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Home , Carbon River, Carne Mountain, Cascading Waterfall, Chiwawa River, Clintonia uniflora, Cougar Mountain

Self-Guided Walks

Washington Native Plant Society Central Chapter

Over the course of many years, the plant walks listed in this booklet provided WNPS members with interesting outings whether it be winter, spring, summer or fall. We hope these walk descriptions will encourage you to get out and explore!

These walks were published on wnps.org from 1999-2011 by the Central Puget Sound Chapter and organized by month. In 2017 they were compiled into this booklet for historical use. names, urls, emails, directions, and trail data will not be updated. If you are interested in traveling to a site, please call the property manager (city, county, ranger station, etc.) to ensure the trail is open and passable for safe travel. To view updated species names, visit the UW Burke Herbarium Image Collection website at http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php.

Compiled October 28, 2017 Contents February ...... 4 Discovery Park Loop - February 2011 ...... 4 Sol Duc Falls - February 2010 ...... 4 Meadowdale County Park - February 2009 ...... 5 Nisqually - February 2008 ...... 5 Shoreview Park - February 2007 ...... 6 Kayak Point County Park - February 2006 ...... 7 Cranberry Lake/West Beach Sand Dunes: State Park—February 2005 ...... 8 Scriber Lake Lynnwood– February 2004 ...... 9 Old Robe Canyon, East of Granite Falls—February 2003 ...... 9 Big Ditch Slough, North of Stanwood—February 2002 ...... 10 Far Country Trail, Cougar Regional Park, Issaquah - February 2001 ...... 11 March ...... 13 Phil's Creek Trail - , Issaquah — March 2011 ...... 13 Boulder Trail — March 2010 ...... 13 Pass Lake — March 2008 ...... 14 Southwest Park, Edmonds — March 2007 ...... 14 Twin Falls Natural Area — March 2006 ...... 15 Buck Island/ Al Borlin Park — March 2004 ...... 16 Tolt River John MacDonald Park in Carnation — March 2003 ...... 17 Redmond Watershed Preserve— March 2002 ...... 18 Cowiche Canyon, Yakima Area— March 2001 ...... 19 April ...... 21 The Creek Trail at — April 2010 ...... 21 Whistle Lake — April 2009 ...... 21 Goose Rock and Pass Island — April 2008 ...... 22 Squires Lake —April 2007 ...... 23 Youth-on-Age Interpretive Trail — April 2006 ...... 23 Swan Creek Ravine in Pierce County—April 2003 ...... 24 Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park—Marshall Hill Trail, DeLeo Wall and Redtown Meadow — April 2002 ...... 25 Far Hayward Hill, Cle Elum Area — April 2001 ...... 26 May ...... 27 Federation Forest State Park — May 2009...... 27 Hayward Hill — May 2008 ...... 27 Sharpe Park — May 2007 ...... 28 Lord Hill Park Rocky Bald — May 2002 ...... 29 Rattlesnake Ledge— May 2001 ...... 30 A Victory for Native (Echo/Cedar Mountain) — May 2000 ...... 31 June ...... 32 Lake Crescent: The Storm King Trail — June 2010 ...... 32 South Heart Lake, a 1.65 Mile Loop on Trails 212, 210, 243 — June 2009 ...... 32 Squak Mountain—The C3 Valley Connector Trail — June 2008 ...... 33 Wonderland Trail to Kautz Creek, National Park— June 2007 ...... 34 Phelps Creek & Spider Meadows— June-August 2006 ...... 34 Greider Lakes Trail, Upper Sultan Basin NRCA — June 2004 ...... 35 Moss Lake County Park — June 2002 ...... 36 Big Four Meadows and Ice Caves, North — June 2001 ...... 37 , South of Bellingham—June 2000 ...... 38 September ...... 39 The Skyline Divide Trail, Mt. Baker — September 2009 ...... 39 Meadow Creek Trail, Skykomish — September 2008 ...... 39 Richmond Nature Park, Richmond, BC — September 2007 ...... 40 Anderson Butte — September 2006 ...... 41 Tonga Ridge and Mount Sawyer — September 2005...... 41 Little Si — September 2003 ...... 42 Silver Peak, — September 2002 ...... 43 Olallie Meadow and other Wetlands — September 2001 ...... 44 Mt. Catherine, Snoqualmie Pass — September 2000 ...... 45 October ...... 46 Twin Falls State Park — October 2009 ...... 46 Frog Lake Trail — October 2008 ...... 46 Schriebers Meadow to Railroad Grade — October 2005 ...... 47 Mount Dickerman Trail — October 2004 ...... 48 Asahel Curtis Trails: A Slice of the Northwest — October 2003 ...... 48 Perry Creek Research Natural Area, Darrington Ranger District — October 2002...... 49 Boulder Creek Trail (North Fork Stillaguamish River area) — October 2001 ...... 50 Rockport State Park— October 2000 ...... 50 November ...... 52 Cape Alava Trail at Lake Ozette — November 2010 ...... 52 Spruce Railroad Trail — November 2009 ...... 52 George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary — November 2007 ...... 53 Tradition Plateau NRCA — November 2006 ...... 53 — November 2005 ...... 54 North Creek Tour — November 2004...... 55 South Tiger Mountain/Otter Lake, Issaquah — November 2003 ...... 56 Middle Fork Trail — November 2002 ...... 57 Mercer Slough Nature Park — November 2001 ...... 58 Heart Lake, Anacortes— November 2000 ...... 59 December ...... 61 — December 2010 ...... 61 Carbon River Road, Mount Rainier — December 2008 ...... 61 Ed Munro Seahurst Park, Burien— December 2007 ...... 62 Redmond Watershed Preserve— December 2006 ...... 63 Devil’s Lake near Quilcene, WA — December 1999 ...... 63 Heather Lake Trail—December 2004 ...... 64 Lime Kiln Trail—December 2005 ...... 65 Lake 22—December 2003 ...... 65 Preston-Snoqualmie Trail, Fall City—December 2002 ...... 66 Lord Hill Park Beaver Ponds—December 2001 ...... 67 , —December 2000 ...... 69

February Discovery Park Loop - February 2011 By Erin Meier Really how many cups of tea can you drink? Put down that novel and let's head outside. The Loop Trail at Discovery Park is only 2.8 miles long. Even on a rainy winter day, it's a relaxing jaunt for your average plant enthusiast. Discovery Park is located near the Ballard Locks and Magnolia. This park is an interesting study to plant enthusiasts. Native plants intermix with opportunistic ornamentals that were planted in the 1890's when was erected. In 1972 several hundred acres were dedicated to create Discovery Park. Extensive trails lead over bluffs, through forest and even to the beach. Starting at the Visitor's Center, I set out on the Loop Trail heading towards South Beach. The walk starts pleasantly in woodland. Small were just budding as I sauntered . ursinus vines wound through the reddish maple that littered the ground. An Arbutus menziesii came into view at the top of the hill, and this was not the only interesting tree I sighted. I also stumbled onto and Pinus contorta in the course of my walk. Just past the South Parking Lot, there were two magnificent , which I longed to climb, though my sensible walking shoes did not.

As you come upon the bluffs, you'll see a staggering view of Puget Sound and the Olympics. I had a hard time tearing myself away, though the rest of the walk was extremely pleasant. At one point the trail takes you through a lovely ravine, awash in such as: glycyrrhiza, Polystichum munitum, Adiantum pedatum and Blechnum spicant. Coming out of the ravine I ran into a flock of starlings flitting to and fro in the branches of a Sambucus racemosa. In a beautiful setting such as Discovery Park, I find that even starlings can be charming.

Directions: From downtown take Elliot Ave towards Ballard. It will turn into 15th Ave West. Take the Dravus Street exit, turn left and then right at 20th Avenue West. This turns into Gilman Avenue West. Take a left onto West Fort Street (becomes West Government Way) and you'll see signs for the park shortly.

Sol Duc Falls - February 2010 By Erin Meier

If you are on the Peninsula this winter, the trail to Sol Duc Falls is a great choice for a winter hike. On a mist-laden, rainy day this walk will take you through a quiet forest to Sol Duc Falls which boasts not one, but four falls. This appealing trail is certain to shake off your winter ennui. Everywhere we looked we seemed to see downed logs, rich reddish chunks of wood scattered around them. There are quite a few nurse logs on this hike, inhabited with such species such as and Blechnum spicant. Not all of these logs are as big as the gargantuan example at , but they are still fascinating nonetheless.

In winter the defoliated understory makes you far more conscious of form with regard to , and also trees. Even more than usual, the forest seemed dominated by the massive trunks of and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Without the obstructing leaves of surrounding shrubs, the massive trunks of these giants fill your line of sight for as far as the eye can see. The only shrubs I really noticed were the Vaccinium membranceum. Their dark bare branches stood out starkly against the luxuriant array of golden-olive mosses smothering the uneven ground. A few immature Tsuga heterophylla poked out of the little hillocks of moss surrounding the trail, some growing on nurse logs near toadstools and other species of fungus.

This trail is bisected by several small streams, and at the second we were arrested by the brilliantly white ribbon of rapids that tumbled downhill over lichen covered boulders. As we tramped along we identified the familiar Lobaria pulmonaria bedecked with rather large soredia. We also found the Lepraria species on the bark of several trees. wove itself sweetly over stumps and through the large swaths of Neckera douglasii. The falls are just past the Canyon Creek Shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. At the other side of the bridge, near the observation decks, the rocks are worn smooth forming miniature pools. An Oplopanax horidus grew nearby, still thorny, though without many leaves. Since the trail to the falls is only 0.8 miles, we explored a bit. Ulota obtusiuscula grew on a tree near the falls in marvelous tufts of reddish-green. If you are up for more exploration, you can continue along the Lover's Lane trail which will take you to Sol Duc Campground.

Directions: Take Highway 101 about 27 miles past Port Angeles. Eventually, Sol Duc Hot Springs Road comes up on your left. Turn down this, and continue until the end of the road, about. 14 miles, where you will find the trailhead.

Meadowdale County Park - February 2009 By Dan Paquette

From the parking lot (elevation ~450 feet) follow the only trail as it winds its way 1.25 miles down to the beach. The picnic tables alongside the trail are recessed into the vegetation. Note the presence of some cherry wood, probably Prunus emarginata (Pojar: p. 48) with its numerous horizontally oriented lenticels.

Down into the ravine we pass spindly hemlocks and ten foot red huckleberry shrubs situated under picks of Douglas firs. The green sails on the lean, tall, masted Douglas Firs become exceedingly noisy, angry, unsettled with strong wind gusts. Many of the big maples mimic the tall, sleek reach of the Douglas Firs. At the bottom of a number of stairs and end of a switchback, look at the bark of the Acer macrophyllum (Big Leaf Maple). There are perhaps a dozen moss species. There’s one at about 6 feet which is a small patch of darker green, just to the left of a gully in the bark, the moss clearly showing a series of flat, frond-like layers. Close inspection will show oblong leaves with a wavy appearance and small flagellate leaf branches. This is Metaneckera menziesii (p. 464). Note the striking differences in the Pojar photo and this atypical clump.

Further down, we encounter a detour where the creek, encouraged by developers and the increase in impermeable surfaces have eroded away the trail –just as neighbors in the area had predicted to city council. We also pass by a number of fluted cedar trunks with young hemlock on top as if they were birthday candles. After the trail flattens out with a very gradual decline to the Sound,, there are large areas of alder, salmonberry, piggy-back plant habitat. Along the trail grow a small loose colony of Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry, p. 70) idealized branches in broad brush strokes, nodes where the brush hesitates, changes direction; where the rubber presses at the base of the tooth.

As we get nearer to the beach, more colonies of the filamentous green algae, Trentapohlia can be seen growing on the main stems of Alnus rubra (Red Alder, p. 44). The coloring of the algae is actually more of a tan. The coloring is due to Bcarotene in the filaments. At 60 power under a dissecting microscope, it looks a little like the stringy portion in the middle of a squash. The trail forks just before the beach. Restrooms and rangers are available on the left fork. The beach is to the right.

To reach Meadowdale County Park, take I-5 to the 164th street exit in South Snohomish County. Drive 164th Street westward. When you are within 2 ¼ miles of the Sound, you'll climb to over 600 feet, then curve down a hill; the road becomes 168th Street and then you cross Aurora Avenue. A few blocks later, turn right onto 52nd Avenue, then a left onto 160th Street, a right onto 56th Avenue, and a left onto 156th Street which dead ends at the parking lot.

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge - February 2008 By Dan Paquette

Combine your native plant and birding experience at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is not a five-star setting for native plants in winter, but much is being done with plantings and there are aquatics that I’ve only begun to learn and explore With the other focus on birding, you should have a pleasant adventure. I’ll describe a 2.5 mile loop option out to the twin barns and ring dike. Page listings are from Pojar and Mackinnon’s Plants of the unless otherwise noted. After paying the three dollar entrance fee at an outside post near the main building, take one of the yellow maps. You might want to check out the gift store and confer with staff to see if any trails are closed.

Walk past the main building, past among other things, plantings of Cornus stolonifera (Red Osier Dogwood, p. 90) a couple Crataegus dougasii (Black Hawthorn, p. 93) and some young Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa (Black Cottonwood, p. 46). You’ll soon see the beginning of the board walk. Take the board walk and as you pass some old Acer macrophyllum (Big Leaf Maple, p.45), examine the bark and note the shiny moss with one to perhaps four sporophyte capsules growing out the ends of the stems. This characteristic of multiple spore capsules is found among the Plagiomniums and in this case, Plagiomnium venustum (Magnificent Moss, p.457).

A lot of branches have been cut back along the boardwalk, many of them belonging to Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra (Pacific Willow, p.88). The Salix has rebelled, producing herds of long yellowgreen stems, growing like a punk toupee fit for a T- Rex.

Be sure to take the side trip to the observation point and the twin barns. As you step over the first little bridge, look down and you may see the overall reniform shape and clover-like lobes of Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Marsh Pennywort, Hitchcock, p.326).

In this area, keep your eyes open for Golden Crown Kinglets. After investigating the area by the barns and you’re back on the main boardwalk, proceed until the walk junctions with the dike road. Continue north on the road, passing numerous lines of Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry, p. 70).

I wrote a tanka (31 syllable poem) so as to remember this site:

Elderberries edge the delta’s levee Fluid limbs atop coarse trunks, standing on warted bark of others; My onus also.

Further up the road, take the Ring Dike loop which takes you past a number of handsome Malus fusca (Pacific Crabapple, p.48). Look for the short spur shoots that can initially be confused with thorns. In returning to the parking lot, you can follow the dike road back and optionally take the boardwalk that follows the dike road and you wind back on the south side of the buildings. Need lunch? Try Norma’s Burgers near the exit from I-5. Special thanks to Rick Droker for his assistance.

Directions to the Refuge: Take I-5 south past Tacoma. Take exit 114. At the first signal light, turn right. At the next road intersection, turn right onto the road which will enter the refuge.

Shoreview Park - February 2007 By Dan Paquette

Shoreview Park is located a few blocks beyond Shoreline Community College on Innis Arden Way. Look for the open area with playground and athletic fields. Drive into this complex and near the far end of the parking lot where the road curves to an upper level of parking is our trail head. Look for the waste receptacle and a blue sign.

Heading north into the understory, the ground is barren. Dogs tend to roam a little, but their owners are usually close by. The forest soon engages you with its variety of . Alders and maples are few. On the ground, beneath the Gaultheria shallon (Salal), look for pine needles in bunches of five. These have fallen from Pinus monticola or (Pojar 39)*. Now look up into the canopy and see if you can separate P. monticola from the Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock), and Pseudotsuga menziesii (). The trail gradually bends to the northeast, east and later, to the southeast following a canyon. At the bottom is a branch of Boeing Creek. From time to time, as you pass impressive old growth, a path will head down toward the creek. Some of these paths are a little steep and undermined, so use your own judgement whether to proceed down to the creek or stay on the higher path. The higher paths are occasionally undermined so just exercise a little care.

WNPS hikers have found a number of plants with only a few individuals present including: Salix scouleriana (Scouler’s Willow), Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Red Currant), Taxus brevifolia (Pacific Yew) and Rosa gymnocarpa (Baldhip Rose). More numerous are Red Elderberry, Salmonberry, and three of the more common saxifrages. On some trail cuts, you may note a yellowish green moss embedded in the sand. Atrichum selwynii or Crane's-bill Moss (Pojar, 455)* has leaves reminiscent of those on tanoak with a regular of horizontal ridges.

At some point you may encounter a trail going uphill. Use this trail and a combination of others to make a clockwise loop. Maps of this park are hard to find. However, the distances are not great, and in two or three visits, you can become acquainted with many of the trails. A and blowup of a topo map will make life easier. In April and May of 2007, students from nearby Shorewood High School will be mapping the natives and invasives in this Park. If you might be interested in assisting these students in plant identification, using keys, or if you would like a rough map of this park, contact Dan Paquette ([email protected]).

* MacKinnon, Andy and Jim Pojar, eds. and comp. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Canada: Lone Pine Publishing, 1994. 524 pp.

Kayak Point County Park - February 2006 By Holly Zox

Kayak Point is a good place to ponder deposits and withdrawals: what water, ice, and wind delivered or carried away, who came, who stayed, who’s just passing through. Located on Port Susan across from Camano Island, the park was once the site of a resort, and almost an oil refinery before becoming a Snohomish County Park. The walk includes a disturbed old growth forest fragment on an eroding bluff and the cobble, gravel, and sand beach below.

The first deposits encountered on entering the park, the glacial drift of the bluff and the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) – grand fir (Abies grandis) forest it supports are soon overshadowed by a distressing understory of English ivy (Hedera helix). Salal (Gaultheria shallon), which would be expected to form a large part of the understory is almost completely replaced by the exotic ivy. Drive through the self-service pay station ($5.00 day use fee) and park by the beach. Several staircases lead up into the forest. Start with the northernmost stairs under a large grand fir and note several shrubs of spurge laurel (Daphne laureola), an exotic that has seriously invaded Island’s East Sooke Park. The large grand firs are dwarfed by the really big, older fire-scarred Douglas-firs. The relatively shade-tolerant grand firs that came in after the fire could become the climax tree species. Young grand firs, indeed any young trees, are few however, and the carpet of ivy limits the chances for new seedlings.

After walking up and down all stairs to the south end of the park, step over a drift line of dead trees, some washed up from Puget Sound during storms, some falling down from the bluff during storms. Walk south under the bluff as far as the houses, or farther if tides allow. The bluff is composed of layers of glacial till, sand, and clay. The layers reflect the varied history of the site and frequently slide to feed the beach below. Note groundwater seeping out of the water-holding clay. crabapple (Malus fusca) grows at the base of the bluff.

