Hiking Eastern Washington: Ancient Lakes

Suddenly Ancient Lakes is all over social media. Or maybe I'm just starting to pay attention. But the word is out on this geologically unique area near Quincy, Washington.

Despite being a native-born Washingtonian, until this year I've never hiked the "coulee country" near the Columbia River just east of the Cascades. Ancient Lakes is my second coulee hike this year, and it's high on my list now for early and late season hiking.



We arrive at the parking area at the end of the road in the Quincy Wildlife Recreation Area around 9 a.m. on a breezy, sunny Sunday, after a  scenic drive from Crescent Bar just upriver. 

A few cars are in the lot, but the only other person there is a solo mountain biker who takes off quickly and is gone like a shot.  Then we amble along what is basically a pretty flat, rutted dirt road into the first coulee.

After a half mile or more skirting the basalt cliff to our left, we gain a panorama into the coulee before descending slightly past a huge, lonely boulder.

This boulder is about the only shade relief on hot days out here.

A few straggly waterfalls stream off the basalt cliffs as we proceed toward the end of the coulee and a few lakes (these would be the Ancient Lakes, remnant  potholes scoured by the Lake Missoula floods that stormed over the Columbia River basin several millennia ago).

On a spring green knoll across the coulee, we spy a couple tents.  We'd caught a glimpse of the Milky Way and brilliant stars last night and wished we'd known to bring camping gear too. (If you do camp, bring your own water.)

Toward the end of the coulee are the three Ancient Lakes close together. With the sparse vegetation, it almost looks graded and landscaped out here.

For a few minutes we stop and try to identify the waterfowl skimming the surface of the first lake. I see some Canadian geese, but can't figure out the other ducks. Where are my birder friends when I need them?

In the lull, we look back and notice several mountain bikers and hikers not far behind us. 

But still, it's pastoral and lovely out here regardless.

Then we stroll back to the car on what is essentially a loop on the dirt road (and trail in a few stretches) through the coulee.  We're meeting someone for lunch in Wenatchee so just do the 4-mile roundtrip rather than extending our hike another couple miles by dropping into the southern coulee to Dusty Lake.

Next trip.

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons!  In between blog posts, you can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and FaceBook for more photos and Northwest news.

When You Go
Go on a weekday or early in the morning on weekends to beat the crowds of hikers and mountain bikers. If we'd known in advance, we would have pitched a tent in the Ancient Lakes coulee and gazed at the stars away from city lights. We were too early for wildflowers, but spring is the perfect time to recreate here before wildflowers wither in the heat and rattlesnakes come out of winter hibernation. 

From Ellensburg, drive east on I-90 to  George (Exit 149), about 150 miles from Seattle. Turn left and drive on SR 281 to Quincy. In Quincy, turn left (west) on SR 28 and drive 4 miles to White Trail Road. Turn left and drive about 7 miles or so until you reach Road 9-NW and drive 5.9 miles to the road's end. You need a Discover Pass to park here.

Sea Kayaking Upper Skagit Bay: Easy Does It

I'm lucky to live in a sea kayaker's nirvana here in northwestern Washington. 
With scenic islands and hundreds of miles of shoreline to explore in Puget Sound and the greater Salish Sea, it's easy to escape terra firma for a few hours or days. It's a different world out there on the sea. Quieter, rich in marine life and waterfowl.

One of my favorite destinations for a day or even just half day trip is upper Skagit Bay. It's not much more than an hour north of Seattle on the western edge of the Skagit River delta.

On my recent trip there, we'd passed through heavy fog on our way north from Seattle and discussed aborting to avoid paddling with poor visibility. But when we drop down into the Skagit Flats and get off I-5 at Conway, only tufts of fog remain. 

When we arrive at Snee-oosh Beach on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community west of LaConner to launch around 9:30 Sunday morning, we're the only ones here. I love the quiet of Sunday mornings.


 

Deadman and Little Deadman Islands in Skagit Bay

As we're sorting gear and hauling our kayaks to the beach, I discover my life vest didn't make the trip up from Seattle with us. Not good. 

However, because the sea is so calm, we decide to do a shorter paddle south to Deadman and Little Deadman islands and then stick close to the shorelines. (I've already blogged about kayaking north to Hope and Skagit Islands and Cornet Bay.)

Paddling south toward these small islands at low tide is tricky because this shallow area turns into mudflats (or tidal flats), the result of Skagit River deposits in the bay. Fortunately the tide is pretty high this morning.

So we shove off into the easy sea and stroke at a relaxed pace southward. 

When we pull abreast of the eastern shoreline of Deadman Island, I look up and spot two big bald eagles perched in side by side trees just above us. (Always check the tops of trees and or snags in eagle country.) They quickly decide not to linger with us nearby. Those big eagle wings are surprisingly quiet as they fly away.

While circumnavigating Deadman Island close to the rocky shoreline, Julie notices an abundance of small mussels growing on the barnacle-encrusted rocks. I notice the lack of sea stars (aka starfish), which sadly suffered a massive die-off along the whole West Coast the last couple years. I assume no sea stars = more mussels and barnacles because a major intertidal zone predator is gone.

Rounding a bend, we scare off a big great blue heron, which takes off and flies over to a rock next to Little Deadman Island, where we're headed next.

Little Deadman Island

And then we kayak back at a mellow pace, seeing no other watercraft nearby except a solo paddleboarder. 

