Waterworks Canyon

Early last Sunday I left The Dalles and headed for Yakima.  I found a series of caches placed in a canyon west of town which would take me to someplace new.  I had never heard of Waterworks Canyon .  This is just the thing I had hoped Geocaching could do for me, take me to new and different areas.

The trail head is just past the junction where Hwy 12 and 410 split on their way to Mt Rainier and the trail climbs Waterworks Canyon up into the Oak Creek Wildlife Management Area.  I was happy to find early blooming Balsamroot.  There are always bugs in the Balsamroots and yet again, the olive drab spotted bugs were here in abundance.  I have still not been able to find the name of these bugs, but they are everywhere in the Balsamroots.

Low in the canyon the slope is softly edged and grassy.  They is a noisy creek that the trail follows and today it is sunny and absolutely windless.  A fine change from the day before.

It is early in the blooming season yet, but I did find a few violets and some pretty vetch.  Got another happy bug photo, too!

Further along, Mertensia bluebells were just getting started.  There are several types that grow in the state, I believe these are long flowered , longiflora

The placer of many of the caches along this trail made sure to point out areas of interest and things that might be seen.  He warned about rattlesnakes and I made sure when reaching into holes and rock piles to use a poking stick to rouse a snake that might have slept in.

I didn't see a single slithery thing except a Horned Toad.  Better luck next time, I guess.

But at the box called "A Good Place To Rest" I did spy some gems.  He mentioned that seeing Big Horned Sheep was possible and sure enough, high on the ridge line I saw one, then two then more and more.

Across the canyon I saw deer, equally high up.

The way continued up and the land form transitioned from soft rolly slope to sharp volcanic stone.  There were some stone arches and many spires.  Footing was sometimes rubble with pumice and other rock types

One cache was hidden in a ledge in a rock wall.  It required a little climb up.  All the stone here is covered in lichens.

I can imagine a native hunter spending a safe night in this alcove.

One fun discovery along the way was Chukar.  These game birds are reluctant to fly and usually run away.  If you are lucky they will make a small gabbling type sound and you can spot them, otherwise they blend in pretty well.  Poor Chukar, they are not the brightest of birds and often then will fly down a hill then walk back up.

Can you spot him there in the rocks at the bottom?

About half way along the trail someone had placed a box high on a ridge than branched off from the canyon.  As this is fine open country, you do not really need a trail and I decided to try a bee-line navigation straight up the ridge.  It was a good solid workout and just the thing I need.  The view down to the canyon floor was pretty impressive.  It is hard to appreciate it here, but those trees along the creek are actually pretty tall.  This was a good solid 1000+ feet up.

I followed a lot of hoof prints figuring the sheep and deer likely knew the best footing and the easiest way.  They were pretty correct.  When I got to the top I saw where the canyon trail actually rose to parallel the slope, so I could have gained some elevation a little easier by following the trail further before attacking the slope.  Ah well that is hindsight, I guess.

I trekked to the end of the line.  From there I could see that you could simply climb out of the canyon and camp on top of the plateau.

It was a fine hike.  I met one other couple along the way and they went as far as I did, reluctant to proceed up the final slope without a trial.

What a great end to the weekend.  As I descended the sun started to make its presence known.  This dry area always feels extra warm and when I hike over in this area I always like to finish before the blazing heat of 2pm.  These little lenticular clouds are not going to help block the sun.

A great little hike.  A little excitement as I attacked that tough slope.  A little challenge of navigating some tricky rocky places.  Fun animal sightings, some pretty flowers and even some bugs.

I evicted a tick, found walking along my steering wheel.  Clearly it climbed from my arm and I am sure the good people of Ellensburg will not mind that I ejected this freeloader on the freeway interchange.

I still feel a little creepy crawly.

My High Lonesome Place

It really isn't lonesome. Umtanum Road , south out of Ellensburg, is a popular place.

But I love coming up here as the horizon and views are so big.

Usually it is quite windy, but last weekend there was barely a ripple of wind. All over the flowers were coming up and the Bluebirds were courting.

I stopped at the "stage stop" Somewhere I read that these building were a stage coach stop. I love coming here and imagining what it was like to live above the valley, shut off from the world.

On this day, as I pulled up, a truck was pulling away. I got out to take my pictures and I noted that the truck had turned around and was coming back.

The driver pulled up and rolled down his window.

"You taking pictures of the old place?"

"Yes" I said, "this is one of my favorite places"

"I grew up here." the gent said.

Yes indeed. This was his childhood home. He lived with his Grandparents during WWII on this land which was a wheat ranch. No water or electricity, his grandfather worked the land with horses. He pointed out the barn, one of which has fallen down in the last year. He said that he had been sick over the Winter with heart surgery and wanted to see "the old place" before more fell down.


I told him of once seen a blooming rose bush at the house and how I imagined the woman who likely lived here, nursing a bit of pretty.

He told me that back in the day the area had pronghorn and jack rabbits and plenty of rattle snakes. I told him that I had never seen any of these creatures in Washington State.

We chatted for some time and he mentioned some of the other pioneer families of the valley and where they had lived and worked. He told me he remembers working land in the Colockum up above what is now Ginko Petrified State Park. They pulling up petrified wood stumps from the ground. I considered that if they had known the value back then, he would have a pretty retirement today.

His wife said they were active in the community and I mentioned that the historical society would certainly love stories of everyday life in those days. I thought that a history student at the University might certainly take interest.

What a great start to a perfect day. Full of light and flowers and my big place. Across the road from the house is a little pond and today a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds clearly showed that this was THEIR home.

But they allowed my to look for flowers.

Sagebrush Violet

The first Bluebells of the year

Hesperochiron , which looks a lot like a wild strawberry. (bugs)

Spring Beauty

Further along the road I found Mountain and Western Bluebirds. There are 130 nest boxes along the 15 miles of road. I used to monitor them for Yakima Audubon and collected nests for a parasitologist in Tacoma.

Western Bluebirds

Mountain Bluebird

The Balsamroot was just starting to bloom in the places slightly lower in elevation. I could not resist for where you have Balsamroot, you have bugs.

BINGO! Green Sweat Bee in Balsamroot.

I love the dry side.