Retrace your steps, and walk the beach north, rounding a small point. The beach is wider at this more sheltered, north- facing portion. The native beach or strand vegetation is unfortunately mostly replaced by the lawn of the park. Scattered clumps of dunegrass (Elymus mollis) and Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) can be found. Past the pier, shellfish beds occur. Focus your binoculars and look for the many critters feeding over them including common loons Gavia immer) and western grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis). The waters offshore are quite deep, and offer the chance to view passing orca whales (Orcinus orca).

Bring a picnic and binoculars for this easy 1 mile or more walk. If all that ivy threatens to upset your picnic, the dynamic nature of the site could offer some relief: all of this will be part of some future geologic layer. Directions: take exit 199 from I-5 at Marysville and turn left onto Marine Drive, then follow signs 13 miles north to the park entrance.

Cranberry Lake/West Beach Sand Dunes: Deception Pass State Park—February 2005 By Brenda Senturia

The Oregon Coast may be famous for its sand dunes, but Puget Sound boasts a nice dune remnant at Cranberry Lake/West Beach in Deception Pass State Park. Sand dunes are a dynamic interaction of wind, water, sediments, and vegetation and form where these elements meet sufficient flat topography. While fairly stable, all stages of dune succession may be seen here, from bare sand to mature forest. Dunes often dam freshwater lakes. Begin the walk at Cranberry Lake, now dammed by the parking lot. Walk south on the paved 0.7 mile dune trail, just past the West Beach restrooms.

Dune pioneers must cope with blowing sand, which can both bury, and scour, lack of nutrients and moisture, and salt spray. Note the sand-crusted leaves of yellow sand verbena (Abronia latifolia) and the mostly buried leaves of beach silvertop (Glehnia littoralis) forming tiny mounds in areas of mostly bare sand. Deep taproots help hold the plants in place and reach the water table which can be three or more feet under the surface. The thick taproots also store energy the plants can use to grow when buried by sand. Fleshy glandular or hairy leaves also help conserve moisture and protect from wind, salt, and sand. Beach knotweed (Polygonum paronychia) has woody stems for protection and leaves with margins rolled under to reduce surface area and prevent excessive moisture loss. The branched, trailing knotweed also helps bind sand.

Major stabilizers of sand are American dune grass (Elymus mollis) and large-headed sedge (Carex macrocephala). Both plants have vigorous underground and cover large areas. The sedge grows close to the ground where wind is less extreme, and has large seeds, spread by wind, but big enough to stay lodged in blowing sand. The taller dune grass provides cover for animals such as the rabbits whose scat accompanies and feeds it.

These pioneers moderate the climate where they grow, providing cooling, moisture conserving shade, blocking wind, and they add organic matter to the soil. These less harsh conditions suit a number of plants, including yarrow (Achillea millefollium), and bracken (Pteridium aquilinum). These newcomers eventually outcompete the pioneers and create conditions suitable for shrubs such as Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) and salal (Gaultheria shallon). Young shore pine (Pinus contorta) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) grow out of the now humus-rich soil of these communities.

Forested dunes near the surf are covered with dwarfed shore pine, Sitka spruce, and Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). Lee of these forested dunes, there are areas of moss-covered sand. Kinninnik (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) seedlings are favored in the environmental conditions of the moss carpet. Luxuriant mats of kinninnik border the trail as it heads east into mature forest bordering Cranberry Lake. Tall, wind-sculpted Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) line the forest edge, while upright Douglas-fir, western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia), salal, oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), and birdsong fill the forest interior.

Wind can scour sand away on the lee side of dunes down to the water table, creating moist deflation plains. An unfortunate picnic table rots in one such plain, surrounded by slough sedge (Carex obnupta) and red alder (Alnus rubra). Slough sedge grows with Hooker’s willow (Salix hookeriana) at the trail’s end, the northwest shore of Cranberry Lake.

Wind, water, and fire are the traditional agents of disturbance in dune ecosystems. Add here human disturbance, from picnic parties and children building sand castles, to curious botanists stepping off the trail; all can create new areas of bare sand for pioneers to colonize. Allow one hour to a whole day for this easy walk. Directions: drive State Route 20 to milepost 41.3 and turn west into the Whidbey Island entrance to Deception Pass State Park. Follow signs to Cranberry Lake and West Beach.

Scriber Lake Lynnwood– February 2004 By Brenda Senturia

Scriber Lake is a small wetland just a half hour north of Seattle. It is hard to believe there is a beautiful lake with a walking trail nestled in among the malls and busy streets in this area of Lynnwood. Spring is in the air in March in Puget Sound, but most trails are still very muddy and most wildflower blooms are still to come. But wet feet are not a problem here - the trail around Scriber Lake is either sawdust, boardwalk, or asphalt. This is an excellent place for a walk. It also offers excellent birding. I saw or heard 20 species in less than an hour.

The trail begins right at the parking lot and is easily spotted. In this area there are large White Pines, Western Red-Cedars, and Douglas Firs. Take the route circling left around the lake. According to the interpretive signs, the spaghnum moss which forms peat is building up from the lake margins. Salal is found in the understory. Red Alder and Willows are the dominant trees. Red-osier Dogwood is recognizable by its red branches. Salmonberry dominates the moderately wet spots.

As is true of most city habitats, introduced species are found along with native plants. New shoots of Reed-canary Grass were already coming up in February. Evergreen and Himalayan Blackberry are also found. Creeping Buttercup is common in the understory. There are large areas of Hardhack (Spirea) and some Labrador Tea on the right as you approach the boardwalk overlooking the lake. This plant is found in the acidic conditions which are characteristic of bogs. From the boardwalk you may be able to see at least 5 species of waterbirds - Pied-billed Grebes, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, and Mallards. The Mallards are used to handouts and will approach to within a few feet if they think you might have something for them.

Continue along the lake edge passing a slough on your left. This is perfect habitat for Wood Ducks and nesting boxes are present, but I haven’t seen them. There are numerous short spurs from the main trail - some to views of the lake and others to access points from the surrounding streets. Continue around the lake. Look for Licorice Fern, Deer Fern, Wood Fern, Sword Fern, and Lady Fern (mostly last year’s brown fronds). The distance around is about 1/2 mile.

To reach Scriber Lake, take I-5 north to Exit 181B (Lynnwood - 196th St, SW). Take a left after exiting and then another left onto 196th St. SW. Go 1.6 miles to Scriber Lake Rd. (Office Depot on corner). Turn left here and then take the next left onto 198th SW. In a few hundred yards you will see the park entrance on the left. There are restrooms at the parking lot.

Old Robe Canyon, East of Granite Falls—February 2003 By Holly Zox

Travel back in time on the grade of the Monte Cristo Railroad into the rugged Old Robe Canyon. Though close to town, and once the site of a town, this valley feels deep in the middle of wilderness. The trail starts in second-growth western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and switchbacks down 200 feet. While on the switchbacks, look out at a large beaver- constructed wetland, the former town site.

Proceed towards the roar of the mighty South Fork of the Stillaguamish River. You don't have to drive to the Olympic Peninsula to see Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). The foggy river bottom provides plenty of moisture for the open stomata of this pioneer conifer. A few of these spruces are old enough to have seen the town come and go. See also western hemlock, cedar (), even a few grand fir (Abies grandis). Note the hummocky nature of the forest. These conifers got their start on nurse logs that fell or were washed in with the floods. Though a hike for all seasons, this is not a hike for all days. High wind, high water, and ice all make this trail treacherous. This is an area of constant disturbance, both from the river's flood and flow and the unstable rock of the canyon walls. It is possible to tell what happens in wild times by looking at the vegetation. The conifer forest is inundated only during the highest flood events. Frequently flooded areas are dominated by deciduous trees and shrubs like salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), stink currant (Ribes bracteosum), and red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea).

A large colony of scouring-rush (Equisetum hyemale), an impressive Indian-plum (Oemleria cerasiformis), and a picnic table mark the site of the old train depot and the boundary between the above riparian forest types. When the river is high, the walk ends here, as the deciduous forest will be under water.

Past the depot are two stream crossings. Before the first, a dandy side trip can be made 100 feet to the right on an animal trail through shrubs, including Oregon crabapple (Malus fusca) and twinberry (Lonicera involucrata) to the beaver wetland and woolly sedge (Scirpus atrocinctus). Past the second stream, enter the canyon proper. Fern grottos, dripping rocks, little waterfalls, big roar of the river…wow!

Here too, vegetation gives clues of what happens when we are hopefully safe at home. Where rocks have stayed in place long enough to garner a mantle of mosses, lichens, liverworts, and herbs, you even find trees. Where rocks fall all through the year, find only a few clumps of small-flowered alumroot (Heuchera micrantha).

The first, biggest active slide is usually easy to cross. Turn back here when conditions are icy or otherwise difficult. If easy, cross and then walk on old rocky rail to tunnel #6. On entering, you at first can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then a narrow band of light becomes a glowing emerald jewel of drooping hemlocks, leaning moss-covered snags, maidenhair (Adiatum aleuticum) and sword ferns (Polystichum munitum), water droplets, and mist. In cracks you will even find maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomones ssp.trichomones). Move carefully in the tunnel. The ground, nowhere level, is littered with huge boulders that fell (and fall) from the tunnel's roof.

Walk through that green world to the trail's end at tunnel #5. Though it is possible, and risky, to cross the rockslide, any progress is stopped in a few hundred yards at collapsed tunnel #3, which requires rope and mountaineering moves. Instead, turn around, pick your favorite rock, pop open your thermos, and drink in some chlorophyll and negative ions.

Allow at least 2 hours for this rough 3.2 mile round-trip hike.

Directions: Drive east from Granite Falls on the to MP 7.1, across from Green Mountain Road. Park on the shoulder and enter the trail by the red brick sign.

Big Ditch Slough, North of Stanwood—February 2002 By Holly Zox

What's the hiking botanist to do when the mountain plants are buried in ? Follow the river down to the Sound. Get salt and silt on your boots and meet the birds at the salt marsh, lively indeed in gloomy February.

Good access can be found at Big Ditch Slough north of Stanwood. This WDFW entrance into the Skagit Delta lies within the Skagit Wildlife Recreation Area and requires a fishing or conservation license. Best is to visit on a weekday afternoon at low tide: weekday to avoid most of the duck hunters, low tide to keep the gunshot farther away and to allow wandering on the mudflat, and afternoon to take advantage of the glowing sunset in the Everett smog.

From the parking lot, cross a bridge over the slough, squeeze through the turnstile, and turn left. Duck into the brush on a muddy trail bordered at first by a grove of volunteer Prunus sp. (cherries) and note other spurred rosaceous small trees with shaggy vertical furrows in their bark. They are Maltus fusca, the Oregon crabapple. The tiny are tasty when touched by frost and were harvested and cared for by all the people who lived in the trees' range. One box of apples was worth ten pairs of Hudson's Bay blankets in trade. Not so surprising since the apples are the size of olives.

At low tide, leave the brush and enter the tules. Scirpus acutus (hardstem bulrush), S. americanus (three-square bulrush), and S. maritimus (seacoast bulrush) remnants and emerging shoots all can be found. Walk the slough past the last plants and follow the bird footprints to the edge of the earth. Stand with water lapping at your toes and watch long-billed dowitchers bobbing their beaks in and out of a distant mudflat as they feed.

The water is rising. Turn around and walk the dike one mile or more north, toward Conway. The dike is covered with exotic pasture grasses. Pick your feet up to avoid tripping over the tough clumps of Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue). Drop down toward the Typha latifolia (cattails) and find Carex lyngbyei (Lyngby sedge) and Juncus balticus (Baltic rush) at the top of the salt marsh. Marsh wrens scold from the cattails.

Look out over that broad expanse of marsh and, weather willing, see Camano, Whidbey, Fidalgo, and the , even the Olympic to the west, Mt. Baker and the Twin Sisters to the north, and barley fields, trumpeter swans, and the to the east.

Look closely at the marsh. It is not just cattails the marsh hawks are swooping over. Note patches of tules, dusty green Agrostis ssp. (bentgrass), and tidal streams with fishing great blue herons. Scattered everywhere are enormous drift logs, each one an island for moss gardens, herbs, shrubs, Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce), and perching bald eagles. At about ¾ mile note nurse logs with Myrica gale (sweetgale), Lonicera involucrata (twinberry), and Spiraea douglasii (hardhack) growing together. The sweetgale, in bloom in about two months, is a treat, not showy, but lovely in a quiet way, a mass of glowing ochre branches amid the straws and browns and greens and burgundies and grays of the marsh.

The little houses and an alder grove are near. Walk past the houses and look to the alders for a perching red-tailed hawk. Keep going a bit more to spot the odd Crataegus douglasii (black hawthorn) on your left and then a big waving colony of Phragmites australis (common reed).

Dusk is coming, and the gate is locked at dark. Turn around and head back to the parking lot and if you are very lucky, when you are almost there, and you stop to watch short-eared owls hunting, hundreds of snow geese will be feeding in the barley field, be startled, and in a great cacophony of noise take off, first a few, then more and more till the whole flock is awing and turns and flies directly over your head into the setting sun.

Rubber boots that stay on are useful, and binoculars a must for this easy hike. Allow 1-2 hours.

Directions: Head west on SR 532 from I-5 and turn right on Pioneer Highway (SR 530) at Stanwood. In 2.7 miles, turn left onto Old Pacific Highway. Cross the railroad tracks and continue straight on a gravel road signed "Big Ditch Access" to the bay and parking area.

Far Country Trail, Cougar Mountain Regional Park, Issaquah - February 2001 By Brenda Senturia

For a delightful spring walk, Cougar Mountain offers a large network of well-maintained, well-signed trails. The Far Country Trail lookout provides the high point for a loop of about 5 miles. However, a shorter walk to the Far Country lookout and back is possible. This hike is suitable for all ages.

The trail begins at the Red Town Trailhead on the Red Town Trail (W2). Head up the road, being sure to stop at the meadow restoration site to read the excellent informational materials. Many WNPS members have contributed time and energy to make this restoration project possible. After crossing continue on the Indian Trail (W7), passing an impressive rock formation on the left. The canopy on this loop is mostly deciduous, making this a good choice for March before the red alders and bigleaf maples leaf out. Indian plum, salmonberry, and elderberry are the primary shrubs of this loop. Ocean spray can be found in the more open, sunny spots. In a few places, red-flowering currant provides a splash of color. Bleeding heart is a common species. Sweet cicely, waterleaf, and false lily of the valley are found in the understory. Trillium blooms in April. There are plenty of our saxifrages: mitrewort, foam flower, and youth-on- age. Sword fern, Oregon grape, and salal are all found, depending on moisture and sunlight. Western red cedar, Douglas fir, and western hemlock are scattered sparsely through the deciduous trees.

Turn left on the Far Country Trail (S1). After a short distance and a few short switchbacks, the trail flattens out at the Far Country lookout. A special treat is numerous western serviceberry shrubs in bloom in May. The drier, more open microhabitat here sports ocean spray, wild strawberry, honeysuckle, and red-flowering currant. Don't expect a grand panorama, but the view is nice from the high point. Continue on to the Shy Bear Trail (S2), heading gradually upward and then losing altitude. Shy Bear Marsh is found in the bottomlands on the right. Along this section, devil's club and skunk cabbage are found. After crossing a wet portion via a boardwalk, the trail then ascends to a junction with Fred's Railroad Trail (C7). Bear left and then left again on the Quarry Trail (C6). Go right on the Coal Creek Falls Trail (C4) to the falls, a beautiful spot for a breather. Follow signs back to the Red Town Trailhead via the Cave Hole Trail (C3).

To reach the trailhead, take I-90 east to Exit 13 (SE Newport Way). Stay right on the ramp to SE Newport Way. Take a right at the stop sign, heading back parallel to the freeway on SE Newport Way for 1.3 miles. At the stop sign, go left on 164th. At 1.5 miles, bear right on Lakemont. Go another 1.4 miles to Red Town Trailhead (Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park) and pull into the parking area on the left. Driving time from Seattle is 30–40 minutes. Maps are generally available at the Red Town Trailhead and there is one portable bathroom.

March Phil's Creek Trail - Squak Mountain, Issaquah — March 2011 By Brenda Senturia

The Phil's Creek Trail is one of a number of trails recently opened in Squak Mountain State Park from a new trailhead. As of this writing, this is a place you can find solitude, in contrast to many of the trails on Tiger Mountain nearby.

Begin by taking the signed hiking trail from the parking lot for about 100 yards. It comes to a gravel road, which can be walked all the way up to Central Peak. However, for hiking, take this road uphill for about 1/2 mile to the Equestrian Loop Trail (S4). Make a loop (1.4 miles) on this trail, keeping right at intersections, except where there is a private property boundary or a 'closed' trail. The dominant conifer is Western Hemlock with scattered Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir with a lush understory of Sword Fern, Red Elderberry, Salal and Oregon Grape.

The trail crosses a footbridge where Maidenhair and Wood Ferns can be found. The trail ascends and through second growth (mixed deciduous and coniferous). When you reach the outermost section of the loop, stop by a house for a rare view of the surrounding mountains. Continue around the loop, crossing a stream (no bridge, but easy) and heading uphill through a section of trail damaged by erosion, eventually reaching the junction of Phil's Creek Trail (S3). Youth-on- age and Dewberry are dominant plants in the understory. Yes, horses are allowed on the Equestrian Trail, but, as of this writing, the condition wasn't horrendous, as it is when hiking on some equestrian trails.

At the junction with the Phil's Creek Trail, there is a signed cutoff back to the gravel road. To continue, take Phil's Creek trail which begins in rather muddy fashion, but quickly improves. The canopy becomes more open - dominated by deciduous trees - and follows a valley toward a divide. To reach the trailhead, take I-90 east to Exit 15 (Route 900, Issaquah). Stay right after exiting and head south through Issaquah along the Renton-Issaquah Rd. for about 4 miles to SE May Valley Road. Turn left on SE May Valley Road. for about 2.4 miles, watching for signs indicating a left turn into the parking area.

Boulder River Trail — March 2010 By Erin Meier

The Boulder River Trail meanders through lowland forests above and beside the river, and is a rewarding lowland hike for late winter. Follow a dirt road past a few newly built houses out to the trailhead, and parking should be easy to find this time of year. The hike itself has an easy grade, and should present no great challenge for the curious plantsman…ah, woman. This is an out and back trail, approximately seven miles round trip. On the other hand, should winter rains task your , you will find that the walk to the waterfalls, about a mile or so, is a satisfying endeavour unto itself.

