Mine Road Trail 1-13-2019

This is actually the 3rd hike of the year, but I didn't get anything written about my last two hikes, which were in the same general area.  All three have been fairly short trails with little elevation gain.  Last weekend, Beaver Lake and White Chuck River Bench Trails just out of Darrington on the Mountain Loop Hwy.  Today's was just before Darrington off of Hwy 530, and Dave came along for the adventure! 

I was given verbal directions to this trail, and in my head combined those with the WTA directions.  The WTA directions were spot on, so lesson learned there (a bit of driving around in Darrington before realizing I needed to turn off before I got there). 

It was somewhat cold out, but the day was absolutely gorgeous!  Not a cloud in the sky.  This hike was a little on the dark side, due to being on the north slope of the ridge. 

This trail follows an old road, so it is nominal and gentle in elevation gain, as well as being pretty wide and flat.  The trail crosses, and meanders by different streams, under a pretty forest of maple and evergreens.  Cedar and Luna got to take advantage of the fairly unpopulated trail by dashing about unleashed, leaping up on logs, wading in the streams, and keeping an eye out for squirrels.

Just before the mine, you get a nice little view of the peak Whitehorse Mountain with waterfalls tumbling from it's rocky snowy sides, as well as some more little water falls cascading down the hillside in the woods. 

At two miles in you come to a beautiful stream, Larson Creek, to the left, and the old mine to the right.  The mine was cut into solid rock and seems as safe as a mine can be.   No one has closed it off either, which you tend to find on unsafe mines. 

The inside of the mine is a little stream of water, so prepare to be wet.  You'll see the old rail tracks under the water, which is interesting since it's not a particularly deep mine - maybe less than 100 ft.  We also saw quite a few frogs hanging out in there as well, which surprised me.  Maybe it stays warmer in there.  I did see quite a few little gnats hanging out in the old drilled holes (for dynamite?) so the frogs have a good food supply. 

This was a really peaceful hike, a tad on the short side, but most likely accessible year round if there isn't lowland snowfall.  I hope to go back and visit in the spring or summer as well. 

Latest Adventures at Home Sweet Home

Wow...I haven't posted a blog since July!  Dave and I had been looking and looking for a house, then we found the house, had to fix up the house and it is still a work in progress.  So that has taken up a lot of my time, but there are very very good things about this place!  For starters it has over 7 acres, and around 3 1/2 of those are wooded/beaver pond/stream, so the wildlife is abundant!  More abundant than I imagined!  I am going to post some pictures of the area and animals we have seen to date. 
One morning I showed up early to paint some more, and was sitting outside eating breakfast when I saw movement across the pond.  It was a pair of coyotes looking around the pond to see if there were any ducks or beavers not paying attention.  They were unlucky in their hunt, but I was lucky that I had my camera!

Frogs are everywhere, especially these little green guys.  This one was watching me clean up the yard.

 This frog was in some weeds and blackberries where Dave was weed-eating, so he brought him over to near my flower bed where he would be safer.

When my Mom was visiting, we came back from getting something (probably more paint) and there was a deer in the yard!  Mom was in the yard and I looked out the door and there were 4 deer! One pair was a doe and fawn and another was a spike buck with a limp.  I haven't seen them since, but hopefully they will be back.  We put out a mineral salt lick.

Ducks enjoy the quiet duck-weed-filled pond.  Here a pair of mallards navigate the swampy green pond.  Later they reached up to pick and eat blackberries, something I hadn't seen ducks do before.

 There are a lot of wood ducks here!  Or there were until it froze over.  They are beautiful!

 We also had a hooded merganser visit here for a few days.  He left when things iced over too.

We put out a hummingbird feeder and Anna's hummingbirds have been visiting regularly.

 There are some trails through the woods behind our house, and Adventure Dog loves to run through the leaves and make them crunch.  I think we both wish the trail was longer, but it was so much more than we dreamed we'd have so close in. 

I keep hoping to see the beaver.  The previous owner said he had trapped and/or relocated a couple which to me was awful.  I have learned that beavers live in family groups and mate for life.  Also the beaver dams are super important to the eco system here and I would like those dams maintained.  Not only do the ponds create great habitat but they also slow and maintain water flow and protect our bridge from washing out.  One morning, I saw a big brown head poking up out of the water by one of the dams and thought for a hopeful moment that it was the beaver, but no!  It was a more surprising visitor... an otter!  He looked pretty funny with duckweed all over his head.

 

The same day, coming back from taking pictures of the otter, I saw an immature bald eagle in one of the trees.

There are some edible fungi that grow here too.  I have seen a couple varieties of coral fungus and also shaggy mane mushrooms!  I ate one of the shaggy manes and it was pretty good.  I hadn't had one before.

 This morning, I took a break from work to get the fire stoked up and looked out the window and happened to glimpse this peregrine falcon eating something!  It was a bird of some sort, I'm guessing a pigeon.  He left nothing but feathers and the sunflower seeds that it must have eaten.

Pretty amazing place!  It's hard to want to pack up and go hiking when I see so many great things here.
Next up is a pileated woodpecker, which I've seen several of.  They are amazing birds with those bright red heads and distinctive calls.  On the day I took these, there were two and one was being chased by a little raptor.  It landed in a tree and I got some pictures.  I believe it is a Coopers hawk.

While Cedar and I were standing on the bridge we heard someone scolding us and I looked up to see this handsome kingfisher.  I have seen them here a few times too, but not this close!

Other birds seen here so far include red shafted flickers, blue heron, black-capped and chestnut-backed chickadees and many others I have not yet identified.  As the seasons change, who knows what else we will see!

Ice Caves, Exploring Dirt Roads and Frog Blog 6-2-13

It was a mostly sunny 2nd day of June, and Dave and I decided to do a small hike (walk) to the Ice Caves.  We took Adventure Dog and headed up the Mountain Loop Highway.  It was beautiful sunshine and warm even up in the hills!

 

The packed snow and ice had not yet melted out into their cave formations, but the rugged cliffs and waterfalls are breathtaking.  We did hear an avalanche far up there, but never saw any debris fall.  What an ominous sound!

 

 

There were misty clouds sitting over the Ice Caves, but behind us, the clouds were darker.  This picture of the stormier weather over the top of these avalanche-ravaged trees was very powerful.

 

Despite all the snow, it was definitely spring.  Trillium were in bloom all over.

 

And in the ponds along the board walk were frogs, frogs, FROGS!  : ) 

 

After we got back to the car we decided to see if the Mountain Loop Highway was open all the way through to Darrington.  It was!  So we were just going to drive around that, but the curiosity that had us turning off that road to look at a boat launch, had us taking a meandering single-track dirt road an extra 16 miles toward Darrington.  I had no idea it was even there, and it was a fun adventure.  At first I was thinking maybe I should have a 4x4, but this log across the road was only high up enough on one side to let a car through. 

 

 

Along the way we stopped to look at these flowers, and it turned out they were more like seeds- similar to dandelion or thistle.  I'm not sure what they are... anyone out there know?

 

We stopped on a narrow bridge and got some pictures of the stream far far below.  We only saw one other vehicle on the whole road, which was nice.  Whenever we stopped to get out, the only sounds were the birds and the breeze. 

 

When we finally came around the mountain we had been driving around, the trees opened up onto this incredible view of the Sauk River.  What a reward for deciding to explore a little! 

 

At the end of the day we had a bite to eat at The Oxford in Snohomish.  The food was delicious and I enjoyed the Angry Orchard Cider as well.  What a great day!