and popular with hikers runners and horse riders. This trough is fed by a nearby stream and signed for horses and dogs use.

I love this park as it has almost 35 miles of trails in its 3000+ acres. Major trails are well used but a lot of the smaller trails offer solitude.

This mountain was home to many of the early coal mines which flourished then quickly died out. You can still find evidence of mining activity. All over the complex there are caved in mine shafts which require some interesting signs. Notice the lower sign the man on the right actually has lungs and an airway included in the illustration.

There are random bits of machinery left behind including this interesting pipe made from a log bound with wire.

One meadow is being restored and it is known that this was the neighborhood baseball diamond. It is still possible to see shaft entrances, old rails and heavy equipment.

A majority of the area however is simply woodlands criss-crossed by creeks and studded with waterfalls. They are not big but their appear as if out of nowhere. You can hear them as you draw near and most have a nice viewing platform or handy bridge.


Far Country falls tumbles over a rock edge and has a nice broad face. I wish my photos from that vantage had turned out.

Up from Far Country there is a view away to the west. That is the "far country" and now the view is dominated by the homes of Bellevue. I imagine on a rare , very clear day one could see the Olympic Mountains from here. Now it is just smoggy haze.

Doughty Falls crashes over a rock face and unfortunately today it was not running large.

The creek has really carved itself a deep seat.

Up above there is a nice little platform bridge made from sliced log. I love these as they have you so close to the water.

There are a lot of rock and boulder faces which remain from the glacial era. Here one need not go around two large boulders, the trail just goes between them.

While most of the woodland here is the typical mixed conifer with Douglas Fir and Hemlock dominating, every once in a while you come across a grove of pure Red Alder. This is not a feature I see a lot in the regional forests.

Bear Creek Falls are the showpiece and you earn the view in a hefty hike up.

Many of the trails here can offer a great workout and I managed 7 miles in three hours today. Not so steep and punishing as hikes in the higher Cascades, but a great walk with some good slope thrown in.

I am looking forward to visiting later in the Spring. There are several areas of marshes and I would love to see what kind of orchids might lurk here.

Kirsten not Kristen

Early this morning the world lost an amazing spirit known to me as Kirsten not Kristen. Kirsten valiantly fought Hodgkin Lymphoma for many years. I first met her through her blog Cancersmancer http://cancersmancer.blogspot.com

When I started reading her blog I felt she was able to put into words much of what was inside me. She spoke of the natural world in words I would wish to find myself. I was inspired to start my blog.


This morning her mother, Susan, let her cyber-friends know she had moved on.

Thank you Kirsten for your generous, loving heart and spirit.




A Parable of Immortality by Henry Van Dyke.

 I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, "There she goes" Gone where? Gone from my sight . . . that is all.

She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There she goes" there are other eyes watching her coming . . . and other voices ready to take up the glad shout . . .

 "Here she comes"

Pt Defiance

Yikes another week has slipped away. I received a comment on my last entry from "SRM" asking about a vacation in Washington State. I wanted to refer her to my entry on Pt Defiance.

Oops need to write said entry.

Anyway welcome SRM and see my comment in last post about your questions. I am happy to help you plan. I am also hoping you will start a blog about your home state.

Last Saturday, feeling the burden of being house and office bound for yet another gray drizzly week I went down to Pt Defiance in Tacoma. The weather report was for clearing, but at home it was certainly a dreary scene. Well a walk in the deep woods, in the rain is not so bad. By the time I got to the southbound freeway I could see that a convergence zone set up showed clearing skies to the far south.

Happy Me.

The parking lot was already filed when I arrived at 915. This large park, situated on a peninsula at the mouth of Commencement Bay is a popular destination for runners and walkers. The one way loop road lends itself for a nice metered 5 mile course. How nice it would be to have such a place near by. As I walked along the road I found a little hidden treasure. This culvert is signed in white pebbles " 1936 WPA". This road is a wonderful WPA project.






Thank you to all the hard working men. The WPA projects around Washington are still treasures. See my entry from last September ( Nisqually and Mt Rainier) to see a tunnel and a lovely stone bridge made by the CCC ; the Civilian Conservation Corps, established during the same time.