The glossy greens of Gaultheria shallon and Berberis nervosa shone in contrast to the mosses, lichens and liverworts that spread along the edge of the trail and over rocks and logs. My friend and I were pleased to identify some charming Polytrichum juniperinum growing near a Vaccinium ovatum. The reddish tips of the Vaccinium were particularly arresting against the grayish winter backdrop. Thuja plicata, Tsuga heterophylla and Taxus brevifolia all grew in this forest. Some were quite massive and boasted an intriguing eco-system just within the crevices of their bark. On the forest floor, the familiar saxifrage Tolmiea menziesii, unfurled their gleaming heart shaped leaves.

The white lace-like waterfalls, which cascade over rocky cliffs into the river below, are a striking point of interest to anyone, including those persons who are not as interested in plant life as yourself. Thus you will have plenty of opportunities to botanize, while your companions enjoy the view. We found some bare, though still prickly-stalked and menacing, Oplopanax horridum growing in a great swath as we walked away from the river. Other shrubs present included the Physocarpus capitatus and Rubus spectabilus. This would be an excellent hike should you choose to take junior botanists with you. Indeed there is a bounty of native plants along the trail, as well as fungi and the occasional fauna.

Directions: From I-5 take Highway 530, past Arlington, to just beyond milepost 41. Turn right on French Creek Road (Road 2010) and follow about. 3.6 miles to the end of the road.

Pass Lake — March 2008 By Dan Paquette

A mile north of Deception Pass is Pass Lake which has some nice short hikes. Here is an itinerary that is out and back for a total distance of about 4 miles. The trailhead is clearly marked in the parking lot, and a restroom appears just up the trail. We will go out and back on what I call the “middle trail” which runs through a forest of our native conifers, some open meadows and stands of alder. Note: Page numbers following plant names are from the Pojar book.

Initially, the trail roughly parallels the lake shore but at considerable distance. After a few hundred yards there is an unmarked fork. Stay to the right. In this area you can make a study of Abies grandis (Grand Fir, p. 34) and its light gray bark that sometimes seems to blend to the deeply furled look of Douglas Fir which is also present. At other times, the bark seems to undulate between each story of branch scars and the waves are accentuated by some of the lichens and algae discussed in last May’s walk of the month (Sharpe Park).

After covering close to a mile, go left and then a quick right at the trail junctions. Soon you may notice some cliff faces covered in moss with protruding banners of Polypodium glycyrhiza (Licorice Fern, p.424) on your left. The trail has some ups and downs before a longer descent into something of a low area which you circle about and as you begin to again ascend, watch for large cherry trees up slope. I measured one in excess of 15 inches dbh (diameter breast height). Spring will soon help us determine if these are our native Prunus emarginata (Bitter Cherry, p.48).

Rising, you will reach the peeling bark of Arbutus menziesii (Pacific Madrone, p.49) and fields of mosses which host Goodyera oblongifolia (Rattlesnake-plantain, p. 120) and have small inroads of Rumex acetosella (Sheep Sorrel, p.129) a nonnative that is eaten by a number of our native birds including, juncos and towhees. In the same general area, look for sanicles. The one we saw may be Sanicula crassicaulis (Pacific Sanicle, p.214). Beyond the moss meadows comes a meadow of grasses bordered by alders and Carex obnupta (Slough Sedge, p.400) which had inflorescence when we checked in late January. And in the grassy meadow are roses, probably nootkana with little mossy balls attached to the branches as if they had been washed in there during a flood. It turns out that they are galls of the tiny wasp known as Diplolepis rosae. This is our turn around point.

If you choose to explore along some of the rocky areas, please be very careful not to uproot the fragile plants and lichens. Green Trail Map no. 41S is helpful for many hikes in this area although it does not show the first fork encountered. For a late lunch, try Deception Pass Café and Grill which is on your return trip, just a couple of miles down the road.

Southwest Park, Edmonds — March 2007 By Dan Paquette

Many of our urban forests suffered damage during the storms in November and December. Southwest Park in Edmonds is a Snohomish County Park that has been cleaned up sufficiently so that folks can get around and enjoy the forest. Thanks go to Gary Smith and Jean Yee for providing background and a plant list for this hike.

From the parking area, let’s make a clock-wise loop, beginning at the signage where trails seem to begin. Note that the chain saws have been at work. I counted 85 rings on a 16-inch trunk of Alder. Up the trail, kind of stay to the left at junctions except where a trail would take you out to the road. There’s a lot of Sambucus racemosa (Elderberry) and Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry). Poking out from fallen Alder and Maple leaves are the bright green basal leaves of Claytonia – probably C. siberica (Siberian miner’s lettuce). Other obvious signs of new life can be seen on the branches of Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian Plum). Many bud scales have already opened in early February, and the leaves and white flowers should be showing off soon.

The park has many hemlock and Douglas firs, but located near a brown sign, you may note a conifer with a differently shaped crown. This Abies grandis (Grand Fir) was measured and found to be about 130 feet tall. Its sleek canopy makes it seem even taller. Past the fir, notice some of these large alders. Some are seven to eight feet in circumference at breast height. As you begin to complete the loop, pass under a downed hemlock over the trail which is about 125 feet long.

Finally, at the end of the trail, where it comes out at the road just before the parking lot, you may notice a small rotten log with a very bright greenish white growth. Among the bright colored mosses is the liverwort, Lophocolea bidentata. The leaves look like tank tops hanging from two clothes pins. Notice the little white filaments with little crosses on top. These are opened capsules and the spores have taken their leave.

To reach Southwest Park, take Highway 99 into Lynnwood. At 196th Street, turn to the west. Go west until you reach 76th Ave and turn right (north). Go north until you reach Olympic View Drive and then turn to the left (west). The small parking area is on the left just beyond the 180th Street turnoff.

Twin Falls Natural Area — March 2006 By Holly Zox

Before the freeway, before the houses, or loggers, the Snoqualmie River and the increased moisture and light in its riparian zone would have been an island of diversity within a sea of forest. Ironically, the river at Twin Falls Natural Area, nestled in between I-90 and the Iron Horse Trail east of North Bend protects a narrow swath of old forest in a sea of clear- cuts and development. The large “island” of the protected Cedar River Watershed to the south could be a source of biota for whoever dares live so close to the freeway in this lovely old fragment. The trail to the falls is mitigation for an underground hydroelectric project. The trail begins in mature second growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forest beside the South Fork Snoqualmie River. Wind and the roar of the river cannot muffle the drone of the interstate. Herbrobert (Geranium robertianum) and Bohemian knotweed (Polygonum x bohemicum) are further reminders of how people have disturbed this “natural area.” Nonetheless, the forest is magnificent, and well-loved by critters with two, four, six, or more legs.

Ninety-one inches of rain in an average year supports a luxuriant coating of epiphytes. Ferny bigleaf maples (Acer macrophyllum) spread mossy arms overhead as the trail rolls gently by the river. The deciduous layers send new leaves to greet the lengthening spring days. Skunk-cabbage (Lysichiton americanum) blooms in a low wet area, surrounded by Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), and western redcedar (Thuja plicata). Scouring-rush (Equisetum hyemale) duels with salmonberry under a grove of red alder (Alnus rubra). A Sitka spruce straddling the memory of its nurse log catches the light and ultimately the racket of the freeway fades as the green glow takes over.

Now the grade steepens as the trail climbs above the river. Firescarred snags and furrowed Douglas-firs shade an evergreen understory of sword fern (Polystichicum munitum) and low Oregon-grape (Berberis nervosa). Keep an eye out for rattlesnakeplantain (Goodyera oblongifolia). Young western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and western redcedar wait to dominate the next stage of this “young” old growth forest. Sturdy benches perched atop a high point across from the falls invite snacking and reflection, but the oldest trees are still to come.

The trail descends, open and deciduous again. A fence and plaque herald an “Old Growth Tree.” Stand under a younger hemlock and admire a still younger hemlock growing out of the side of the ancient Douglas-fir. Large old Sitka spruce and unfenced Douglas-firs accompany as the trail climbs up a wet hill with maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum) and Scouler’s corydalis (Corydalis scouleri). Exposed glacial till, clay, and sand layers of the moraine next to the freeway are soon broken by rock outcrops. Stairs with handrails lead down to a viewing platform for the lower falls. Back up on the trail, a big bridge straddles the falls. Look up to the stair-stepped upper falls, down over the precipice of the lower falls, at huge chunks of rock in the gorge, then scan the canyon walls for maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes). Freeways are only one way to move matter.

The bridge makes a good turn-around for this easy 2.5 mile roundtrip hike. Wear sturdy boots and bring rain gear. Directions: take exit 34 from I-90 (Edgewick Road). Turn south on 468th Ave SE and drive ½ mile to 159th St just before the bridge over the river. The trailhead and parking ($5 state park day use fee) are in ½ mile at the road’s end.

Buck Island/ Al Borlin Park — March 2004 By Holly Zox

Our recent floods dramatically illustrate the dynamic nature of riparian ecosystems. During times of high water, Buck Island at the confluence of Woods Creek and the in Monroe is mostly under water. The riparian zone is an interface between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and can include the stream channel and surrounding, periodically inundated floodplains. Eighty-five to ninety percent of our wildlife species inhabit this productive area at some point in their lives.

Begin the walk at the Lewis Street entrance, just north of the bridge over the Skykomish River. Look down over the floodplain, river, and creek, and off to the mountains that are of the river. Patterns reflect interactions between climate, topography, soils, vegetation, and disturbance. Notice the physiognomy, or form, of the floodplain vegetation. Deciduous trees and shrubs predominate. Regular flooding results in a high light, high moisture environment that supports deciduous communities. A glance at the surrounding upland reveals the evergreen conifer forests more typical to our climate. Next, notice abundant mineral sediments washed up onto the land. Buck Island is in a low-gradient valley and fluvial, or stream, processes such as sediment deposition, flowing floodwaters, and channel migration have a strong impact on vegetation establishment. Cut banks and point bars are formed by the speed differential of water. Faster outer currents scour outside edges of curving channels, resulting in the undercut banks visible here, and deposit material along the inside, slower moving areas, resulting in the gravel bars that can be seen and explored on this walk. The cut banks create pools, which are habitat for aquatic organisms, while the point bars open up new land for plant succession. Last, notice large woody debris (LWD) both on land and in the water. One function of LWD on land is providing crucial structural habitat for the establishment of conifers within floodplains. A few Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) can be seen rising out of the deciduous floodplain forest. In water, LWD provides physical habitat for plants and animals, alters in-stream habitat by creating pools, riffles, shade, and hiding places, adds nutrient and energy sources, and can decrease erosion. Both upland and floodplain forests contribute LWD.

Now walk the bridge across Woods Creek and enter the forest on the fork of trail that runs along the Skykomish River. Riparian plants provide shade to keep streams cooler, which results in higher dissolved oxygen levels, fall in as LWD, add nutrient and energy sources as litter and bugs fall in, help control erosion, provide flood control by slowing flood waters, and are habitat for animals. To survive, riparian plants must be adapted to fluctuating water levels, withstand big floods, and have multiple methods of reproduction.

The dominant tree species of Buck Island are bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) and black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa). Black cottonwood times its seed dispersal to coincide with traditional times of low water to take advantage of exposed mineral soil. It also sprouts from shed branch tips, broken branches, buried stems, and stumps. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), abundant in the understory, tolerates fluctuating water tables. Scouler’s corydalis (Corydalis scouleri) rises out of a carpet of waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes). Both grow from thick rhizomes and spread vigorously. Piggyback plant (Tolmiea menziesii) also grows from rhizomes and can root from buds at the base of leaves. The trail is soon rerouted as last year’s trail falls abruptly into the river. Floods and storms repeatedly wash parts of the cut bank and plants living and dead into the river here. Look into the bank and see enormous deep roots that help hold plants in place. Bear right at a junction with the Woods Creek trail and take the next right fork for more river access and a close-up view of a gravel bar. Go back in time to earlier succession stages. Here see willows (Salix sp.) and young cottonwoods colonizing the gravel bar. Continue east along the river and follow anglers’ paths under the old railroad trestle for a good view of a backwater channel. Faster flowing water carries larger sediments. Notice the cobble bar out in the faster currents and sand bar in the slow backwater channel. Backwater channels provide important rearing habitat for juvenile salmon. Visit again when salmon are spawning. The aroma in the forest, as salmon bring marine nutrients inland, is but one example of streams as ecological corridors.

Complete the loop by returning along Woods Creek. Travel north on the gravel road and alternate park entrance to a gate across from a Honey Bucket and follow the trail west along Woods Creek. Notice pools and ripples and more of the same riparian vegetation. Notice also houses filling the uplands. Streams are integrators for everything that happens in their watersheds. The replacement of upland forest (continuing far upstream) with impervious surfaces increases water level fluctuations due to increased stormwater runoff. Fewer species of plants and native amphibians have adapted to high water level fluctuations, so species richness in altered wetlands is typically low.

Streams and surrounding floodplain forest are corridors for native plants and animals, and also for exotics. Nearly every species of exotic invasive grows throughout the park. Back at the Woods Creek bridge, admire the efforts of the Forest and Stream Restoration Project. Join the city of Monroe and Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force in one of their work parties to combat Bohemian knotweed (Polygonum x bohemicum).

Allow two hours for this easy two mile walk. Directions: from Highway 2 in Monroe, drive south on Lewis Street (Highway 203) to the Lewis Street Park just north of the bridge over the Skykomish River. Park in the lot on the east side of the road and find the trailhead behind the restrooms.

Tolt River John MacDonald Park in Carnation — March 2003 By Holly Zox

Nothing says spring like Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis). This dioecious member of the rose family, hidden in the understory most of the year, is the first to bloom in the new year. In my woods, the day the first Indian plum blossoms open is often the day the tree frogs begin their chorus. A good place to begin your own chorus to spring is Tolt River John MacDonald Park in Carnation.

This King County park at the confluence of the Tolt and Snoqualmie includes both riparian and upland forest. A fine loop with a little of each can be made by crossing the swinging bridge over the Snoqualmie and heading toward Small Group Camp, but angling northwest almost immediately (across from the bathrooms) to the right, along some cottonwoods (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa) then Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and campsite 17. Pass a triangular fire shelter and enter the forest on an old railroad grade. Fine middle-aged cedars (Thuja plicata), western hemlocks (Tsuga heterophylla), and sword ferns (Polystichum munitum) dominate the uphill side of the trail, while epiphyte-laden bigleaf maples (Acer macrophyllum) and salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) predominate downhill. The grade parallels the Snoqualmie 50 to 100 feet below.

Where the forest cover has been carried downhill by landslides, note exposed sand. Once the river was up this high.

Continue north on the grade, passing a junction with a cutoff trail that leads down to Large Group Camp, flagged by a spindly yew (Taxus brevifolia). Skip over small streams and note a nice colony of dark green slough sedge (Carex obnupta) punctuating the emerald glow of moss-draped maples.

Hooker's fairybells (Disporum hookeri) dangle before the trail turns and drops steeply towards the river. Hear the sound of rushing water. Detour left (north) toward the sound, where the trail hits a T at the bottom of the hill. Duck (low) under mossy vine maples (Acer circinatum) and cedar boughs and enter a little wonderland. Pacific waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes), bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), and Scouler's corydalis (Corydalis scouleri) rise above a carpet of fan moss (Rhizomnium glabrescens), Menzies' tree moss (Leucolepis acanthoneuron), and electrified cat's-tail moss (Rhytidialphus triquetrus). Maidenhair ferns (Adiantum aleuticum) and piggyback plant (Tolmiea menziesii) drip overhead and over the stream cascading into the beaver pond that will slow its way into the river.

Backtrack to the intersection (T) and continue on improved trail slightly downhill toward the river. You're in the river bottom now, maples and cottonwoods towering overhead, a tangle of salmonberry and snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus var. albus) brushing into your head.

This trail intersects the river trail at the next T. Turn right (south) and soon reach a grassy opening with a big picnic shelter, Large Group Camp. See here Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) thickets. My dog looks for rabbits. Look also for northern flickers, bald eagles, and red-tail hawks (and their nests). Continue on the road/trail south to the bridge. Fishermen's paths lead to river access.

Rivers are highways for plant material. It's all here, every native you'd hope to find in a lowland western hemlock forest, and every noxious and obnoxious weed.

This park is easy to get lost in. Trails are many, unmarked, and unmapped. Keep a landmark, such as the river, in your bearings. Allow one hour for this easy walk.

Directions: Drive highway 203 just south of downtown Carnation, just north of the Tolt River bridge. Turn west at the sign for Tolt River John MacDonald Park.

Redmond Watershed Preserve— March 2002 By Sharon Rodman, with assistance from Fred and Ann Weinmann

Redmond Watershed Preserve offers 7.5 miles of trails through 800 acres of second growth forest, streams, and wetlands. Owing to the sensitive nature of the wetlands and relatively pristine 100-year-old forest, pets are prohibited within the preserve; however, equestrians are allowed on several trails. Visitors may see black-tailed deer, beaver, Douglas squirrels, pileated woodpecker, and a variety of waterfowl and songbirds. The preserve is comprised largely of mixed deciduous and coniferous forest dominated by western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Douglas fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii), big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), and western red cedar (Thuja plicata). Look out for Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) scattered in the understory beside the more common salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), evergreen and red huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum and V. parvifolium), salal (Gaultheria shallon), low Oregon grape (Berberis nervosa), devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus), English holly (Ilex aquifolium), cascara (Rhamnus purshiana), blackcap (Rubus leucodermis), and trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus). Black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera = P. trichocarpa) and western red cedar dominate forested wetland canopies.

Good maps are available at the start of the main trail system and wooden markers with maps are placed at every well- defined intersection. Two utility lines cross the preserve and provide trails: the Powerline Regional Trail running east- west, and the Pipeline Regional Trail running north-south. Other trails include the Trillium Trail for both equestrians and hikers; and for people only, the Siler’s Mill Trail, Trout Loop, or the paved, wheelchair-accessible Treefrog Loop.