Of course we stop a few times to just hang and savor the unusually warm March day and soak up some sun. Up here in the Upper Left Corner of the USA, most of us are chronically low in Vitamin D.

So today's paddle was short and sweet. We're back at the beach in a little over an hour.  But that gives us more time to make a few stops at some of my favorite places here in the Skagit.

Back at the beach too soon.

After Kayak Eats
We bypass touristy LaConner and stop at my current favorite place to grab a bite in the Skagit: Rexville Grocery, an old gas station converted to a gourmet grocery/cafe/community center.

We order half sandwiches and salads (I get turkey/provolone/pesto) and grab a spot at the counter where locals gather. Behind the counter, the new owner makes our meal.  He tells us he's not going to change the current format but will add more goodies.

We consider an ice cream cone at Snow Goose Produce on our way back to I-5, but darn it, by 1:30 the line for their famous cones extends halfway back to Seattle. Well, not really, but it's too long for us to wait around. It's too early in the season for their also famous fresh local fish and spot prawns, but I snag some fresh chard, kale, and carrots.

All in all, a fun and relaxing day.  

Have you kayaked/paddled in the area? Would love to hear about your trip(s) there under the Comments below!

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons. In between blog posts check us out on FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter for more photos and Northwest news.

When You Go
Drive to LaConner, WA, about 60 miles north of Seattle off Interstate 5, cross the Rainbow Bridge over Swinomish Slough. Just follow Snee-oosh Road from the church past Pull-and-Be-Damned Road and Sunset drive to Chilburg, where you turn left.  As soon as the road drops down to the water level, take a quick left onto the dirt road to the boat launch /parking area, where you can park for free. Check the tides before you go since the currents can get pretty strong around the islands here and a low tide means tideflats that can restrict travel to the south.   (It’s not fun carrying kayaks through sticky, mucky mudflats to get to the water.) 


 

Hiking Columbia River Gorge: Lower Eagle Creek

The Eagle Creek Trail was ground zero for the massive wildfire that scorched thousands of acres in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in September 2017. The fire was started along the stretch of trail featured in this blog post; the trail reopened earlier this year although I haven't been back to see how different it looks.
 
Life happens, the years fly by, and suddenly you realize it has been far too long since you hiked a favorite trail. Does this happen to you too?

After driving down from Seattle on a Saturday morning, it's close to noon when we hit the trail at Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge. We decided on Eagle Creek thinking it'll be less crowded than the Wahkeena Falls-Multnomah Falls-Angel's Rest trails because it's farther east from Portland.

Nope, apparently Eagle Creek is the most popular trail in the Gorge. When we arrive, there are so many cars parked that we have to walk about 1/2 mile to the trailhead.

For those of us who grew up in east Multnomah County and remember parking close to any trailhead in the Gorge, and then hiking  in relative solitude, the current reality takes some adjustment.

But any day on a trail is a good day.

We start out along the creek and soon climb gently through forest dripping with  moss.

While the trail is plenty wide and there is a cable handrail against the basalt rock walls, walking along the ledge portions of the trail does require being careful and watching your step. Because, well, accidents do and have happened here.

We meander a little over a mile through forest and along ledges, cross a pretty stream, and take the  Lower Punch Bowl Falls Trail cutoff at about 1.5 miles along.

From the cutoff trail, it's less than a quarter-mile down to a rocky beach area below the falls. Many hikers only go as far as the Punch Bowl Falls, as do we today because of time limitations.

And then we step over cobbled river rocks as far as we can get to a decent view of the basalt "punch bowl" into which Eagle Creek tumbles. 

We pass a half dozen or so rock cairns, one of which now bears a stone I carefully added. I love that cairns, or stupas as a Zen teacher I know calls them, are all over these days.

Behold the obligatory Punch Bowl Falls shot.  Because it is indeed breathtaking up close in its natural gorgeousness and power.

As we head back down the Eagle Creek trail, I follow my former high school classmate and hiking buddy Colleen and her trooper of a little dog Marley, my models today. :)

  

 

Along an undercut rock wall on the trail, we pass beneath a light waterfall streaming down from the cliff above. 

So there are a few spots along the trail that can be dicey in slick or icy conditions, but on a dry, warmish day like today, ambling along the Eagle Creek trail is a pleasant, easy walk.

After Hike Eats
Who's not hungry after a hike? Afterwards we drive back west on I-84 and cut south into historic downtown Gresham.  The small town where my father had a couple businesses and I spent so much time as a girl is now considered a charming destination. 

Main Street, Gresham, Oregon

Colleen suggests we grab a bite at The Local Cow, a cute little burger bar on Main Street that serves high-quality, Oregon pasture-raised beef.  (And, I discovered, is located in the same building/space where my father operated an office supply business many years ago.) Excellent little beef sliders, great mixed green salad, and refreshing Spire Mountain pear cider. 

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons!  In between blog posts check us out on FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter for more photos and Northwest news.
 
When You Go
While any time hiking in the verdant mosslandia of the Columbia River Gorge is wonderful, anymore I suggest going on a week day if you can. If it's just weekends for you, go early. 

From the Portland area, travel east on I-84 to the Eagle Creek exit, about a mile past Bonneville Dam. To the Punch Bowl and back from the Eagle Creek trailhead is about 3.4 miles, although we added almost a mile with having to park so far away. You can continue on for several miles, or as a backpack, all the way to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, as I did when I was in high school. You'll need a Northwest Forest Pass to park or risk a fine.