The homeless among us

 My brother and I were walking the rainy streets of Spokane last weekend giving out rain slickers to the homeless that couldn't just go home and get dry. I had one left as I headed for home. I saw this gentleman and his 4 footed companion panhandling along the wet street and stopped to give it to him. He thanked me and I turned and headed back to the car. I glanced back and noticed him pulling it onto his wet friend. I turned back and asked if I might take some pictures. He chose her comfort above his own, a selfless act. See them, say hi to them know that they could just as easily be us, me, but for a lucky break our way.

Liberty Lake Loop trail

 Wether you go the over 8 miles all the way around the loop or up to the Cedar forest and back this walk always is a thrill to all the senses. I go clock wise as it is easier to do the up, up, up with the tinkling stream cheering you on and I like to come up to the falls from this direction. If you decide to push on after the Cedar forest you cross a bridge and encounter the dreaded switch back, steep and seemingly endless you are treated with a view of the distant Liberty Lake as you get toward the top. After he switchback you continue up and along narrow paths on the edge of the mountain. Continue on and you reach Liberty Creek Falls. The falls can be roaring and full of water in the early spring but this time of year there isn't much water and with as hot and dry as it's been even less. Up, up, up some more, steep and windy finally you come to an offshoot path that takes you to the Hughes Cabin. This is more like a metal shed but is open to take shelter in if you need a rest. Now starts the other end going this way it is either down hill or mostly level and the trail is wide and well used. As you reach the bottom section it is once again steep(but this time goin downhill), rutted and narrow. I have tried this in the winter and I say DON"T it is pretty much impossible to go up in the ice and snow. The liberty lake trail is best attempted in late spring to fall. In the early spring it can get very muddy and again hard to navigate. As an added bonus there is a parking area for horsetrailers a little further down the road from the main park entrance. This is great for horseback riding, a challenging course for mountain bikers and hikers alike. Dogs are allowed with their owners on a leash.

Cheney Wetlands loop trail

 Parking in the Columbia Plateau trailhead parking lot off of Cheney-Spangle road you go about 1/4 mile east and turn right onto the dirt road. The Cheney Wetlands is a wonderful natural area with a lot of ponds, acres of cattail and forest. The city of Cheney waste management facility is a large kind of eyesore right along the trail to the north but once you got on the trail you don't see it much. Water birds, small wildlife and even moose are found here just outside the city of Cheney. The moose I saw on the far hill was the first I had seen here. The loop is about 4.6 miles but if you're short of time you can take the center shortcut and make it about 1 - 1 1/2 miles shorter. Most of the trail is easy some up and down but all well taken care of. gravel. On the day I was there I got a fun surprise off the one side of the trail. Someone had left a rubber ducky on a stump. Why? I don't know.