A recommended trail in March that will avoid muddy and slippery paths along Seidel Creek is as follows: Start from the main trailhead at the parking lot and head north until you reach an intersection with the Powerline Regional Trail. Along the way look out for Henderson’s and Dewey’s sedges (Carex hendersonii and C. deweyana). Turn right along the Powerline Trail, which will with the Pipeline Trail in 0.8 miles. Take a side loop when you see a turning to your right. This short woodsy loop will delight moss enthusiasts, and the evergreen violet (Viola sempervirens) might be in flower. Look for triangular wood fern (Dryopteris expansa), deer fern (Blechnum spicant), and the predictably prolific sword fern (Polystichum munitum). You’ll also see healthy clumps of non-native hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta, which keys to C. oligosperma in most plant guides). After rejoining the Powerline Trial, continue north on the Pipeline Trail until you reach the Siler’s Mill trailhead on your right, which is soon after a ponded area with pond water-starwort (Callitriche stagnalis). En route to the trailhead you’ll cross a small stream over a boardwalk where you’ll notice small-fruited bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) and piggyback plant (Tolmiea menziesii). Drier areas support twinflower (Linnaea borealis) and, unfortunately, stinky Bob/herb Robert (Geranium robertianum). Take the 1.6-mile Siler’s Mill trail, which is a narrower path for the use of hikers only. Continue north on this trail until you reach the intersection with Collin Creek Trail. You’ll pass small wetland areas on the sides of the path and much larger beaver ponds, complete with beaver dams. Wet patches at the sides of the trail support creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), water parsley (Oenanthe sarmentosa), and the occasional skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus).

Fine examples of nurse stumps can be observed and look for foamflower leaves () growing along the trail edges. At the beaver ponds you’ll notice that several of the large black cottonwoods and western red cedar trees have chicken wire around the trunks to deter hungry beavers. You’ll also see several trees that have been felled by our toothy, hard-working friends. If you’re quiet and lucky, you’ll see the creatures. Last fall I observed up to three active beavers at one time and even had the good fortune to see them walk across the path!

Walk west along Collin Creek Trail until you rejoin the Pipeline Trail. Turn south down Pipeline Trail until you reach the 0.3 mile connector with the Trillium Trail to your right. To minimize backtracking, take the connector and return to the parking lot down the Trillium Trail. Look for candyflower (Claytonia sibirica) and bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa). You’ll recognize the intersection with Powerline Trail, after which you continue south on a short backtrack to your car. Enjoy the native plantings in the parking area.

Plants likely to be flowering in March include salal, bleeding heart, candyflower, evergreen violet, low and tall Oregon grape (Berberis nervosa and B. aquifolium), and hairy bittercress.

Allow two to three hours and don’t forget your binoculars. The enchantment of the forest rich in native plants will entice you back another time to explore different trail options and experiences!

Directions: Follow east-bound SR 520 to the end and you’ll find yourself heading north on Avondale Road in Redmond. After 1.25 miles turn right on Novelty Hill Road. Drive 2.4 miles to 218th Ave. NE. Look for and follow the Watershed Preserve sign on the left. Check out the waterfowl on the open water before you reach the large parking area.

Cowiche Canyon, Yakima Area— March 2001 By Brenda Senturia

It's not too soon to think about spring wildflowers, especially in the lower elevations in eastern Washington. A well- known location for a remarkable variety of spring blooms is Cowiche Canyon. This canyon has been preserved by the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy. A flat, wide trail takes you along the creek bottom, or you can access the canyon from above via a second trailhead. I have hiked this trail in March and April. Each time it had a different and beautiful array of wildflowers to offer. My preference is to start from the rim, working down to the canyon bottom, traveling along the stream for awhile, and returning via the same route. (There is a trail connecting the rim with the bottom.) Although it is a substantial drive to get to the trailhead(s) from Seattle (3 hours), it is well worth the effort. There are some informational kiosks if you take the canyon bottom trail from the lower parking area. The creek trail is about 4 miles long.

In late March I found prairie stars, arrowleaf balsamroot, shooting stars, salt-and-pepper, and fern-leaf desert parsleys in bloom on the canyon walls. Golden and squaw currant were both in bloom. In April the scene had changed to serviceberry, Hooker's balsamroot, Canby's desert-parsley, sagebrush buttercup, long-flowered mertensia, shooting stars, grass widows, sagebrush violet, yellow bells, gold stars, showy and cushion phlox, and narrow-leaved goldenweed. There were both big and rigid sage on the hillsides. Along the stream you will see Red Osier dogwood, bitterbrush, purple sage, and hawthorn. There are numerous bridges as the trail (an old railroad bed) crosses from one side of the canyon to the other. Keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, even though the trail is wide and well-maintained. To reach Cowiche Canyon, take I-90 to Ellensburg and then I-82 southeast to Exit 31A, Rte. 12. Take the second exit off Rte. 12 (N. 40th Ave. and Fruitvale Blvd.), which is past Milepost 21. Go under the freeway, cross Fruitvale, and 1.5 miles from Rte. 12, turn right on Summitview. Continue for 7.1 miles and turn right on Weikel. Go a short 0.4 miles and turn right at the sign for Cowiche Canyon. A parking area and portable restroom are there. To reach the upper trailhead, follow the above directions but, from Summitview, go right on 74th St. This connects to Englewood at a "T". Go left to the top of the hill where it dead-ends at 80th. Go left on 80th (a dirt road, but fine) and follow it to the trailhead. This is an excellent site for a family outing.

April

The Wilderness Creek Trail at Cougar Mountain — April 2010 By Erin Meier

"... in Just/-spring when the world is mud/-luscious", and the high mountain trails are covered in snow...head down to the Wilderness Creek Trail at Cougar Mountain for a lovely early season hike. Take a right at the first Y towards the Wilderness Cliffs Trail and you'll circle in an approximately 2 mile loop that offers some great views on a sunny day. The host of native flora is sure to quicken your heart even if the 1200 foot elevation gain does not.

At the start of the trail, if you are civic-minded, you can pick up a soap container filled with gravel to fill the muddy ruts of winter as you hike. The trail heads up hill immediately, past Oemlaria cerasiformis smothered in white, ruffled blossoms and impossibly green leaves. You can still hear a lot of sound from the road at this point, but you'll be aptly distracted by charming Thuja plicata, their reddish-bark glowing in the sunlit gloam of the woods. Don't miss the freshly unfurled Polypodium glycyrrhiza skirting the base of Acer macrophyllum and downed logs. Urtica dioica are springing from the ground, just begging to be boiled and mashed into pesto.

We were arrested by several large boulders positively draped in licorice fern, like a waving green toupee. Also growing there, large, dreamy, dark-gray swaths of Peltigera neopolydacyla. The edges were tipped with orangey-brown highlights. Rhizines grew from the creamy undersides ending in hair-like filaments. It seemed as though the boulders were home to a colony of flattened sea cucumbers. As we moved up the trail we were lucky enough to sight several Prunus emarginata in full bloom. The blossoms shone brightly as soft, bursts of white in the sparseness of a spring forest. Their delectable fragrance were well worth a short, if thorny, departure from the trail.

Directions: Take Exit 15 from I-90E and drive south on Hwy 900 (17th Ave NW and then Renton-Issaquah Road SE) for 3.3. miles. Look for the trailhead sign and an asphalt driveway that goes uphill to the right.

Whistle Lake — April 2009 By Dan Paquette

A very popular multi-use trail complex in Skagit County is Whistle Lake. An April weekday is a great time to drive to the old part of downtown Anacortes, stopping at the Visitors Center and picking up the three maps describing the Whistle Lake, Cranberry Lake and Heart Lake trail complexes. While the three maps are pricey ($10.00), you can also pick up a number of free maps at the same time. The maps may assist you in planning future trips to destinations like Mount Erie and Sugarloaf Mountain. The trails are managed by the Anacortes Parks Department; the land is called the ACFL, or "Anacortes Community Forest Lands".

Our hike is a scant 2.4 miles and much of it is on trails not authorized for motorized bikes. On the weekdays I visited, I did not see a motorized dirt bike on any of the trails described here. We begin our hike at the parking lot north of Whistle Lake. Elevation is about 370 feet. All page references below are from Pojar and Mackinon’s Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Beginning on trail 20, we walk only a couple hundred yards before taking a cozy little trail numbered "218" on our left. Watch for aquatics in the wet areas such as Oenanthe sarmentosa (Water Parsley, p.216). Trail 218 ascends, levels out, ascends. Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray, p. 71) frequently shows up along the trail while ground cover is often a mix of Linnaea borealis (Twinflower, p. 68) and Plagiomnium insigne (Badge Moss, p.457).

After you've meandered south and east for about 3/4 mile, you'll come to a T junction. Follow trail 218 to the right. The maps of this area do not reflect some recent rerouting, but if you stay on 218, you will eventually approach an open area. Perhaps a hundred yards short of the clearing, you’ll pass a single tall alder right along the trail. If you have an ocular, examine the bark. Some of the green splotches are thallus of the lichen, Ochrolechia laevigata. Note the doughnut-like apothecia with pinkish centers. They only get to be about 1.5 millimeters in diameter.

As you near any of the clearings from now on, watch for Lonicera hispidula (Hairy Honeysuckle, p.69). As you pass the various open areas, Trail 218 becomes 219, and then becomes 29 which you follow to Whistle Lake. If you find yourself on 217, you missed a trail 29 junction located next to a Taxus brevifolia (Pacific Yew, p. 40). From the lake, take 205 to the right (north) which will eventually widen and turn into trail 20 which will return you to the trail head. Highest point on this trail is about 520 feet. Special thanks to WNPS Members Katie Glew, Dana Ericson, and Richard Droker for help in identifying a number of lichens on trail 218.

Driving Directions: From downtown Anacortes, drive south on Commercial Street. Continue south on Commercial Street past where SR 20s turns eastward. Turn right on Fidalgo, left on O Avenue. Then left on Spradley, and right on Whistler Lake Rd. Then follow signs to Whistle Lake.

Goose Rock and Pass Island — April 2008 By Dan Paquette

It's spring, and time to start looking at those vascular plants sometimes loosely referred to as "flowers". I'll make a futile attempt to describe the very early flowers that I'm seeing at Goose Rock and Pass Island. Currently, there's a lot of road construction near Deception Pass State Park, but accessing these two particular areas isn't so bad. All page references that follow are to Pojar and Mackinnon’s Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

To reach Goose Rock, park in the lot just south of the second bridge at Deception Pass. Walk down the steps at the north end of the lot which will take you below the bridge. At the bottom, follow the signs onto the Goose Rock summit trail. After about .4 miles, you will come out of the tree line near the top, and you can either move toward the high point at the left or the one to your right. In your flower search, try the rocky, grassy terraces just below the high points CAUTION, ROCKS CAN BE SLIPPERY.

Notice the flecks of blue which mark the presence of Collinsia parviflora (Small-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary, p.263). The corollas are fairly tiny, about 4 – 7 mm long, and the plants really hug the ground.

More noticeable are the bright yellow patches often growing in the pale green, fuzzy cushion of the Nyphotrichum moss (formerly Racomitrium). These yellow patches are mounted on -like branching and are known as Lomatium utriculatum (Spring Gold, p.222).

At the base of some of the rocks, you may see a very distinctive dark green bottle brush-like moss with bright reddish brown tops known as Polytrichum piliferum (Awned Haircap Moss, p. 452). These little red spots are the "perigoniums" or reproductive chambers of the male plants. This typically unbranched moss has silvery tips on the leaves that are about 2 millimeters long. No other Polytrichum in our area has leaves with such a long, clear awn.

After returning to your car, drive back north to the small parking lot between the two bridges. When you put your feet on the ground, you will be walking on Pass Island. For your safety, consider taking a pole along; the rocks are sometimes treacherous, especially if you go any distance along the informal path. There are steps leading down to the path alongside the bridge and on the way you’ll pass some flowering Ribes sanguineum (Red Flowering Currant, p. 84). Along the path, watch for a good-sized six-petaled blue flower with golden anthers, called Sisyrinchium. I think it's Sisyrinchium douglasii (Satin Flower, p. 115) and it’s numerous here on Pass Island. Finally, you may spot Saxifraga integrifolia (Grassland Saxifrage). Look for a single succulent, extremely glandular stalk with pale yellow flowers containing 10 anthers, 5 petals. The basal leaves are spoon-shaped and fuzzy. Squires Lake —April 2007 By Dan Paquette

Perhaps you've wondered what Alger was like as you speeded by on your way to Bellingham or Vancouver, B.C. Here's a great hike, only five minutes off of I-5, and afterwards, you can gas up and grab a snack in Alger. Pick a cloudy day in the middle of the week and you will enjoy the peacefulness of the county park knows as Squires Lake.

The trailhead is at the north end of the parking lot. It begins with a few mild switchbacks and then makes a long, nearly level traverse along the hillside where Dicentra formosa (Pacific Bleeding Heart) has broken through the pressed leaf litter of Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple). In greater abundance are the Tolmeia menziesii (Piggyback Plant) and Atrichum selwynii (Crane’s-Bill Moss).

Approaching a lake from below is always exciting to me as I try to construct how the water "stays put" above me. But the overture soon ends, the canopy falls away, the curtain rises, and Squires Lake rests at the end of a fairy's wand that won't stop firing. Circle the lake clock-wise, and you will sense all of those special places — the cedar groves, and places where the combs of deer fern, fronds of cedar and Dicranum moss gather. There are park benches among the Juncus sp., Water Parsley and Swamp Lantern where you can sit, lie or kneel and kiss the day.

Map and Directions: Heading north on I-5, about ten miles north of Mount Vernon, watch for the Alger exit. Turn right and proceed about 1 mile to the town of Alger. In Alger, turn left at the stop sign onto old 99 and drive for about 1.8 miles. Watch for the green sign for Squires Lake parking lot. Go to http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/parks/trails/squireslake_trail.jsp to find a map.

Youth-on-Age Interpretive Trail — April 2006 By Holly Zox

Youth-on-Age (Tolmiea menziesii), so called because buds at the base of old leaves form new leaves that can root to form new plants, is just one example of new life from old in the old growth forest at Youth-on- Age Interpretive Trail east of Granite Falls.

Massive Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) buttresses reflect the ancient nurse logs they germinated on. The soil that supports the big trees is a dynamic system where decomposer organisms convert non-living organic material into the mineral nutrients plants need. Soil organisms even help build new soil. Carbon dioxide from the respiration of soil organisms, including plant roots, mixes with water to form carbonic acid that is a very important chemical weathering mechanism in the production of “fines,” the small mineral particles in soil. Living and non-living organisms are key elements that allow our young, acidic soils to support the tremendous amount of biomass in the old forest.

Begin the short loop trail near the restroom. Wander either direction. Sword fern (Polystichum munitum), youth-on-age, and young grand fir (Abies grandis) grow in the understory. Mossy vine maples (Acer circinatum) weave their tangled branches through forest gaps. Lichens droop from woody vegetation short and tall. Those that fall crunch underfoot, and feed the forest. Near the South Fork Stillaguamish River see large old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and younger western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla).

The big old trees can have up to 60 million needles. This offers a very large surface area to capture sunlight for primary production. The evergreen needles also store nutrients, keeping them from washing away into the river. That is, when the trees themselves don’t wash into the river. Trees, and the trail along the cut bank, frequently fall into the river. Huge logjams from this and forests far upstream can be seen. In stream, the big trees alter the hydrology and create important habitat, nutrient, and energy sources for the aquatic ecosystem. To visit the floodplain, look for a side trail near the trailhead that leads through a red alder (Alnus rubra)-salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) community. The trail ends at a recently flooded area covered in freshly deposited silt. It is possible to wander upstream on older sandbars now colonized by willows (Salix sp.).

The 0.4 mile paved interpretive trail is wheelchair accessible. Bring a picnic and come prepared to let the cycling of the old forest rejuvenate you.

Directions: drive the Mountain Loop Highway east from Granite Falls to MP 18.7. The parking lot is on the south side of the highway, just past Red Bridge.

Swan Creek Ravine in Pierce County—April 2003 By Fred Stark

This month we visit a ravine in Pierce County formed by Swan Creek as it drains north along the east edge of Tacoma to empty into the . The steep terrain of this ravine, like others throughout our region, has resisted development and, though logged nearly a century ago, regenerated itself in native vegetation disturbed only by natural processes.

The plants mentioned here are from a list of over 85 species made in February. You will see many more, including those members of the lily, orchid and other families that make a spring walk so enchanting.

Directions: Get there by taking Exit 135 off I-5 toward Puyallup SR-167. If coming from the north, turn left before the first light and avoid the left lane as you pass under the freeway (it re-enters I-5 northbound). Turn left at the light and join those coming from the south. Proceed along Bay Street past the Indian Center and Casino. Just past the cemetery come to a light where you take the middle of three options into Pioneer Way. From this point drive 0.7 miles past several buildings on the right, including "Clay Arts" and "Barkers Barn," then just beyond a long picket fence turn right into the unmarked, unpaved driveway of Swan Creek Park. The park has neither restrooms nor potable water.

Walk south on the gravel path over a low rise, and overlook the broad curving pond where Swan Creek has been shaped to ensure a year-round resting area for spawning salmon. Both coho and chum salmon use this stream. Expect to see waterfowl here, too. As the path continues upstream toward the forest, native trees and shrubs, cottonwoods, alders and maples above salmonberry, elderberries, and redstem dogwood begin to displace those other species we've come to expect in disturbed areas. On the embankment to the left above an old concrete foundation, a Pacific yew spreads its deep green, irregular branches. At 0.2 miles from the parking lot, the path rises to the top of an earthen dam or dike and a footbridge crosses the creek. Below the bridge an earlier concrete dam has been breached to allow the fish to pass.

Botanizing begins in earnest here by the tile mural erected by local school students to celebrate the life of the stream. To the right is the first great sea of waterleaf under the salmonberry, nine-bark, and elderberry. To the left along the trail stinging nettle and bigleaf avens grow among fringecup and piggy-back. The trail now follows the route and grade of the stream, varying up and down to pass over and around the remains of old mudslides that have shaped the ravine. Some of the slides have formed shelf-like areas of impounded water hosting skunk cabbage and lady fern. Others remain as saturated seeps with wood fern, devil's club, elderberry, and slough sedge.

The canopy above is deciduous trees, alder and maple. The older maples have developed long branches arching out over the stream to reach the open area of light. The alders, having grown straight up, are leaning out where the down-slope movement of the hillside tips them over. Both provide a stage for the epiphytic liverworts and licorice ferns that are the foliage of the woods in winter.