The entrance of the park is dominated by two large formal gardens; Rose and Iris. Come Spring this is just the place for a camera nut to explore. Attached to the Rose Garden is a lovely house, built in 1898 by the original keeper of the park, Ebenezer Roberts. The house , now called The Lodge, was built for a whopping

get ready for it

$2250.00








Pt Defiance is home to a nice little Zoo that focuses on Pacific Rim animal species. The Aquarium is well known for its Marine Mammal rehabilitation and they have received Walrus and Sea Otter rescued from unfortunate circumstance. It is a bit odd to be walking along and see Caribou and Musk Ox. I struck off into the wonderful woods. There are three major trail routes. I picked the one that bee-lines down the spine of the peninsula. Here the trees are wonderful. Many of them quite super sized.



You can appreciate the effect storms have in this place. Gaps in the canopy and tumbled logs can almost map the historic storms of the last 20 years. Even the previous weeks rain brought down a lot of little limbs and many tips and bits off the ends of branches.



In woods like these logs are usually sawed through to allow the trail passage and left in place. The serve a vital function. Nurse logs support and give rise to new growth. Logs also are shelter and highways for animals of the woods and they hold and stabilize soil.



A handy stump can be converted to a well placed sitting place. I have seen fallen trees cut into 6 to 8 inch thick slices and the discs serve as "stepping stones" in mucky places.







This fallen Western Red Cedar burst on impact. The smell was wonderful!

The westerly trail ends at Pt Defiance itself. Here you can see the beginning of the infamous Tacoma Narrows, home of Galloping Gertie. An early explorer said of this place that with a gunnery at this point and one across the water he could" stand in defiance of the world". These illuminated trees are Madrone. They are hallmarks of Puget Sound cliff sides.

With sunny skies there were many folks about. Some of the runners were clearly men from the nearby Joint Base Lewis / McCord. Nice to see but "excuse us Ma'am" as they ran past... well sigh.

Turning my eyes to nature study

Like all wet side mixed conifer woods this one is filled with life of every size.

Tiny moss spores

Licorice Fern growing on a trunk. This ferns rhizome tastes like licorice. Native peoples used to chew it or use the extracted juice for cough. There is also a mention of using it as a body wash for measles. I am sure it is a good astringent. I would say, too, it sweetens the breath.

It is a potent taste and a little dab will do ya.

Interesting shelf fungi encrusting a trunk and climbing a broken limb.

The grandest tree in the park is likely to be The Mountaineer Tree. This Douglas Fir is believed to be about 450 years old. I could not resist having a lie down at its base to get a squirrels eye view.

I went down to Owens Beach. This weekend ( January 22/23) was King Tide time. The highest tides of the year. At Olympia, in the area of the market, the high tide this morning as 17+ feet. Today there were many out of a beach comb. This is not the typical saltwater beach with plenty of shells. I did get a lovely polished bit of blue glass

and this nice photo of a Glaucous-winged Gull.

Back up the hill along a weaving staircase (feel the burn) and I was back staring at Musk Ox and once again at The Lodge. There is a nice little Japanese garden complex here, adjacent to the old trolley station which was fashioned with pagoda styling.

I recognized several trees here from Dr Kruckbergs garden; a Japanese Larch and a Spanish Fir. They also have a Moon Bridge over the water complex. See my Kubota Garden entry from October 2010 for a formal garden with a Moon Bridge.

I drove back to the freeway via Ruston Way along the waterfront. It was lunchtime and many of the restaurants and eateries were packed. I bet everyone just thrilled to be out in the sun. I had to stop when a big red boat caught my eye. This is Fireboat Number 1 built in 1929 and one of the first west coast fire boats. It is a grand thing to stand next to. neat and clean and fitted with water cannons. It makes quite a picture.

I will have to return in the Spring. The Iris and Rose Garden will be in bloom There is also a Rhododendron Grove in the park as well as the nearby Rhodi and Azalia collection at the Weyerhaeuser HQ.

A Walk on the Wet Side

What a quick two weeks it feels to have been. All of a sudden, February is just around the corner.


The weather has been at the forefront of the news. Threats of Snopocolypse 2011 (long forecast in this La Nina year) came and passed us by with almost no notice. Well no, a lot of media attention.


