Flaming Geyser State Park & Snohomish Slough 2/8-9/14

Yesterday was a fun day to check out a state park Dave had noticed last week. Flaming Geyser State Park is pretty interesting with a history of coal mine exploration and a flame burning at the flaming geyser where a methane pocket deep below the ground (1400 ft if I read the sign right) is seeping out. 

It also has kind of a mudpot geyser where more methane bubbles up through some mud and water near a stream that flows into the Green River.

 Here is a video of the mudpot:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moHrCs32cP0&feature=youtu.be

It was an icy day and the water had frozen in cool shapes along the stream.

Flaming Geyser State Park had great picnic table areas, lots of river access for fishing or cooling down in the summer, and big field areas too.It seems like it would be a good place to come back to and check out again!
Later that afternoon we found ourselves in a snowstorm halfway up a windy steep hill that our GPS had led us up putting chains on the tires while other people slid off the road as they tried to come up or down it.

We got maybe 3 inches, but it melted a lot this morning and only about 1 1/2 inches of snow were left by the time we headed outdoors.  We have been wanting to do our Snohomish slough walk in the snow and this may have been our last chance this winter, so we took Cedar, picked up Junior and took both dogs out.

 What a great day for a walk there!  We saw tons of ducks and both our eagles flying up to their nest! What huge birds to come to a landing between the branches like that!  We saw robins, flickers, jays, a killdeer and a heron also!

Then on our way back along the dike, we got a real treat!  A squeaky otter was floating around talking to us.  This totally made our day.  : ) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qf7fEAh91k&feature=youtu.be
(if you turn up your speakers you can hear this little guy chirping as he swims)

Oyster Dome 1-5-14

It was a car full heading up Chuckanut Drive to the Oyster Dome Trail.  Not only Dave, Cedar and I but also Justus and Gretchen joined in the adventure.  It was a crystal clear sunny day... perfect for a hike with a view.  This first peek at the view is about 20 minutes or so into the hike and has a bench.  A great place for people with creaky knees to stop.

 

 The rest of the trail was a lot steeper than I remembered it, although that is probably because I slacked off this fall and was not prepared.  The elevation gain is pretty decent though... 1900 ft up from almost sea level.  Here Dave and Cedar are playing on a flatter part of the trail.

 

 And now we are at the top!  Just barely over 2000 feet, but such a gorgeous view of the San Juan Islands and the forest spread out below like toy trees.

Get out there with the ones you love and stretch those legs out!  : )

Skagit River 1-1-14

On New Year's Day Dave and I drove up the Skagit River hoping to see bald eagles in large numbers.  As it turns out, we only saw 3 or 4 total, but it was still worth the drive.  The Skagit is such a huge beautiful river. 

There is actually an eagle in this picture.

 

 Let me zoom in... see?

We drove up to Marblemount and went to the fish hatchery.  It wasn't open, but there is a little nature trail there that leads down a stream and to a branch or tributary of the Skagit.  There were coho and another kind of salmon, just the very last stragglers of the run coming up the little stream to the hatchery they were born to spawn.  The coho were bright red on their sides.

 

 Adventure Dog really enjoyed being able to stretch his legs and check out the scenery.

 

 

 So did Adventure Dave!

We talked to a man who was there steelhead fishing and he said the energy companies let their dams on the Skagit hold up too much water last winter and Fish and Wildlife asked them to release some of their water as the river was too low, but they refused until all the red tape had been cut through and they were officially told they had to.  They did, but the river had been too low and froze and thousands upon thousands of salmon eggs were destroyed.  It's reprehensible that knowing better they did nothing to alleviate a terrible situation and thereby made a vast impact on our Northwest ecology and economy that will be felt for years to come.

 

It was a very interesting and scenic trip to make and we were happy with our little adventure even though we didn't see a lot of eagles.

Double Bluff Offleash Beach Park 12-31-13

Today was a warm gray day but not raining and a perfect day for a beach walk.  Cedar and I got on a ferry to Whidbey Island and headed for Double Bluff.  I was hoping to see seals, sealions, eagles, herons and whales, and much to my surprise saw everything but the whales! 
Walking for an hour along the bluff watching wildlife and beachcombing with the waves lapping the shore I didn't want to turn around and go back.

There was all sorts of interesting flotsam on the beach.  Cedar and I had fun with the set of stairs we found.  I dragged them over to a log and then he tried them out.

I'm not sure how many eagles we saw.  At least 3.  The most interesting thing was that one of them was carrying a stick in its talons.  I guess they work on their nests in the winter! 

There were a few sand dollars on the beach.  I only saw live ones, so I left them where they were and just took pictures.

Herons always look so grumpy.  haha  They are beautiful and impressive birds though and remind me more of pterodactyls than any other avian.

Here is one of the many seals I saw!  I love harbor seals.. they have such neat spotted fur.  I saw a male sealion also, but my photo of the top of his head just isn't clear enough to post.  I never would have seen him if I hadn't been balancing on a log into the water when he went by.  Just another reason to get out there and don't just look.. play!

 

Speaking of playing.... Cedar and I added to someone's artwork stump on the beach.  They had put little bits of wood in the cracks of the stump and then used those to hang shells.  Very cute.  Then I found a part of a frame and had to make some beach art also.  Hahaha

I read that even at high tide that this beach is quite passable, but the tide was not all the way high when I was on my way back and this photo shows just how close the water was to the bluff, so if you go out there be careful and watch the tide tables! 

ADVENTURE!