At about 0.7 miles, the trail drops down to the edge of the creek and is punctuated by a series of steel hoops embedded in the ground. These are the remains of a wood stave water pipe, part of a historic water system. From here the trail climbs a series of steps and switchbacks. Leaving the riparian zone, it enters a steeper, drier, hillside of conifer forest. The way up is lined with maidenhair fern in the well-drained soil on the nearly vertical cutbank of the trail. Just below the rim of the ravine, about 300 feet above the parking area, the trail traverses the sidehill for a quarter mile before descending again to the stream. In this upper stretch young Douglas fir, redcedar, and a few hemlock form the canopy over a shrub layer of low Oregon grape, salal, snowberry, and evergreen huckleberry, punctuated with oceanspray, hazelnut, wood rose, and Oregon box. Orange huckleberry is seen here and along the trail edges are wild ginger and evergreen violets.

This is also the place to watch for a chance sighting of Torrey's peavine, Lathyrus torreyi. This rare denizen of conifer woods, listed as "threatened," is known in Washington from this and one other area in Pierce County. It grows less than a foot high and spreads its leaflets over an area the size of your hand. Lacking tendrils, it does not climb over, but is often dominated by its neighbors. Gazing directly at the pale blue-lilac flowers may cause hearts to break. To know more about it or be sure of seeing it, join the effort to pull the invasive weeds that threaten to overwhelm its habitat. Weed pulls are currently scheduled for May 22 and June 17, 2003. Contact Mary Fries, 253-272-9192 or Mary Sue Gee, 253-531-5767 for particulars. Conservation work is a way of becoming Native to this place.

As the trail descends again to the stream, the salal gives way to sword fern as the main ground cover. The conifer canopy continues and as the stream has climbed about 200 feet above our starting point; elderberry and salmonberry have been replaced by vine maple as the understory shrub. The trail continues to about 1.6 miles from the parking lot and then climbs steeply to the rim. We retrace our path, saving that upper park area for another day.

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park—Marshall Hill Trail, DeLeo Wall and Redtown Meadow — April 2002 By Fred Weinmann

Distance: 4.5 miles or more Elevation gain: 500 ft. Map: Green Trails 203S or King County Park map available at the trailhead (usually) Plant species: 100+

Portions of this walk were featured in Walk of the Month for June 1996; but things have changed and there is more to see. From the Redtown Trailhead at elevation 660 feet, proceed straight ahead from the parking area past the sign for the Wildside Trail noting the robust example of parsley-leaved lovage (Ligusticum apiifolium) even before the trail sign and a bigleaf maple* with a massive covering of licorice fern soon thereafter; then turn right and cross the bridge over Coal Creek to an old road and eventually back into the woods at the well-marked Wildside Trail sign. Continue for about 15 minutes to the sign for Marshall Hill Trail where you turn right. For nearly a mile you will be passing through a deciduous forest of bigleaf maple and black cottonwood with a green forest floor of ferns (sword, wood and lady) and many species of moss along with other old plant friends of a typical Puget Sound–country wet forest.

The trail climbs gradually, passing several dead end spurs and eventually entering a forest of large Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock. After crossing the water tank road the trail becomes the De Leo Wall Trail. Look for a few Pacific yew trees shortly after crossing the road. From here gain elevation steadily as the forest becomes drier and more open. Step off trail at a huge boulder and find deer’s tongue (Erythronium oregonum) or if you miss it here, watch carefully along the trail at its highest point where the habitat is obviously drier. From the high point at 1150 feet the trail quickly drops 200 feet to the De Leo Wall viewpoint. Near here are the botanical highlights! Chocolate lilies all around, two species of native strawberries, trailing snowberry and serviceberry in flower, and more. Go west along the precipice on a narrow trail cut into the hillside. Within 100 yards find hairy honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula) and two small groups of our native Garry oak trees, the only site where they occur in the park. Also trailing on the bank is the interesting and delicious smelling yerba buena (Satureja douglasii), the only location I am aware of in Cougar Mountain Park.

Bask in the sun, appreciate the view, enjoy the madrona forest, eat lunch, and start for home by continuing downhill on the De Leo Wall trail. Search the shady side of large boulders near the trail and find maidenhair spleenwort. At the intersection with the Wilderness Creek Trail turn left or go straight ahead; either way will take you to the Redtown Meadow. If you have saved your lunch, have it here. The meadow project sponsored by WNPS is now 6 years old and has much to offer in terms of education and aesthetics. Over 100 species representing several Cougar Mountain habitats are being nurtured at the site. Deer’s tongue, shooting stars (Dodecatheon pulchellum), satin flower (Sisyrinchium douglasii), giant camas (Camassia leichtlinii), and other gorgeous flowers will be blooming if you wait until late in April to take this hike. Flowering currant will also be in bloom, and see the unusual Arctostaphylos uva-ursi/columbiana hybrid (A. media) growing on top of the small hill.

Far Hayward Hill, Cle Elum Area — April 2001 By Brenda Senturia

Shortly after I moved here 17 years ago, a birding field trip leader alerted me to the spectacular spring wildflowers on Hayward Road, and I have revisited this area frequently in the intervening years. I'm never disappointed! The dirt road up Hayward Hill is rarely traveled and, except for in very bad weather, can be driven by any type of vehicle. You can on either side of the road from your car, or you can walk the road.

A trip near the beginning of the blooming season, which is primarily in early April to early June, will produce the early desert parsleys: fern-leaf with its tall purple blooms, salt and pepper, and Canby's lomatium with whitish flowers. Look for other beautiful spring plants: Hesperochiron with its strawberry-like flowers, yellow goldstars, daggerpod with spreading pink flowers, grass widows, white western spring beauty, white prairie stars, purple sagebrush violets, pink desert shooting stars, and three species of phlox. Then, a bit later, there are blue-purple lupines, Columbia puccoon, and ballhead waterleaf. The Howell's brodiaea is beautiful, along with the later desert parsleys. Finally, with the blooming of balsam roots (both arrowleaf and Hooker's), the landscape is literally covered with color. The season finishes with the buckwheats (six species) and some of the composites: fleabanes and daisies. Shrubs include rigid sagebrush and bitterbrush and, along the road, chokecherry, bitter cherry, Saskatoon, Pacific willow, and black hawthorn. What a show!

Don Knoke of Thorp botanizes regularly along this road and has compiled a detailed plant list for this area. If you are interested, you can contact me at 206-324-3086 for a copy, or e-mail him at [email protected] and he will send it to you.

To reach Hayward Road, take I-90 east to Elk Heights (Exit 93). Immediately cross over the freeway and turn right on Thorp Prairie Road. Stay on this road (do not cross back over at signs to Taneum) until you reach a "T" intersection. Go left on Thorp Highway, crossing the Yakima River to Highway 10. Hayward Road begins directly across Highway 10 at this intersection and heads north. After driving the road you can retrace your steps or continue over the hill, bearing left at Bettas Road and then connecting to Route 97. There are no facilities, so be sure to stop at the rest area just before the Elk Heights exit.

May Federation Forest State Park — May 2009 By Fred Stark

When we define "native plants" we refer to the coming of Euroamericans and the plants that were here at the time. This month we have several reasons to walk through a truly old, native forest on the very path the settlers of the Longmire party descended from into the lowlands of Puget Sound in 1853, 150 years ago this summer. Doing so we walk among the same majestic trees that greeted them, many of which were hundreds of years old even then.

Fifteen miles east of Enumclaw on Highway 410, Federation Forest State Park includes over 600 acres extending 3 miles along the highay on north bank of the White River. About 1.5 miles into the Park a parking area on the right below the highway provides access to the west end of the interpretive trails. There are vault toilets here.

The trail enters the forest from the east end of the parking at the base of a douglas fir over 6 feet in diameter. Start your plant list with groundcovers: foamflower on the one hand, wild ginger on the other. Descend the trail passed the kiosk to the riverbank. Continuing counter-clockwise around loop take the right hand trail where choices appear. This will lead you into the Naches Trail, the main route from Yakima to the for over 30 years in the 19th century. There are two interpretive loop trails, this one of 1 mile will meet the other (about half as long) at a kiosk near the Interpretive Center. Walk the east loop trail and stop at the Center (warm water restrooms) before returning by the other half of this one.

May is an ideal time for the first visit of the year as the borders of the highway are lined with the bright green foliage and deep pink flowers of Scouler's corydalis. Along the forest trails yellow violets will be giving way to Star-flowered sololomon seal, Bunchberry and Twinflower. As May turns to June orchids Rattlesnake plantain, Heart-leaf twayblade and various wintergreens including Single delight, Pipsissewa, Prince's pine and saprophytes Indian pipes and Pinedrops arrive with the warm weather. Ferns, liverworts and mosses abound. But the real show are the trees. With Douglas-fir leading the way upward, Grand fir, Redcedar and Western hemlock dominate this old river terrace, now 30-40 feet above the river. On the lower level Sitka spruce, unusual this far inland, Redcedar and Black cottonwood occupy the area where the braiding river has been absent long enough. In the forest the trees are old, tall, close together and they are big. Of ten Douglas-firs measured four exceeded 21 feet in circumference as high up as I could reach. The largest was 24 feet. The largest cedar was over 19 foot. A spruce down on the level of the river was 13 feet. These trees over 20 feet are likely to be 300-400 years old. For perspective one can drive on up the highway to the Dalles Campground and visit a Douglas-fir that measures over 30 feet around, 9 and a half feet thick and is estimated to be 700 years old.

The other way to see this park is to drive a half mile further and take the main entrance arriving at the Interpretive Center. Inside the displays describe vegetation zones from all across the State. Outside there are related native planting beds complete with nametags. Printed trail guides are available for the loop trails. There are also other trails to be explored on both sides of the highway, picnic areas and access to the river's edge.

Hayward Hill — May 2008 By Dan Paquette

There are many choices for plant walks east of the Cascades, but you need to get out there before all the flowers are baked into oblivion which often occurs in the drier areas by June. So here is a Hayward Hill description which represents a small window into a field trip that Don Knoke leads. Our area of interest is along the Hayward and Bettas roads and extends about 4 miles. The drive is about 220 miles round trip from Seattle. Proceeding up the Hayward road, watch for places that you wish to stop to check out the flora along road cuts and ditches. Some areas are posted, so think twice before entering an area where you are not invited. The first area that I will describe is about 1.3 miles up the road and is the second area of scrubby trees encountered. If you’ve crossed a bridge over the irrigation ditch, you’ve gone too far. The stop has a rough pull-out on the right side of the road by a sharp curve and will accommodate about three cars. Uphill, both to the left and right of the scrubby trees are good places to find flowers.

One showy little yellow flower is multicaule (Gold Star) and it begins to cover large areas in early April. Look for small succulent spatulate basal leaves and linear leaves on the stem. Also present early is Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides (Dagger pod). Look for basal clusters of upright turquoise to gray wooly leaves. The purple flowers are on very tiny . Check also for the purplish red stems and deeply dissected pinkish white petals of Lithophragma parviflorum (Prairie Star). Another flower growing low to the ground is the bluish Hydrophylum capitatum (Ballhead Waterleaf). Look for a leaf pattern similar to our local waterleaf. Bone up on the lomatiums; I saw three species just at this site alone. There were also bits of Collinsia parviflora, and the big showy yellow flowers of the Balsamroots are under construction as I write this column.

Drive on up the road. The Stuart Range will come into view. Watch for color along the intermittent stream just beyond the power lines. When you reach Bettas road, turn right. At the end of this road just before the stop sign and US 97, pull off on the right and explore the stream area. Lomatium and Delphinium may be there to greet you. This is the end of the trip. The Hayward Hill native plant list is strongly recommended. For a helpful field guide, try Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest by Mark Turner and Phyllis Gustafson.

To reach Hayward Hill, take the first exit to Cle Elum and South Cle Elum. Drive through the town. At the other end, you will be on road SR 970. Take SR 970 a couple miles and turn right onto SR 10. Stay on SR 10 about 9 miles until reaching the Thorp Road junction where you make a sharp left onto Hayward Road.

Sharpe Park — May 2007 By Dan Paquette

Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands have numerous hideaways for spring flowers and Sharpe Park is one that may have been below your radar screen. From the parking lot the trail heads toward a kiosk which displays a map of the park and a message about the current problem with Nutrias. Be sure to record the trails on paper, or better yet, go to: http://www.skagitparksfoundation.org/sharpe.htm where you can print out a PDF map.

One option is to keep right and make a broad counter-clockwise loop of the whole park. Near the wetland, we admired the coloring of Calypso bulbosa, and just before reaching the first park bench on the south side of the trail, we saw the unusual pale brown to copperish-orange color of Trentapohlia, a green algae genus that grows free, occasionally on Alnus rubra (Red Alder) and closer to the bench on a Tsuga heterophyla (Western Hemlock) is the bright yellow of Chrysothrix candeleria (Gold Dust Lichen). Dueling Nuthatches are gabby both close by and in the distance as we pass by the upright branches of Abies grandis (Grand Fir) seedlings.

Beyond the wetland and into forest with dead lateral understory fuel, the ground mat is Plagiomnium insigne moss and then replaced with Linnaea borealis (Twinflower). We pass high points with green wavy mats of Dicranum scoparium moss and white puffy lichen Cladina mitis (Coastal Rain Deer). Heading downward toward the cliffs, we begin to find the paired basal leaves that look to be uniflora (Queen’s Cup) and the sudden elegance of Erythronium oreganum (White Fawn Lily). And as we make our way parallel and above the cliffs, we see boulders inundated with spathulifolium (Broad-leaved Stonecrop) and the ground is frequented with Lonicera involucrata (Black Twinberry). Skipping ahead, behind the second park bench you will find lots of minute Claytonia perfoliata (Miner’s Lettuce).

After the views of Sares Head and the third park bench, retrace your footsteps until you reach the first available trail to the right and then you will be heading back toward the trailhead, and completing the great circle. All along the trail you will see the promise of Trientalis latifolia (Western Starflower). To reach, Sharpe Park, take SR 20 west out of the Arlington-Mount Vernon area, and keep following the main highway 20 as it turns left, away from Anacortes and toward Oak Harbor and Deception Pass. Just past the second good-sized lake on your right (Pass Lake), turn right onto Rosario Road and drive a couple of miles. Watch for Sharpe Park on your left. For a detailed road map of this area, try the PDF file at http://www.plaidnet.com/guides/SG.06/60.SG.06.pdf Deception Café and Grill which is about 2-3 miles out on your return trip has a very good menu. Thank you, Sharon Baker and Rick Droker for your help with this hike.

Lord Hill Park Rocky Bald — May 2002 By Holly Zox

Ah May, when even the grouchiest souls crave ? flowers! No need to travel to exotic locales or admire exotic species. A visit to the rocky bald at Snohomish County?s Lord Hill Park will satisfy any flower craving.

Check out the December 2001: Walk of the Month for more details about the lowland forest and beaver ponds in this 1300-acre park. Plan on being charmed by lingering Trillium ovatum (wake-robin) blooms, Lysichiton americanum (skunk cabbage or swamp lantern) glades, Maianthemum dilatatum (false lily-of-the-valley), Hydrophyllum tenuipes (Pacific waterleaf), Claytonia siberica (candy flower), and all those saxifrages: Tellima grandiflora (fringecup), Tolmiea menziesii (piggy-back plant), and Tiarella trifoliata (foam flower) as you make your way beneath a canopy of second- growth Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock), Thuja plicata (western redcedar), and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir).

Walk the trail from the parking lot for 0.4 miles. Notice Oenanthe sarmentosa (Pacific water-parsley) in the water as you cross the boardwalks. At the T, turn left and follow signs for Beaver Lake and the Pipeline Trail. Turn right and walk uphill on the Pipeline Trail past the two entrances to the Temple Pond Loop, about 0.75 miles to a cutoff trail marked, ?0.6 miles Main Trail Cutoff.? Turn right onto the cutoff trail and look for an unnamed trail on your left that leads straight up an andesite rock outcropping to the rocky bald.

The observant botanist with good eyesight will find a few Asplenium trichomanes (maidenhair spleenwort) tucked in nooks in the rock, along with the easier to spot Polypodium glycyrrhiza (licorice fern). Flowers bring us to the bald, and the roots, rhizomes, bulbs, and corms of some of the blooms that delight us probably brought the first peoples who settled the region.

The Fritillaria affinis var. affinis (chocolate lily), otherwise known as rice root or ?Indian Rice? for its rice-like bulblets, is blooming now; the steamed or boiled bulbs were eaten by the Coast Salish and nearly all interior Salish groups. In June, the bald will be white with the flowers of Brodiaea hyacinthina (fool?s onion) and, fooled or not, the corms were eaten. A white umbel blooming all over the bald now belongs to Daucus pusillus (American wild carrot), and despite its common name, it probably was not eaten, as it is an annual with only a tiny taproot. The ?wild carrot? of the bald that probably was eaten is Perideridia gairdneri (Gairdner?s yampah). All you will find of it this month is the foliage, as it doesn?t bloom until summer, when the plants were marked to be dug the following spring before the foliage emerged. Even Lewis and Clark enjoyed anise-flavored yampah.

We all enjoy berries, and both Fragaria vesca (woodland strawberry) and F. virginiana (wild strawberry) are blooming now. So are Gaultheria shallon (salal), Rubus ursinus (trailing blackberry), and lichen-encrusted Amelanchier alnifolia (saskatoon or serviceberry).

Food for the eyes (and pollinators) are the candy-pink blooms of Plectritis congesta (seablush), diminutive catsup-and- mustard flowers of Mimulus alsinoides (chickweed monkeyflower), orange trumpets of Lonicera ciliosa (orange honeysuckle) with very possibly a nectar-feeding Anna?s hummingbird hovering, and downhill a bit, the white saucers that are the showy bracts of blooming Cornus nuttallii (western flowering dogwood). If the skies are clear, you can look out to views of Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, the Olympics, the and its valley, and cars creeping along on highway 522.

This is probably the only rocky bald in Snohomish County, and it is as fragile as it is rare. Please tread lightly as you visit this special place. Keep group size to a maximum of 10 people and avoid the temptation to botanize every precarious inch.

No need to retrace your steps on the way back. Many a pleasant loop will take you to the parking lot. Be sure to grab a map before you start. Expect mud no matter what the weather for this moderate, approximately 5-mile hike.

Directions: From Snohomish, follow 2nd St. east to Lincoln and turn right. This becomes the Old Snohomish-Monroe Highway. In about 2.5 miles, turn right on 127th Ave. SE and drive another 1.6 miles uphill to the park entrance on the left. From Monroe, take the 164th St. exit from 522 and head west on Main St. toward Snohomish. This too becomes the Old Snohomish-Monroe Highway. Drive about 2 miles and turn left on 127th Ave. SE and proceed as above.

