We had challlenging weather conditions at Stevens Pass, and the snow wasn't nearly as deep as it would typically be by now, but we still managed to get out for 3 hours on the snowshoes. The Pacific Crest Trail leads out gently from the ski area lots on the north side of Highway 2, making for a relatively easy ramble on the snow. There was never more than about a foot of snow, and the trail was packed down to just a few inches, but it didn't prevent us from going about 3 miles in total. We began in a heavy snowfall, which gradually tapered to a steady light rain, and although not quite ideal, it was better than we had expected, and the scenery was nice throughout.

This is a relatively little-known falls tucked away in the foothills north of Monroe, not far from Lake Roesiger. The land here is open to the public, on state of Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) property, and there are gated logging roads that can be walked for about 2.6 miles to reach the falls. Most of the group was content stopping at the first view of the falls, but there were 4 "explorers" who made the tricky creek crossing that led to additional viewpoints. The weather was kind to us, with mild temps and no rain. It was nice to get out in the fresh air, and the falls were a good reward for our efforts.

This was a walk at one of our region's premier wildlife refuges, located at the Nisqually River estuary between Tacoma and Olympia. The refuge is a haven for birds and other wildlife, and we witnessed a lot of activity during our 4-mile stroll on the flat walking paths here. Birds are the major attraction here, and there are literally thousands to be seen, of all sorts of species. Highlights included sightings of bald eagles, herons, all kinds of ducks, and a hungry harbor seal in the Nisqually River who sloshed around a big salmon he was trying to eat. Our skies were gray, but the weather was dry and the wind was calm, making for reasonably pleasant December conditions.

This trip was advertised as "something in the Mt. Baker Highway area, whatever is the best option." So that's what I looked for. The snow pack in the Cascades has been rather slow in building so far, and in many areas, you can still drive fairly high before encountering snow. This was a good combination of factors for doing a trip to the Twin Lakes Road, which some may know as the access to Yellow Aster Butte and Winchester Mountain. We drove up to the Yellow Aster Trailhead, which was snow-free at 3700 feet, as began hiking the road from there. We soon encountered thin snow and ice, so we all donned our traction devices for the next mile or so. We climbed steadily to the Twin Lakes at 5200 feet elevation, where there was a foot or so of snow. Snowshoes came on for exploring around the lakes, which were beautiful on this high overcast day. It turned out being an excellent first foray into the snow for the season.

Just across the border in Canada, only a few minutes from Blaine (the Peace Arch crossing), you'll find a large regional park outside Langley, BC that offers great trails, nice facilities, interesting history, and a wonderful place to get out and enjoy nature in any season. Much of it was once farmland that goes back to pioneer days in the 1880's. The Metro Vancouver Parks District acquired it in 1973, and it's a very popular destination for walkers, runners, and equestrians. We walked a 5.5-mile loop around the trail system, with highlights including a historic farmhouse and schoolhouse, some nice forest sections of 130-year old trees, a large equestrian center, some wetland areas along the Campbell River, and a hippopotamus sighting.

We set out for Wenatchee in search of that elusive November sunshine. Alas, it was not to be found today, as a solid deck of clouds hung just above the city. Fortunately for us though, the clouds were just high enough to allow views from Saddle Rock, the distinctive double summit about 1000 feet above the edge of town. We got a nice workout climbing up the well-used trails of the Jacobsen Preserve, and the vistas from Saddle Rock were nice, even in the gloomy gray. We shortened the hike because of the thick cloud deck above, but that gave us time to head down to the Columbia River near the center of Wenatchee and take a stroll along the wonderful Apple Capital Riverwalk Trail, and make a stop at the Pybus Public Market.

The Larry Scott Trail is a 7.3 mile segment of the Olympic Discovery Trail that spans the peninsula from Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean. We walked 6 miles near Port Townsend on this pleasant path, finishing on the waterfront near the Port Townsend marina. The weather was gray and blustery, but no rain. Lunch followed the walk, at the charming Bayview Restaurant. This trip also featured three ferries, as we made the loop route by taking the Edmonds-Kingston, the Port Townsend-Coupeville, and the Clinton-Mukilteo route.

We were granted a few hours of dry November weather for our trip to Moran State Park on Tuesday, and got to enjoy a 4-mile hike around Mountain Lake on the excellent forest trail. We also squeezed in a short hike to see a pair of scenic waterfalls, and stopped in Eastsound to check out the town there. Highlights of the day included some great views from the ferry in the morning, a lunch stop at the northern tip of Mountain Lake where we got to see schools of kokanee salmon, encounters along the trail with numerous centuries-old fir and cedar trees, and a few doses of sunshine and (partly) blue skies. 

This is arguably the best hike in the San Juan Islands-- a 7-mile loop in Moran State Park on an excellent series of connecting trails that takes one to a historic lookout tower on the highest point of Orcas Island. The weather was typical November, with misty rain and low clouds, but the scenery along the trail was rewarding enough, even if the views were somewhat lacking. The mushrooms, mosses, and old growth giant trees were impressive, and the view from Mount Constitution actually exceeded our expections. Most people drive the state park road up to the top of the mountain, so it was a good feeling of accomplishment to hike up there and back.

We didn't let a gray and rainy November day get in the way of some good excersise on one of King County's nicest multi-use trails neaar Maple Valley. The Cedar River Trail follows a one-time railroad line running from the south end of Lake Washington out to the Cascade foothills, a total of about 17 miles. Much of the route follows the busy Highway 169, but we opted for a quieter section that winds it way away from the noisy traffic, and gives a pleasant and relaxing stroll in any sort of weather.  

We got a first encounter with some fresh mountain snow as we hiked along this high but gentle ridge trail near Skykomish. A light dusting covered the road just on the last half-mile of the drive to the trailhead, and patchy snow was the rule early on in our hike. As we ventured on further toward a flat meadow area at the three-mille point, several inches of snow covered the ground. We had some nice views of surrounding snowy peaks, and even built the first snowman of the season. The mild November sunshine felt good, and it was a pleasant outing to get back in a snowy setting in the mountains.

This was the second of two trips across the border over the weekend, this time to do a series of short walks and hikes around Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley. We started by hiking to the 1600-foot summit of Mt. Thom, which rewarded us with a view overlooking the city and valley below. Then we visited Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park, where a 15-minute walk leads you to a 200-foot falls that spread gracefully across a wide cliff face. Finally, we walked along the Vedder River on the Rotary Trail, part of a level 13-mile path that straddles the Vedder River. Our walk concluded at the Great Blue Heron Nature Preserve, a wonderful facility with nice habitat for the herons and scores of other waterfowl.