Professor Mass had a wonderful series of "nowcast" entries on his blog which followed the forecast . On the day of the possible storm ( which he correctly predicted would really miss us)he posted a blow by blow account of the storm front and its shift away from the population center. A last minute shift of air flow carried the cold far to the north and made many ski bums in Canada happy. Here at home our own ski areas are packing them in with a wonderful full season of snow, just as Professor Mass predicted for La Nina Year. Our local weather bloggers are reminding us now that in La Nina years, snow in February and even early March can be expected. So we are not finished with our Winter. We have already had two snow events here in the greater Seattle area. They only impacted me once, that small delay on my Thanksgiving get-away. I am , however, in contact with a friend in California for some suggestions for a February escape.


The rain, wind and clouds feel unrelenting. The shift in the air-stream has us getting another weather river flow, the Pineapple Express. The river of moisture and clouds stream continuously out over the Pacific all the way past Hawaii. Locally all our land rivers are on Flood Alert with many already having jumped their banks. It is hard to get out and about when the winds are gusting 40 mph plus and rain seems to never stop.


But I had to get out today.


I started in the town of Duvall. This small town is east of where I live. Founded in the late 1800's by the Duvall family, the main part of town was set up to take advantage of a railway spur line. Timber was the main industry as was with many of the communities in the east half of King County. Later the town of Carnation was established to the south and dairy , including the famous Carnation Research Farm became a mainstay.


Today the area hosts many small farms including a lot of organic production. Several larger commercial farms host U-pick lots, particularly strawberries which come into peak season at the end of June. Duvall gained popularity in the 60's as a community for artists. Slowly, suburbia has edged in with many new shopping and business areas south along the highway. Still the population remains about 6000. Its slow growth might be due to the somewhat complicated access to and from the area. Roads west to the Greater Eastside and Seattle area are limited to two long and congested highways. Most of the highways are two lane and when accidents or weather snarl traffic, there are almost no options to work around the problem without detours of fairly great distance.


The old core of the main street has character and charm. It is filled with a diverse number of shops with an amazing number of eateries springing up. I strolled along today enjoying the colorful sites.


Duvall Books has been here over 30 years. The shop is one of those full to the ceiling types. Out front is a bench made out of books and the Official Mascot, Uncle Wiggily.

The Grange Cafe was established in 1960 in the old Cherry Valley Grange.

Baileys Country Cupboard, CC Espresso and Ice Creamery looks like the place where you can stop in, get a snack and all the latest news. This week is Random Act of Kindness Week.

There are a lot of little artistic embellishments.

The crosswalks are etched in a simple waves and salmon theme

Information kiosks and bus stop shelters have wood carved panels

I like this barber pole.

I could smell wood smoke as I walked along. Only one thing could produce that smell

The Armadillo BBQ... the best place to stop for take away when returning from a long hike in the mountains. Their smoke pit is right outside, right on the street front. A sign on the wall promises free dog bones ( "dog bones pro bono" )

The Quilters Garden is one of those stores for hard core fabric buffs. They sponsor the Outdoor Quilt Show every September and participate in many organized quilters events. I love the bubble fabric.

I drove south to the Snoqualmie River Trail and walked to see some of the flooding. The river is over the banks here but not threatening the town yet. Further downriver the city of Monroe is bracing for more water. Forecast says not to expect relief for almost 48 hours.

For now the cross valley roads are open, but 124th, my usual route, has been closed in recent days. The fields here have water almost to the edge of the road.

Going home this way I knew I would stop to get pictures of a little delight for you.

Several years ago I either saw an item on TV or read something in the paper about a gentleman who made carvings and posted them on trees. He finds cut stumps or limbs and makes a precise measure. He then makes a custom "endplate" for the exposed wood. He returns and places them, randomly.

I found one not long after having heard the story. It was the only one I knew of until early last year when one appeared not far from where I kept my horse.

So I stopped to take a picture on the first one, which required a hike along the road about 1/4 mile from the pull off place.

The second one was more conveniently located.

When I parked and looked over, the original piece had been joined by a second. As I walked closer I noted a third cap had been placed.

I researched for today's entry and I FOUND HIM!!!

Artist Daniel Cautrell and his "Offerings to the Wind" http://www.offeringstothewindproject.typepad.com/

See more examples of his tree caps, above.

His home page

http://www.dancautrell.com/

His work looks familiar and sure enough, he carved the kiosk posts I showed above!

So now I know, when I feel like a treasure hunt, the Woodinville / Duvall / Carnation triangle is a great place to seek little treasures... Just keep away from the BBQ joint.