Rattlesnake Ledge— May 2001 By Fred Weinmann

Rattlesnake Ledge is just rocky enough, dry enough, wet enough, high enough and close enough to the Cascades to be a convergent zone for a fascinating assemblage of plant species. Just east of Seattle and just south of North Bend lies this giddy 500 foot cliff at elevation 2100 feet; but the botanizing starts from the moment you leave the parking area.

Hike first on an old road leading along the northeast end of Rattlesnake Lake (or walk right across the lake bottom during low water). Practice your willow skills on Salix lucida (Pacific willow) S. sitchensis (Sitka willow) and S. scouleriana (Scouler?s willow). Take time to notice both our native black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) and the introduced C. monogyna (common hawthorn). Then take the fine trail constructed by the Trails Club for a little over a mile to the ledge. Note along the way several Pyrola spp. the neat little fern Asplenium trichomanes (maidenhair spleenwort), and Nothochelone nemorosa (Woodland beardtongue). Stop at a rocky overlook at elevation 1200 feet and identify Carex inops (long-stoloned sedge), Ceanothus sanguineus (redstem ceanothus), and Castilleja hispida (harsh paintbrush) along with other species of thin-soiled balds. At about elevation 1300 feet (the trailhead is at 900 feet) start looking for some oversized vine maples that don?t turn out to be vine maples. Instead they are fine 10 inch diameter specimens of Acer glabrum (Douglas maple) which we expect to find in dry areas of the San Juans and other Puget Sound islands as well as east of the Cascades.

When you near the ledge there is a T. straight ahead is over the edge. Turn right to the main ledge and be prepared for botanical surprises. Here are a few things to whet your appetite, but by no means a comprehensive list: Arcostaphylos X media (the hybrid between A. uva-ursi and A. columbiana), Campanula rotundifolia (blue-bells-of-Scotland), Cerastium arvense (field chickweed), Eriophyllum lanatum (woolly sunflower), Galium oreganum (Oregon cleavers), Penstemon rupicola (rock penstemon), Phlox diffusa (spreading phlox), Sedum oreganum (Oregon stonecrop), Stenanthium occidentale (bronze bells), Zigadenus venensosus (death camas) and Lomatium martindalei (few-fruited lomatium).

On the rock face itself are a whole batch of species worth the scramble. Three species of saxifrage: S. bronchialis (dotted saxifrage), S. caespitosa (tufted saxifrage) and S. occidentalis (western saxifrage). Also growing in the crevices are several species of ferns: Cystopteris fragilis (fragile fern), the earlier mentioned maidenhair spleenwort, Polypodium amorphum (mountain polypody), Cryptogramma crispa (parsley fern) Aspidotis densa (Indian?s dream) and Pentagramma triangularis (Goldback fern). All of this and I have mentioned only one species of Carex. There are a total of at least eight on the hike if you are so inclined. After exploring the ledge, if you don?t return via the treacherous rock face, take the left-leading trail from the T and hike up to two additional ledges for more views and interesting plants such as Lycopodium clavatum (running clubmoss), Corallorhiza maculatum (spotted coralroot) and Xerophyllum tenax (beargrass); and watch the turkey vultures soar as they pick up the thermals lifting them above the ledges. I have found space in this short article to mention only of a few of the species that are outside our expectations for the typical lowland red cedar/hemlock/Douglas fir forests. Take a hike and find some more. For a more complete list of plants and description of the area see Douglasia, Winter 1994, Botanizing a Convergence Zone, or order the Rattlesnake Ledge list from Sarah Cooke ([email protected]; 206-525-5105) our keeper of plant lists. Many of our fine regional botanists have visited the site. As a result, we have reports of over 200 species of vascular plants on this hike of less than 5 miles and an elevation gain of about 1100 feet.

To get there take I-90 east to the second North Bend exit (exit 32). Turn right at the top of the ramp and continue on 436th Ave. which becomes the Cedar Falls Road to Rattlesnake Lake. There is a small parking lot on the right for the Rattlesnake Ledge Trail, but lots more parking in the big new lot just ahead. Hiking distance 3-5 miles, elevation gain 1100-1500.

A Victory for Native Plants (Echo/Cedar Mountain) — May 2000 By Fred Weinmann, guest writer for Brenda Senturia's monthly column

You can call it Echo Mountain as the Issaquah Alps Trails Club does or Cedar Mountain as some maps do. Either way, the rocky bald at the top is a haven for a remarkable assemblage of native plants. I've been working with local residents and King County for several years to put in place a trail that allows pedestrian access on an appropriate route while prohibiting bikers, horses and pets. The soils are thin and the mosses are lightly attached to the steep rock surfaces. As a result, the habitats can only tolerate limited traffic on designated routes.

In March 2000 the Washington Trails Association constructed a new, low-impact trail to the summit. What a dedicated and competent group they are! Signs are in place to limit the trail to hikers only and a full paragraph metal sign complete with chocolate lily graphic explains the importance of the habitat to native plants. County parks personnel who persisted until we got it right include Deb Snyder, current WNPS Plant Steward); Don Harig, in charge of park maintenance; and Bobbi Wallace, maintenance manager for King County Parks. We appreciate their understanding and their work.

In late April a fine assortment of plants should be in bloom. Chocolate lilies (Fritillaria affinis), deer's tongue (Erythronium oregonum), two species of wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca and virginiana), native self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) underneath a blanket of serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia); and growing on the steep, seepy, mossy rock faces two species of monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus and alsinoides), goldback fern (Pentagramma triangularis), maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), and Wallace's selaginella (Selaginella wallacei). Later in May the mountaintop turns pink with sea blush (Plectritis congesta) and in June a big bloom of fool's onion (Triteleia hyacinthina). On the 1 mile trail to the summit look for slender toothwort (Cardamine nuttallii) and sweet cicely (Osmorhiza chilensis), along with a full complement of our lowland forest species. On the return you can take a trailless route to a nice bog/fen complex with Sphagnum spp., bog laurel (Kalmia occidentalis), Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum), wild cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), and of course some fine Carices.

The area is an undeveloped King County Park called Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park (Spring Lake is called Otter Lake on some maps). It is just south of the Cedar River in the Renton/Kent area. Take the Maple Valley Highway to 196th Avenue. Turn right (i.e., south) and travel about a mile. Turn right on SE 183nd and follow the road counter-clockwise around Spring Lake. Park at the road end. Follow the obvious trail that angles to the right and up; turn right (uphill) when the trail intersects the maintenance access road. Take the Peak Trail to the summit at about 800 feet above sea level.

June Lake Crescent: The Storm King Trail — June 2010 By Erin Meier

Driving along Highway 101 on a wet, stormy afternoon my companions exclaimed as we sighted Lake Crescent around a bend. Piling out of my old Saturn we stopped at the edge of the drop off and stared into the seemingly endless clear waters at logs and stones to the bottom. At 8-1/2 miles long and with a depth of 624 feet, Lake Crescent is a magnetic sight. Its fjord-like hills, resplendent in Douglas fir, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar and their ilk, rise steeply above the calm waters.

At the Storm King trailhead, also the start of the Marymere Falls trail, we saw a few of the Columbian black-tailed deer grazing down by the lake. For those of you who might venture forth despite a heavy downpour such as we encountered, I recommend the shelter of the Ranger Station's covered porch, if you have lunch in mind. Fortified by our repast, we strolled along the wide, flat Marymere Falls trail. On our left, after some peaceful observation of the ubiquitous Polystichum munitum and Kindbergia oregana we found the "Storm King Trail" sign. The rocky, twisting path may seem as daunting to you as it did to us, but keep in mind that while the elevation gain is approximately 2100 feet, it is only 1.7 miles to the top.

Despite the switchbacks, we were rewarded almost immediately, by a sighting of Calypso bulbosa. The goddess-nymph Calypso bewitched Odysseus and kept him in thrall for many years before he could return to his beloved Penelope. A more fitting name for this orchid, I can't imagine. Its delicate, yet lush features are enchanting. Farther up the trail we found Viola glabella and Linnea borealis chastely gleaming among the mosses at the side of the trail. Frog pelt grew in abundance over many of the boulders and we caught a glimpse of the lake as we turned the corner of a switchback.

Of the many botanical thrills this trail provides, none can compare with the Arbutus menziesii. Their reddish-orange bark slick with rain, the twining branches and dark, green foliage…the Pacific Madrone is incomparable. As we examined one stand of them, we caught a deer peering at us from above, her dainty face stilled with caution. Later, we were also pleased to encounter that true harbinger of the northwest, the banana slug. As we swapped stories of banana slug encounters from childhood and beyond, we soon found ourselves at the top. Even on a misty day, the mist blows away if you stand there long enough, and we were lucky enough to see the broad mirror of the lake framed by evergreens. The bell-shaped blossoms of Arctostaphylos columbiana brightened the gloaming of the day, and well satisfied with our adventure we proceeded downhill replete with pleasant memory.

Directions: From Port Angeles, follow 101. At about milepost 228, follow the signs to the ranger station.

South Heart Lake, a 1.65 Mile Loop on Trails 212, 210, 243 — June 2009 By Erin Meier

Here is another hike through mixed forest that’s included in the Anacortes Community Public Lands. In addition to buying the Heart Lake map, you may also want to download the WNPS plant list for Heart Lake. At the Parking area, ignore the road and trail head for Mount Erie. Save the Mount Erie hike for later, and proceed to the other side of the Heart Lake Road where you will find a sign for the Pine Ridge Loop Trail.

Follow this signage and take Trail 212 to the right. Some of the shrubs such as Rubus ursinus (Trailing Blackberry, Pojar, p.58) and Gaultheria shallon (Salal, p.53) may at times have some rather prominent venation. The veins can be gathering places for spores of fungi, or for pollen from grasses and trees like Western Hemlocks. Check it out under magnification.

After about a quarter mile, go right and downhill on Trail 210. Note the lattice work of spider webs in the fluted spaces of the cedars and the bark crevices of the Doug Firs at the beginning of this trail. The architecture of these webs suggests that the builders are members of the Linyphiidae family and many are only about 2-3 mm long. Hold a flash light near a web and probe gently with a stick near any specks seen in or underneath the web. Often the spider will retreat a few millimeters as he runs upside down on the underside of the web.

The trail descends and Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock, p.30) becomes more frequent. The trail eventually comes quite close to the edge of the lake. Bushwhack to the edge and you may find some new plants such as Malus fusca (Pacific Crabapple, p.48) and Nuphar polysephalum (Yellow Pond Lilly, p. 349). As we continue, notice the frequency of Vaccinium parvifolium (Red Huckleberry, p.57) and how it often is seen growing on the forest floor as opposed to on top of a nursing log. As the trail brightens with more open canopy, Holodiscus discolor (Ocean spray) vies with V. parvifolium as the dominant understory shrub.

After .7 miles of Trail 210, leave it for Trail 243. Watch for cedars that seem more than a little twisted. Examination of the cedar may reveal a hollow trunk. Trientalis latifolia (Western Star Flower, p. 322) claims some sizeable patches of ground along the trail. Remain on 243 for about .11 miles at which point you will walk through a barrier and immediately switch to Trail 212 which heads uphill on your left. Do not take 212 to the right (downhill). Having the ACL maps in hand at this point will be helpful since the signage is less than perfect.

The last .6 miles is largely uneventful. Parts of the area appear to be an unsuccessful tree farm where the current understory has not done too well—perhaps the result of broken fungal relationships. Elevation change is roughly 100 feet. Obtain the Heart Lake Trail available at the visitor’s center in the old town portion of Anacortes. To reach the trail head: Where Spur 20 goes right (north) joining Commercial Avenue heading into Anacortes, take Commercial Avenue to the left. Then, turn right onto Fidalgo, and left onto O Avenue; right on 41st Street and left on H Avenue. After 1.4 miles, park in the lot which rests at the Mount Erie Trail head. For a nice lunch, try one of the restaurants on, or just off First Street in Mount Vernon between Division and Kincaid.

Squak Mountain—The C3 Valley Connector Trail — June 2008 By Erin Meier

It is easy to get confused as to your exact location on Squak Mountain, but on a sunny spring day, well worth laying aside such pretensions, and simply enjoying the mountain. I especially enjoyed this walk for the many fine examples of native shrubs in the moist, boggy woodland which these trails move through. For those of you interested in reaching a specific destination, I found an excellent map of the park online at www.switchbacks.com, created by Mr. Jon F. Stanley.

My friends and I started out at the main trailhead parking lot and immediately ran into a short children’s trail with charming story signs. We veered to the right and stumbled upon the S4 Equestrian Loop Trail. Beginning this trail I believe the best view is straight above you. Maples crouch below the Douglas fir trees, and you must look up to appreciate the sky and the sunlight as it gleams through the mosses draping them. Look down and you will see a wonderful collection of familiar woodland species such as Mahonia nervosa, Gaultheria shallon and Polystichum munitum.

At the first Y in the trail we went left and started up the C3 Valley Connector trail. Typical of the Pacific Northwest this forest has a lush growth pattern. Growing near a nurse log, I found one of my favorite native shrubs in flower, the Ribes lacustre. With its prickly stems, gleaming maple-shaped leaves, and drooping clusters of miniature maroon-colored flowers it is well worth close observation.

If you are fond of wildflowers you will appreciate the presence of Dicentra formosa in abundance, as well as the few Trillium ovatum and Viola glabella which grow beside this trail. At one bridge we even found a large stand of Rubus spectabalis in bloom. As we climbed higher and the lush growth fell away, we were thrilled to find a small bog just to the right of the trail. There were quite a few Lysichiton americanum perfuming the air with their distinct odor. We turned back near the West Peak Trail, but if you wished to continue there are many more fine trails in this park. Driving Directions: From I-90 take Exit 17, toward E Pkwy SE. Take the Front Street ramp toward the City Center. Turn a slight right onto Front Street, which eventually becomes Issaquah Hobart Rd SE. Turn right on SE May Valley Rd. A little way beyond 218th you will see the sign for the parking lot on your right.

Wonderland Trail to Kautz Creek, Mount Rainier National Park— June 2007 By Dan Paquette

Mount Rainier is open and like George Banks in the movie, Mary Poppins, “I feel a surge of deep satisfaction.” However, many of the trails are often open only to the first creek crossing. It’s not just the weather from last winter. Most years, bridges periodically get washed out and have to be repaired. Here is an outing which begins at Longmire and gets you back in midafternoon so that you can enjoy a late lunch at the National Park Inn.

I recommend parking at Longmire, and then walking past the restrooms and the museum, to the northeast end of the complex. There, look for a brown sign entitled “Wonderland Trail” with an arrow. This is a little spur which takes you to a junction where the right fork heads east to Paradise and the left fork heads to destinations such as Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground, also Rampart Ridge and Van Trump trailheads. Take the left fork to Indian Henry’s.

It’s about 3.3 miles to Kautz Creek crossing, so that’s 6.6 miles out and back. If that’s not enough, one can add another mile by coming back via the Rampart Ridge Trail.

The walk begins among typical west side tree cover. Viola glabella (violet) will be blooming. Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern) is a dominant ground cover with an occasional smattering of Vaccinium parvifolium (Red Huckleberry), Chimaphila umbellata (Prince's-Pine) and later on, bunches of Vaccinium ovalifolium (Oval-leaved Blueberry). The trail crosses the road, passes a wetland on the left, also an avalanche area, and then one is immersed in the big trees.

There are so many giants, that when they topple, there's hardly anywhere for them to land. As you ascend, you will pass beyond these very old Hemlocks, Cedars and Doug Firs and come to areas that have been subject to more recent fires. On the ground, Rubus lasiococcus (Dwarf Bramble) and Linnaea borealis (Twinflower) show up frequently along with the conspicuous tube-like moss known as Rhytidiopsis robusta (Pipecleaner Moss).

You'll pass the trailhead for the Van Trump Park, and later the trailhead for Rampart Ridge. Now you've moved from the Nisqually watershed to the Kautz Creek watershed. Pinus monticola (Western White Pine) is not uncommon and there are a few (Mountain Hemlock) as well. I found bobcat scat lying on open snow on this trail in May. As you near Kautz Creek, take care; roughly fifty feet above the stream bed, the trail runs along the edge of a dirt cliff that has been undermined. Be sure to stay away from the edge.

Near the creek on a clear day, the views for humans are quite rewarding. To the north, lie Copper and Iron Mountains, closer to the northwest is Satulick Mountain, named for Indian Henry and up the Kautz valley is that frightful dark narrow gap from whence the Kautz Creek flows. And beyond that is that taller mountain with all the snow - its name escapes me.

If you'd like more information on the forests in this area around Longmire, take a look at William H. Moir's Forests of Mount Rainier. In chapter five, he provides an excellent tree map from the work of Jerry Franklin and Miles Hemstrom.

Phelps Creek & Spider Meadows— June-August 2006 By Holly Zox

Spend a long day, or better, backpack overnight, in the shadow of glaciers. Phelps Creek meanders through a characteristic glacier-scoured U-shaped valley. The trail follows the path of the drainage up the valley floor from the to the Spider Glacier in a hanging valley near the head of the basin. Begin in forest, at 3500’ elevation, on a road still used by miners. The Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest reminds us we are in the rainshadow east of the Cascade crest, and wildfires are common. Side trails lead off to , Box Creek, and Chipmunk Creek. The road turns to trail, and in 2.75 miles reaches the Wilderness. Openings tempt and introduce us to tea-leaved aster (Aster ledophyllus). Just past 5 miles, elevation 4750’, the trail leaves forest and opens into Spider Meadows, 2 miles long, paradise for botanizers, grazers, and critters who feed on grazers when snow-free (mid-July – October).

Sedges provide fiber, and composites nectar. Robust corn lilies (Veratrum viride) join the dominant asters. Bands of subalpine fir () march down the steep side and headwalls of the surrounding craggy peaks. Avalanche chutes and sheer rock faces send snow and rock to the valley below, providing summer moisture and safe spots for fir seedlings. As the trees mature, they become their own “rocks” – tree islands. Patterns visible in the meadow reflect the movement of water and air. Tree islands “walk” across the land as windward trees die, and new trees establish on protected lee sides.

Glacier Peak, while not visible, is present in the fine soils that blow around, or on trails, blow away. Much of the dust underfoot or in your hair or mouth is ash from former eruptions.

At about 6 ½ miles, the trail splits. To see the ice of Spider Glacier, take the left fork, which climbs 1100’ up a dry miners’ trail, to the bottom of the glacier at 6400’. Views and flowers make for a slow and enjoyable climb. The suite of plants changes from what is found in the meadows below, but still find plenty of asters. Also find the first subalpine larches (Larix lyallii) of the trip. As timberline is approached, the larches remain the only upright trees. Above the snowpack, brutal winter winds blast needles of the evergreen conifers, pruning them into krummholz or “crooked wood.” The deciduous larches shed their needles in winter, after adorning the high country in autumn gold.

