Hawk Creek Trail, Lake Roosevelt Washington

 Located Northwest of Davenport,Washington this hidden jewel of an area sneaks up on you and then bam! an unexpected oasis. The trail is located inside the Hawk Creek Campground on a little finger that reaches back in off of Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River. You can reach the Lake from here and there is a boat launch. You go on winding dirt roads, down, down, down and then all of a sudden there it is, cmplete with a waterfall on one end and sheer cliffs on the other end. It is a nice little protected area back here. The trail loop is relatively short, about 1 1/2miles, with an additional 1/2mile or so if you take the off shoot trail that runs a little further down the river, you have to just turn around and come back up to the main trail to finish the loop. One side of the loop runs right along the side of the hill. It is steep, winding and narrow so you'll have to be sure footed to do it. There are places you can get down near the water. The other half of the loop runs a little further inland but you still have views of the water in some places. Not much mileage but definitely a must see. As I was headed back in I went on Tickle Hills Road, makes you giggle just to say it, and came upon the beehives in the last photo in front of a field of beautiful yellow canola.

Lincoln Park

 One of the huge benefits of living in or close to Spokane is its wonderful collection of parks. Urban oases ripe for a good walk. Lincoln Park is one of those hidden gems. Off of Southeast Blvd on the South Hill it has a pond, wonderful views, rocks to climb and a pretty healthy down into the lower park. the lower park has toys for the kids and a bathroom. There are a lot of off-shoot paths to wander around the forest and fields. You are always surprised when you follow a path and end up on a city street. For a real challenge you can go to the bottom of the main path and then find one of the paths that climb up the side of the hill. Be advised this is very steep, almost straight up in some places and can be dangerous if you're not up to it. 

Cheney Wetlands & PELICANS!

 Headed for the Cheney Wetlands today I came past the Marshall Wetlands. Am area that used to be a hay field along Gardner Road is now a haven for all sorts of birds. Big white blobs out in the water signaled the much anticipated return of the white Pelicans to our area. After stopping to take a few picks I headed out to the Cheney Wetlands. The loop trail here comes off the Columbia Plateau trail about a quarter mile east from the Cheney-Spangle trailhead. This area is a mixed bag of scenery. From big ponds, cattail bogs to forest you get it all here. It does have some up and down but is a relatively easy 3-3 1/2 miles or so, 

 

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

 Took a trip to Vantage yesterday and walked around the developed area with the family. I had never been here before an will have to go back and explore the trails in the natural area. The central part of Washington is like another world with the sagebrush and volcanic looking rocks and sheer naked cliffs. The Columbia River is awe inspiring, so BIG! A young Bighorn sheep was wandering around. I thought it was a statue to begin with as it stood so still. The upper level has buildings, camping space, bathrooms and viewers to get a good look at the dam and Vantage bridge. We dug around but couldn't find the quarter you need to use them so have some change in your pocket. There is a road down to the lower level so you can get right to the water and take a dip in this mighty river. It is dog friendly for your 4 footed babies to take a dip and there were lots of people taking advantage of the cool water on the hot day. Including the gentleman with all the tattoos, I thought was interesting. It got really windy while we were there and the waves came up pretty strong. We made a stop at the Gem shop that sits just before the entrance to the park and had some fun with the huge dinosaur  statues. This is a really good starting place for hiking the trails along the edge of the river. 

Antoine Peak Conservation Area Canfield Gulch east trailhead

 Walekd the Canfield Gulch loop trail in the Antione Peak Natural Area north of Otis Orchards. This loop is accessed off the east trailhead located off of Trent, Campbell rd to Lincoln red north of Otis Orchards. This is a challenging trail a lot of steep climbs and narrow paths. I've done this in the winter and it is dicey to say the least. Because so much of the trail is shaded it can keep pockets of the snow and ice into the early spring. It can also get real muddy as the snow melts. It is best enjoyed in the late spring, summer months. 

Kendal Yards, Peaceful Valley loop

 Parked on the west end of Kendall Yards and went down into Peaceful Valley on the curvy path that goes down where the Centennial Trail turns north. This off shoot path goes across the bridge over the Spokane River at Peoples Park. I then took the path that leads into the Peaceful Valley neighborhood. Peaceful Valley is a mess with lots of road construction goin on but if you don't mid dodging big construction equipment and dirt piles you can still make it. Up the hill and you come to the intersection of Main and Monroe, over the Monroe bridge and you are back in Kendall Yards. The Centennial Trail is wide and much used through Kendall Yard. The city was beautiful today!