I don't think I'll ever do a trip report or post in the hiking Facebook group about this hike. This is the 2nd Saturday morning I've done this hike and not seen a soul until my way out- and then the soul I saw was the same person with his trio of hound mix type dogs. Finding a hike that I can successfully imagine that my dogs and I are the only ones in the world for more than 5 minutes at a time is getting increasingly rare! lol
It was a gorgeous morning! There were a few clouds when I started out, so the peek-a-boo views of the peaks were a little obscured, but it is a forest hike anyway so I didn't go expecting views. Some reviews of this hike state that it goes down to the river, but it does not - at least not in the first 3 1/4 miles. You do get glimpses of the river, but stay up within the forest.
There were wildflowers here today! Tons of bleeding hearts, trillium, violets and other little flowers, accompanied by butterflies. Birds were abundant too, but that is about the only wildlife we ran into. The dogs alerted to something early on - most likely a coyote from the way Cedar snarled - so I kept them both on a leash.
This hike crosses a few really lovely little creeks. One has a great bridge over it, but the others you can expect to get your feet a little wet. One is particular strong and tricky to cross. I know I carried Cedar and Luna last time, but this time I let them find their way since I had a grip on their leashes/harnesses. There are a couple places where the current goes pretty rapidly through some holes that a smaller dog might have trouble with, or a person might get their leg into if you aren't paying attention.
Another pleasant surprise today was the abundant variety of fungi! False morels, some real ones that were long past their prime, and some other odds and ends that were fun to see.
Sometimes this trail wends through open areas full of salmon berry bushes and maples, and other times is in larger forest - there are some nice old gnarly cedars in here. There are a few places that you climb a little, but very barely - this is a pretty flat hike. It seems to go on forever - someday I'll find the end. I try not to exhaust the dogs too much.
On the way out, the clouds had left the snowy peaks shining in the sun. What a perfect day out!
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