Cool off at the foot of the glacier. Wash off the dust of the trail with the ground rock-filled milky glacier water. If you’ve come this far, you’re probably staying overnight. Most will want to set up camp in the meadows below and do the climb without heavy packs. A few hardy souls can camp, gently, in established windy sites near the glacier. Look for signs to the backcountry toilet.

Those with the mountaineering skills to travel on glaciers can climb the ice to Spider Gap, 7100’ and truly alpine. This land above all upright plant growth contains low-growing plants such as the mat-forming, succulent alpine saxifrage (Saxifraga tolmiei) and fleshy mountain sorrel (Oxyria digyna) hiding in rock crevices. Stand at the gap, wind-whipped, serenaded by the whistles and squeaks of marmots and pikas, and look down to the aqua waters of Upper Lyman Lake, icebergs from the retreating Lyman Glacier, and the first march of plants onto the newly exposed land.

Fire and ice, two major forces that shape the land, are felt everywhere on this summer expedition near Glacier Peak. Allow plenty of time to explore the life that returns in their wake. The hike to, and through, the meadows is easy, though long (11-14 miles round trip). Travel to Spider Glacier and Spider Gap is strenuous and requires backpacking and mountaineering skills and experience using an ice ax. Bring the 10 essentials even for the easy meadow hike, since help will be far away. Directions: drive Highway 2 about 20 miles east of to Coles Corner and turn north onto Lake Wenatchee Road (SR 207). Cross the Bridge and stay right as the road splits onto the Chiwawa Loop Road. Turn left onto Chiwawa River Road (FR 62), drive 22 miles and turn right onto Phelps Creek Road (FS 6211). The trailhead is at the gate, 2 miles ahead. Do not block the gate when parking.

Greider Lakes Trail, Upper Sultan Basin NRCA — June 2004 By Holly Zox

Anyone who’s had a glass of tap water in Everett has tasted melted snow from the Upper Sultan Basin Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA). Located where the Convergence Zone meets the mountains, The NRCA includes 26,308 acres of state land in both the Stillaguamish and Sultan watersheds. The moist marine air hits the steep topography and makes this one of the wettest, coldest parts of the North Cascades, which allows subalpine plant communities to exist at unusually low elevations, and creates habitat for plant populations more common to Southeast . The NRCA includes old-growth forest, riparian corridors from low to high elevation, subalpine parkland, lakes, and bogs.

The Upper Sultan Basin NRCA, largest in the state, was created to protect the natural ecosystem processes, maintain habitat for threatened, endangered, and rare plant and animal species, and provide environmental education and allow low-impact recreational use only if these activities do not adversely affect the natural features. To that end, hikers must stay on official trails, and camp only at official campsites. An excellent trail that is a good introduction to the NRCA, and reliably snow-free in June is the Greider Lakes Trail.

The Greider Lakes Trail begins at a beaver pond in old-growth western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forest. Detour on the short Loop Trail to explore the pond. Return to the Greider Lakes Trail and proceed up the first of many switchbacks, as the trail climbs steadily for the next 1.5 miles. Though steep and rocky, the trail is well-constructed and well- maintained, with strategically placed steps and benches…and of course great botanizing to ease the ascent. Oak ferns (Gymnocarpium dryopteris) and beech ferns (Thelypteris phegopteris), fern-ally running clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum), lichens, liverworts, and all that precipitation cover every surface of the lower trail in green.

Where the slope is less steep and dead wood creates hummocks and terraces, see much green, and many tree seedlings. Where the slope is steepest (at times it is nearly vertical), see almost no tree seedlings. These less-green slopes include single delight (Moneses uniflora), western coralroot (Corallrhiza maculata ssp. mertensiana), and non-green pinesap (Hypopitys monotropa). The oldest trees in the forest are fire-scarred from a blaze in the mid-19th century.

The switchbacks eventually end in the Pacific silver fir () zone, and soon Little Greider Lake is reached, 2 miles from the trailhead, 2900 feet elevation. See Alaska-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) and copperbush (Cladothamnus pyroliflorus), one of those Alaska plants.

Charming as Little Greider Lake may be, the trail continues ½ mile across an avalanche slope with blooming columbine (Aquilegia formosa) and tiger lily (Lilium columbianum), overlooks wetlands, and reaches Big Greider Lake, one of several glacial cirque lakes in the region. Lunch on the logjam at the lake’s outlet; evidence of wild winters; proof that the geologic features that created this lake continue still.

Directions: From U.S. Highway 2, just east of Sultan, turn north on the Sultan Basin Road, near MP 23. Drive the Sultan Basin Road 13.5 miles to Olney Pass and take the middle of three forks (and only open gate). Continue 7 more miles, to the trailhead on your right.

Moss Lake County Park — June 2002 By Fred Weinmann

Stay close to home while this year’s deep snow continues to lay heavy on many of the trails at higher elevations, and visit an undeveloped King County Park with multiple habitats compressed within a small area. Wetlands and moss everywhere.

From the parking area, which has native landscaping to admire and critique as you pass through, follow the trail to the lakeshore and around two sides of the lake. Take short side trips to see forested wetlands with skunk cabbage, slough sedge and other hydrophils. From shore side continue on the trail along the south side of the lake for a few hundred yards, passing through moist forests of western hemlock and western red cedar with plenty of moss to justify the name of the park. Follow the trail that parallels the lake for a few hundred yards; then take the obvious left turn (continuing straight ahead will bring you to private land) and continue on the east side of the lake. Pass by shrubby wetlands dominated by salmonberry. Take advantage of obvious wayside routes that lead to the lake margin to see various microhabitats and thus different plant species (sedges, rushes and water-loving native grasses, for example). Along the trail are nice examples of the five-leaf bramble, Rubus pedatus, unusual at such low elevation. Eventually the trail leaves the lake and goes up a hill as the forest becomes drier in nature, ending at an expansive view point created by a clear-cut. But for the most interesting botanical reason to visit the lake, bring a canoe (or kayak or rubber boat) and tall rubber boots. Along the lake and on floating bog mats are the classic bog species: Labrador tea, bog laurel, wild cranberry and several species of sphagnum. Also the dwarf St. John’s wort (Hypericum anagalloides), bog starflower (Trientalis arctica), watershield (Brasenia schreberi) and much more, including up to 10 species of sedge. With our late spring, some of the bog laurel will still be blooming and the Labrador tea will provide a white accent and fine bouquet. Be prepared to traverse some mud since the beaver dam is in poor repair and the water has receded, leaving a muddy shoreline to traverse to get to the lake.

Directions: Take route 203 to Stillwater (between Carnation and Duvall), then turn east up the hill on Stillwater Hill/Lake Joy Road. At the first fork, stay right on Kelly Road./Lake Joy Road. At the next Y, stay to the right on Lake Joy Road past the dead end sign. At the big Lake Joy sign keep left to go around Lake Joy clockwise; continue to Moss Lake Road (not Moss Creek Road.) and turn left. Continue to the parking lot with upscale restrooms. The distance from Stillwater is 4.5 to 5 miles.

Other notes: This is one of the few places where I have seen a live western toad in the last five years. Moss Lake used to be a very popular place for red-legged frog reproduction, and river otter are often seen in the lake.

If you see any purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), notify the King County Weed Board; they are making an attempt to keep the lake free of the stuff.

Send an e-mail message to: [email protected] and I will send you a preliminary plant list in Word format of 111 species so far observed at the park.

Big Four Meadows and Ice Caves, North Cascades — June 2001 By Brenda Senturia

The Big Four area in the North Cascades is a popular tourist attraction. Its spectacular scenery and famous Ice Caves draw large crowds in summer, especially on weekends. This area is also rich in flora and well worth a botanizing expedition. The distance is about 2¼ miles round trip and the grade is gradual.

From the parking area, start by finding the trail along the railroad grade (past the restroom). This trail is a loop through a wetland and rejoins the main trail in a short distance. The trail to the Ice Caves begins with a boardwalk crossing a scrub- shrub wetland, with willows, hardhack, skunk cabbage, black twinberry, and sedge species. Cross the south fork of the Stillaguamish, looking for American dippers and spotted sandpipers along the river. The trail next crosses the outlet creek for the Ice Caves. The trail heads into mixed-age silver fir forest, interspersed with mountain hemlock. Some of the trees here are very large and there are many impressive snags. The herb layer includes bunchberry, bleeding heart, queen’s-cup, foamflower, and false lily-of-the-valley. Both rosy and clasping twisted-wtalk and star flower can be found. Deer fern and oak fern are both seen along the trail.

As the trail opens out into meadow, the vegetation is very different. Look for rufous hummingbirds in the salmonberry. At the base of the talus slope, the subalpine plants include Sitka valerian, cow parsnip, meadowrue, lupine, arnica, hellebore, and columbine. The trail opens out into the gravel outwash below the caves. Fireweed is common in these constantly- changing areas. Look also for partridge-foot, goatsbeard, spirea, and mountain ash. As you explore the outwash area, note the dramatic changes in temperature caused by the presence of the ice. Looking toward the caves, note the growth form of the trees on the small knob ahead and to the right. You can see the obvious effects of wind on the hemlocks and western red cedars. There is a trail up this knob and you can make your way back down to the gravel beyond. Note particularly the beautiful bunches of parsley fern growing in the rocks. There are a few Alaska yellow cedars to the north. Pikas can be heard giving warning calls. It is dangerous to explore the ice caves. The plants mentioned above are but a few of the colorful highlights. There are species to be found well into September and I have enjoyed comparing the early summer plants with the late summer ones.

To reach the trailhead, go to Granite Falls (take I-5 north to Rte.2 in Everett, proceed east on Rte. 2 to Rte. 9 north and then State Rte. 92 east). In Granite Falls, go through town and turn sharply left on the Mountain Loop Highway. Continue on the Mountain Loop Highway through Verlot (information center on left) and continue about 15 miles from Verlot to a signed turnoff on the right. Driving time is about 1¾ hours. There are restrooms at the parking area.

Larrabee State Park, South of Bellingham—June 2000 By Brenda Senturia

Larrabee State Park is one of the outstanding gems of the State Park System. Situated straddling Chuckanut Drive, it offers both beach exploring and hiking up the escarpment to the east. Trails lead from the main camping area to two lakes nestled near Chuckanut Mountain. The trail gradients are somewhat steep, but the trails offer opportunities for occasional views of Chuckanut Bay and for botanizing along the way. The distance (one way) to Fragrance Lake is about 2 miles, and to Lost Lake about 4 miles.

From the small parking area on the east (right) side of Chuckanut Drive just across from the main park entrance, the signed Fragrance Lake Trail soon crosses a wide bicycle path (Interurban Trail) and then immediately begins to climb. The forest is mixed deciduous and coniferous with large big-leaf maples, black cottonwood, red alder and Western red cedar, Western hemlock, and Douglas fir. There are also some birches along the way, though many have died. The understory consists of sword fern, salal, dewberry, red huckleberry, and red elderberry. Fringecups are common along the route. At .9 miles, take a trail left to a viewpoint. This is a highlight, both scenically and botanically. I found calypso orchid along the trail. And at the viewpoint there were chocolate lilies and Indian paintbrush on the open rock outcrop. The madrone trees, grand rir and ocean spray here indicate a sunnier exposure than other spots. In the large conifer grove at the viewpoint, I found coralroot as well.

Returning to the main trail, the way continues upward, passing maidenhair ferns, foamflower, stinging nettles and trientalis along the way as the trail follows a small stream. Twinflower and licorice fern are also found. At a trail junction, take the trail to Fragrance Lake (.2 miles) and circle this small, quiet lake. If you still have energy, return to the road before the Fragrance Lake Trail descent, go a scant 0.1 mile downhill to the signed junction to the Lost Lake Trail. This route is longer—an additional 2 miles each way, through mostly deciduous forest (the conifers were cut some years ago). The trail ascends along the shoulder of a ridge and then descends gradually to Lost Lake. At the far end of the Lake, at a trail junction, veer right for ¼ mile to the Lake Edge. The trail to Lost Lake is quite muddy in spring.

To reach the trailhead, drive north on I-5 to Exit 231 (Chuckanut Drive). Cross I-5 and drive 14+ miles to the main park entrance on the left. Pull off just across from the main park entrance and park near the signed trailhead. Driving time is 1¾ hrs. There are bathroom facilities at the Clayton Beach parking lot south of the main entrance.

September The Skyline Divide Trail, Mt. Baker — September 2009 By Erin Meier

Wear bug spray. Wear bug spray and bring a flame thrower perhaps. If you hope to make any observation of the native plant life along the Skyline Divide Trail in late July, these items are imperative. Despite the unruly hordes of biting black flies, you’ll see a wealth of native plant life. A mere two miles from the trailhead, you will emerge onto a ridgeline lustrous with wildflowers and even better, a stiff breeze deterring the aforementioned bloodthirsty insects.

When you arrive you can visit the rustic facilities in the parking lot, which you will most likely need to do after 13 twisting, scenic miles on Forest Service Road 37. We sighted a lovely stand of Alnus rubra as we drove to the trailhead. From the start of the trail the grade rises steeply, the total gain in elevation is about 2,000 feet. Luckily, you are walking through forest for the first mile or so. Shaded by trees like the Tsuga heterophylla, the trail winds through patches of glossy-leaved Ribes lacustre and Rubus spectabalis. Several types of wildflowers bloom along the trail such as Aquilegia formosa and Tiarella trifoliata. My husband was particularly taken by Clintonia uniflora, commonly known as Queen’s Cup.

The real show begins once you emerge into the meadows that dot the trail near the ridgeline. Arnica latifolia, Lupinus latifolius and Valeriana sitchensis all wave lazily in a dazzling tapestry of gold, sapphire and snowy white blooms. This time of year the Veratrum viride is just preparing to flower. Nonetheless, I am quite fond of their ribbed chartreuse leaves which are showy enough in their own right.

Prepare yourself when you climb over the last hill and walk out onto the ridgeline. After battling winged predators for two or so miles you will not be prepared for the glorious alpine splendor that awaits you. Mt. Baker stands out in sharp relief against the blue sky and fields of Lupinus lyalli that coat the mountainside like a purple beard. Walk south and enjoy the views. Phlox diffusa grows profusely on the rocks here and Phyllodoce empetriformis is in bloom. The Skyline Divide Trail truly feels like a different world from Seattle, a real getaway, and it is certainly reasonable for a day hike. Just don’t forget the bug repellent.

Driving Directions: From Seattle take I-5 N up to Bellingham. You will get off on Exit 255 and take Highway 542/Mt. Baker Highway to the town of Glacier. One mile past Glacier take a right onto Glacier Creek Road/ Forest Service Road 39. Take an immediate left onto Dead Horse Rd/ Forest Service Road 37. Drive about 13 miles to the trailhead.

Meadow Creek Trail, Skykomish — September 2008 By Dan Paquette

If you were probably delighted to see that first lush patch of some native plant gone from sight for much too long. That was how I felt on the Meadow Creek Trail, Northeast of Skykomish as I beheld anew lush stands of Boxwood and Wild Ginger. In the following description of this hike, all page numbers refer to Pojar and Mackinon’s Plants of the Pacific Northwest unless otherwise noted.

The Meadow Creek trail begins by zigzagging up a moderate valley slope draining into . The conifer canopy is relatively new growth. Occasionally a large burnt stump suggests what was once here. The ground is often colored with the green of violets and the satisfying textures of Pachistima myrsinites (Oregon Boxwood, p.95). I stop and study the hairy growth on the leaves of Hieracium albiflorum (White-flowered Hawkweed, p.273). The plants are spaced out sufficiently for me to imagine them as street lights for slugs. And because I’ve gone over to the small side, I must mention a small rock covered in orange and gold right in the middle of the path. The moss is Ptillium crista-castrensis which resembles the greener Hypnum subimponens (p.469) Stop and look around a bit where the trail crosses tiny streams. There are lush patches of Pathfinder and Wild Ginger. Note the leafy Plagiomnium ground moss at the second stream. Tucked away in its vicinity are Claytonia siberica (Siberian Miner’s Lettuce, p.133) and parvifolia (Small Leafed Montia, p.132). As you rise higher you will occasionally catch a view of the Rapid River Valley, and perhaps you will see morning clouds pushing their way eastward.

After about a mile and a quarter, the trail turns to follow the Meadow Creek Valley. Tall snags are frequent in the valley below. Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken Fern, p.420) and Mahonia nervosa (Oregon Grape, p.95) give way to Vaccinium alaskaense (Alaskan Blueberry, p.36) and Vaccinium membranaceum (Black Huckleberry, p.37). Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry, p.320) covers areas upslope like a hundreds of green campfires.

The trail enters an area where large conifers have survived and small numbers of Western Hemlock, Mountain Hemlock and Douglas Fir remember events before covered wagons. After ascending a short distance, the vegetation opens up and you can look across the valley to the firs and Vaccinium covering the opposite valley slope. Along the trail are the red bracts of Castilleja hispida (Harsh Paintbrush, p.258) and possibly Lupinus argenteus (Hitchcock, p. 267). We’ve come about 2 miles.

This is where I turn around. For additional information on this trail, consult Green Trails Map 144 and look for Trail 1057. There’s also a brief write-up in ’ Exploring Washington’s Wild Areas. To reach this trail, travel east on Highway 2 and note the Skykomish turnoff. About a half mile further, you’ll see a road intersection sign which is for Beckler Road. This will be a left turn. Follow the road (also called FS 65) and after the payment ends, watch for two roads on your right. Of these two, take the left road (6530). After about 3 miles, start watching for the trailhead. Slow down for the bridges as the bridge surfaces are often a few inches higher or lower than the road surface. Be sure to display a Northwest Trails Pass in your car window.

Richmond Nature Park, Richmond, BC — September 2007 By Dan Paquette

One of the great guessing games in crossing the border into these days is how to time it so that car lines are short. And while you may succeed in having a short wait, you also may find yourself with some extra time if you are attending a conference or meeting someone at the Vancouver Airport. Here is a side trip close to the airport where you can easily spend a couple of hours, stretching your legs and noting some new plants and also some invasives not normally thought of as being a problem.

Richmond Nature Park is a bog onto which domestic blueberry excapees have invaded. The blueberry plants (a cultivar of Vaccinium corymbosum) rise to six feet or higher and if unchecked, tend to shade out the native bog species.

The site’s “Nature House” is open 9 to 5 every day except November 11th, December 25 and 26th and January 1st. Be sure to stop in, donate a buck and then go and look at the Native Plant book and note the different Rubuses and Vacciniums that can be found. Some of the species are hard to find and the staff can be helpful in knowing where you may find such species as Rubus chaemaemorus (Cloudberry) which is not found in our central Puget Sound area and Vaccinium oxycoccus or sometime called Oxycoccus oxycoccus (Bog Cranberry). It’s tiny stems and leaves seem incompatible with the large berries produced on these minute plants.

The paths in this park are soft and springy making for a walk easy on the knees. In many areas Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch) and Ledum groenlandicum (Labrador Tea) are quite common. Ask about the area being developed as a showcase of species diversity in the bog. I saw as many as four species of sphagnum moss in this area which is close by the junctions with the maintenance trail but heading off on the other side of the main trail.

Directions: From the Peace , take Canada 99 north. A couple of miles beyond the George Massey Tunnel, get in the right lane which will exit onto the Westminster Highway. Go left onto the highway but stay in the right lane. After passing the junction with Number 5 Road, you will see a right turn lane to the entrance of Richmond Nature Park. The Park itself is open from 7:00 am until sunset. For a plant list, see http://www.geog.ubc.ca/richmond/city/RNPplantlist.html.

Anderson Butte — September 2006 By Holly Zox

Most folks feel an innate affinity for subalpine parkland. Getting there in western Washington typically involves a long trudge up endless switchbacks in second-growth forest. The trail to Anderson Butte, in the shadow of , avoids the trudge by starting in old Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) forest near the top of the montane Pacific Silver Fir Zone, elevation 4350 feet.

Climb gently for the first mile, munching berries the whole way. Especially tasty are the juicy black huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum). Look for the finely toothed leaf margins and “drip tips” to tell these from the less tasty blackish Alaska blueberries (V. alaskaense). Notice more and more really big old mountain hemlocks (Tsuga mertensiana) as the trail gains elevation and enters the subalpine Mountain Hemlock Zone. Elevation and microclimate split the zone into lower forest and upper parkland. Stay left at a junction with the trail to Watson and Anderson Lakes and right a bit farther at a junction with an old trail. Cross a log over a small wetland and take the trail steeply uphill. The trail gains something like 800 feet in a half mile to the site of the former lookout, in shady forest until near the top. Many of the trees have downhill sloping trunks, or “pistol butt,” likely caused by snow creeping downhill and flattening the pliant mountain hemlock saplings.

Fuel the climb with still more berries, including delicious Cascade blueberry (V. deliciousum). Soon the trees give way to a sedge-filled basin near the saddle. Snow lingers longer here, preventing tree seedling establishment. The moist soil supports a luxuriant community of Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), arctic lupine (Lupinus latifolius), and showy sedge (Carex spectabilis).

At the saddle, enter the Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness, and the timberline parkland subzone of the Mountain Hemlock Zone. Here, the mountain hemlocks are wind-whipped and huddled together in scattered tree islands. The gentler, north facing slope holds much snow, preventing tree establishment in all but the least snowy years. The seedlings that do manage to survive moderate the microclimate for island mates to come. The parkland meadows include much white-flowered rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum) at the saddle, extensive fragile heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis and Cassiope mertensiana) and Cascade blueberry meadows, sedges in the late snowmelt areas, and alpine sedge (C. nigricans) in the latest snowmelt areas.

Near the old lookout site, find a rectangle of dead heather the size of a tent. The heather meadows are the least resistant, least resilient of the subalpine communities, and the worst choice for a campsite. A few feet farther is a dandy little campsite under some mountain hemlock trees with no understory to destroy. Better still, enjoy the stupendous view, of Baker, Shuksan meadows, and more, and then head down to one of the lovely lakes to camp.

Wear sturdy boots and bring walking sticks and the 10 essentials for this steep but well-maintained 3 mile round trip hike. Directions: drive Highway 20 east from Sedro-Wooley to MP. 82.4 and head north about 13.8 miles on Baker Lake Road. Turn right and cross Baker Dam then follow USFS Road #1107 uphill 9.1 miles to a signed junction and stay left to reach the trailhead in about a mile.

Tonga Ridge and Mount Sawyer — September 2005 By Holly Zox

Hone your Vaccinium identification skills by taste on this easy hike into the west of Stevens Pass. Huckleberries Vaccinium deliciosum, V. membranaceum, V. ovalifolium, V. alaskaense, and V. scoparium are all here, along with huckleberry/heather meadows, tree islands, talus, and views. The hike begins by climbing gently through Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) forest to break out into subalpine parkland at about 4800’ elevation. Tree islands here are comprised primarily of subalpine fir (A. lasiocarpa), though mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and Alaska cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) can also be seen, especially in areas of deeper snowpack. Occasional openings as the forest shifts from montane silver fir to subalpine caused by fire, snow, or landslides add spatial diversity to the landscape and result in herbaceous slopes of colonizers bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), broadleaf lupine (Lupinus latifolius), and edible thistle (Cirsium edule).

White pine (Pinus monticola) and east-siders Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and grouseberry (V. scoparium) indicate meso-topographic influences on climate on this west-side ridge, perhaps wind blowing snow off the ridge-top leading to drier soil and a shorter growing season, or a rain-shadow effect as storm fronts hit big peaks Daniel and Hinman to the west and drop much of their moisture before reaching Tonga Ridge.

Continue wandering the ridge about 3 miles to Sawyer Pass. See here classic huckleberry/heather meadows with Cascade huckleberry (V. deliciosum) and pink (Phyllodoce empetriformis) and white (Cassiope mertensiana) mountain heathers, and two indicators that this area has been heavily impacted by hikers: tame camp robbers (Perisoreus canadensis) watching from tree island perches, and a myriad of bare social paths and denuded campsites where vibram soles have trampled the not very resistant or resilient subalpine shrubs. Wood is a luxury in the subalpine and represents a tension between not enough snow (conditions too dry for the formation of wood) and too much snow (too short a snow-free growing season to produce wood). Keep this struggle in mind and stick to established trails as you botanize in the huckleberry/heather meadows. A special treat is an abundance of another woody member of the Ericacaea, white rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum).

Meander back the way you came and look for a cairn at the steep start of the way-trail up Mount Sawyer, about 1 ½ miles from the trailhead. Switchbacks soon moderate the grade as the trail climbs merrily 700’ through flowers and huckleberries for an easy walk to the summit of Mount Sawyer, elevation about 5500’. As you near the summit, look for foliage and fruits of Davidson’s penstemon (Penstemon davidsonii) and spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa). Views from the summit include volcanoes Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, and Glacier Peak, and numerous Cascade Mountain peaks.

Look for patterns on the landscape of the mountains all around you, and ponder the environmental factors responsible as you eat your way back to the trailhead. Allow 5 or more hours to enjoy this 6-8 mile round trip hike, and come prepared with the 10 essentials.

Directions: Drive U.S. 2 east from Skykomish 1.8 miles and turn right on Road (No. 68). At 1.2 miles keep right to stay on the main road, and at 2.5 miles go straight at an intersection after passing under a railroad bridge. At 3.6 miles, turn left onto Tonga Ridge Road and drive 7 miles, then turn right onto road 6830 (may be numbered 310) and drive 1.5 miles to the road end and trailhead.

Little Si — September 2003 By Brenda Senturia (from June, 1995)

As you drive Interstate 90 east, you may not notice Little Si, a rock outcrop situated between North Bend and massive behind. However, the trail to the top of Little Si offers some noteworthy views and some interesting vegetation. The distance is approximately a mile and a half each way, with a 1300 ft. elevation gain.

The trail heads sharply up through Salmonberry and mixed coniferous and deciduous trees. Listen for the drumming of Pileated Woodpeckers. The route levels out and continues up the south side of a draw between Mount Si and Little Si. Note the steep cliffs on the left, a popular site for rock climbing enthusiasts. There is plenty of moisture and shade, making this portion of the trail an excellent site for a rich understory of Sword Fern. You can find Trillium and Twisted Stalk near the trail. The route passes through a tree fall area and then begins the final ascent up the north side of Little Si. Here the terrain is drier and more light reaches the understory. In this section, Sword Fern is replaced by thick stands of Salal and Oregon Grape. Look also for Rattlesnake Plantain and Pyrola. The understory is thick with Red Huckleberry, with increasing incidence of Ocean Spray as you climb. There are short, steep sections of trail in the last 1/2 mile, so bring your walking stick and exercise care in negotiating rocky sections of the trail. [Since this writing, the trail has been much improved. Ed.] At the top the view opens out, with North Bend visible below. There are numerous rocky ledges providing wonderful spots for a leisurely lunch. You will find beautiful examples of Hairy Manzanita and Serviceberry on the top. A few Parsley Ferns can be found among the rocks.

To reach the trailhead, take I-90 to exit 31 (Rte 202). Cross under the interstate and proceed into Bend on Rte 202 (also called North Bend Blvd.) for 0.6 miles. Turn right on North Bend Way and proceed for 1.3 miles, continuing past the Ranger Station on the left. Turn left on Mount Si Road, and park in a small parking area on the left just after crossing the bridge (0.5 miles). Park here and walk 0.2 miles to the trailhead, which is situated to the left as you leave the parking lot. Walk down the road past five houses on the right, until you see the trailhead sign. There are no facilities.

Silver Peak, Snoqualmie Pass — September 2002 By Fred Weinmann

Our last month to venture, with well-placed hope for clear skies and warming sun, into the mountains. The choices are more expansive than the menu in a Chinese restaurant. I choose Silver Peak because it is an easy drive from Seattle and an easy enough hike to be called a walk. The route offers magnificent views and huckleberries along the trail both at the start and on high. It also has varied habitats: wetlands, tiny alpine tarns, meadows, talus slopes, and rock falls.

Begin on a huckberry-lined trail (Vaccinium membranaceum and V. ovalifolium), followed by a lightly wooded trail with good examples of rosy twisted stalk (Streptopus roseus), mountain arnica (Arnica latifolia), subalpine spiraea (Spiraea densiflora) and mountain ash (Sorbus sitchensis) in bright orange . Continue on this trail (the ), passing by small wetlands and ponds. These are sedgey places (Carex lenticularis, C. nigra, and other species), but they can also be floriferous, with such species as sticky asphodel (Tofieldia glutinosa), and grass of Parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata). In the trailside streams, one or more rein orchids grow?Platanthera saccata [=stricta] or P. dilatata are the most likely - while Cascade frogs can be found in the pools.

At 1.5 miles, just past a large rock slide area, keep an eye out to the right for the unmaintained, but well used, Gardiner Ridge Trail (see below for route details). Ascend the Gardiner Ridge Trail, a steep slope at first and then a ridge walk through meadows. For beauty, you will find scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja miniata) and for interest, look closely for the moss look-alike, yet vascular, Wallace's selaginella (Selaginella wallacea).

Eventually the ridge steepens and the vegetation becomes sparse as you ascend scree slopes and the rocky summit massif to a nice peak at a little over 5600 feet above sea level. Now is the time for a botany break, but if you can’t resist, look for Carex pyrenaica in the highest, driest, rockiest area to admire the views—of Mt. Rainier and much more—and eat lunch! Botanical and grazing interest while hiking up the airy peak is maintained by broad-leaved stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium) and Cascade huckleberry (Vaccinium deliciosum), respectively.

How to get there: Drive to Snoqualmie Pass, continue to the Hyak Exit 2 miles past the summit (exit 54), and enter the big dirt-surfaced Hyak Ski Area parking lot. Partway across the lot, turn left on a blacktop road vaguely marked as Hyak Estates division 3 and 4. Follow this road to its end, turning right and then left past the sewage treatment ponds. At road’s end will be the beginning of Forest Service Road 9070. Continue for 5.3 miles to the point where the road is crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail at Windy Pass and Olallie Meadow.

The route: Walk the Pacific Crest Trail south 1.5 miles to the Gardiner Ridge Trail. Follow the Gardiner Ridge Trail, steep for the first 600 feet, then a ridge walk, then a steep ascent through scree and rocks to the summit. Round trip 6.5 miles (some books say 5.5, but it seems like 6.5 to me). The starting elevation is 4100 feet, and the summit is at 5660 feet. Green Trails Snoqualmie Pass map 207. See the 100 Hikes series for the south Cascades and Olympics for further information. A Forest Service parking pass is required. For a plant list, contact me by e-mail at [email protected]. Olallie Meadow and other Wetlands — September 2001 By Fred Weinmann

A September day in the Olallie Meadow area provides options for hiking, botanizing, and/or picking huckleberries; and also a place to enjoy seeing garter snakes, cascade frogs and pacific giant salamanders. The focal area is a series of bogs and fens just a few miles east of Snoqualmie Pass at Windy Point. Much of the area has been logged in the last 10 years. There are two redeeming features about this. The meadows remain beautiful and this formerly privately owned land is now in public ownership thanks to the checkerboard project of the Cascades Conservation Partnership (CCP).

From the parking area (see directions below) take a short walk on the Pacific Crest Trail south i.e. away from Snoqualmie Pass. In September such a hike may take an hour or so because you will pass by at least three species of blueberries/huckleberries ripe and ready. For my effort, the best of these is Vaccinium membranaceum. The bushes are tall enough so one does not even need to lean over to pick and the dark purple berries are as fine on the palate as any huckleberry in our area. Some will be more inclined to go for Vaccinium deliceosum berries. A classic blue with glaucus blush and fine taste. Most will agree that the third common species, Vaccinium ovalifolium is well worth eating but not as tasty as the other two.

If you make it 100 yards or so notice an opening to the right at a depression and small stream crossing. This leads to a series of wet pockets with fine opportunities for botanizing. Work your way along the wetlands, bushwhack down a small hill to a pond [Menyanthes trifoliata (bog bean) in the pond], and follow the series of sloping wetlands uphill. When these run out, look to the right and see the road where you parked (if you don't see it, you will sense it just down a small incline). Admire the views of the Tooth in one direction Granite Peak in another and notice a variety of interesting plant species: Eriophorum angustifolium (narrowleaf cottongrass), Tofieldia glutinosa (sticky asphodel), Trientalis borealis (northern starflower), two insectivorous plants, Drosera anglica (giant sundew) and Pinguicula vulgaris (common butterwort). Carices and other graminoids abound. The common sedges will be Carex lenticularis (lenticular sedge), C. echinata (prickly sedge) and C. scopulorum (Rocky mountain sedge); rushes include Juncus filiformis (slender rush) and J. covillei (Coville's rush); common grasses are Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint reedgrass) and Deschampsia atropurpurea (mountain hairgrass). Also note in abundance the less common species Scirpus cespitosus (tufted clubrush).

Return to the cars for water, snacks etc. Then proceed about ½ mile the other direction on the PCT north (toward Snoqualmie Pass). Once again passing by dense stands of the aforementioned berry species. In about ½ mile the trail intersects with Olallie Meadow proper. It is big, it is on your right, there is a sign, and you can't miss it. Before entering the meadow, where the trail crosses Olallie Creek, look for Pacific Giant Salamanders in the stream. Then take a tour of the Meadow. It is colorful (especially in the fall) and it is botanically rich. See the species mentioned above in abundance, look for the scarlet berries of Viburnum edule (high-bush cranberry) and Botrychium multifidum (common grapefern) if you are lucky (look in the higher dryer parts of the meadow. Don't leave the meadow until you have seen your fill of the magnificent calycosa (mountain bog gentian). As you proceed through the meadow you will be paralleling the PCT that you just walked down.

When the meadow runs out retrace your steps or look for an easy route to go X-country up a slight incline to regain the PCT. Return to the cars and spend your remaining time filling the berry buckets before heading home. There is much more to see, but no more space to write about it. Return anytime next summer for a magnificent display of flowers.

The particulars. The trailhead is 4.5 miles from the I-90 interchange at Hyak. From exit 54 at the bottom of the off ramp turn right towards the Hyak ski lodge then left on FS road 9070 (reached by entering the Hyak Lodge parking area and following the blacktop road to the left leaving the parking area). In 4.5 miles you will reach Windy Point where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses FS road 9070. Park here and follow directions above. This is also the starting point for hiking up Silver Peak if you are not worn out from berrying and botanizing. A plant species list is available from our WNPS keeper of the lists, Sarah Cooke at [email protected]. Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have questions. Mt. Catherine, Snoqualmie Pass — September 2000 By Brenda Senturia

An autumn hike should include the possibility of blueberry picking. Mt. Catherine offers that and more—splendid views of Mt. Rainier and relative solitude in an easy-to-reach location. Due to the elevation, wait until summer to try this hike. It will take about 1.5 hours to reach the trailhead from Seattle.

This moderate 3-mile round trip route has an elevation gain of about 1000 feet. The trail begins by heading up an abandoned roadway with Pacific silver fir, mountain ash, western and mountain hemlock, Douglas fir and western red cedar. In late season, brilliant pink fireweed and pearly everlasting are found here. There is a sign for the Mt. Catherine Trail which heads uphill to the left. Look for kinnickinnick and abundant sidebells pyrola. Rattlesnake plantain and alpine salal are also found here. You see signs of logging, but large mountain hemlock and Pacific silver fir remain. The trail switchbacks up moderately. Soon beargrass appears in the more open, sunnier spots. There are blueberries on the hillsides. In many places the ground is matted with dwarf bramble. At the top you will find large stands of white azalea, red and white heather, and five-leaved bramble. The trail moderates as it follows a ridge with mature mountain hemlock. The summit is achieved by a short scramble. Old cables provide assistance. The rocky summit affords sweeping views in all directions (Mt. Rainier, Olympics, Cascades, Lake Keechelus). I found one whitebark pine on the summit.

To reach the trailhead, exit I-90 East at Exit 54 (Hyak). Stay on the south side of the freeway and head into the Hyak ski area parking lot. Take Hyak Drive E. past the sewage ponds and continue on Rd. 9070 (initially paved). There is a sign for Twin Lakes Trail—2 miles. In 4.4 miles from the start of Rd. 9070, you will find the Mt. Catherine trailhead on the right (Trail #1348). You?ll have to park along the road. There are no restrooms. October Twin Falls State Park — October 2009 By Erin Meier

If you are a moss lover this is a perfect hike for a rainy morning. I reached the trailhead around 8 am, and enjoyed this hike immensely, absent the multitudes that arrive later in the day. The trail begins along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. Alnus rubra, Symphoricarpus albus, Rubus spectabilis and Acer circinatum crowd the sandy banks scattered with large boulders.

Kindbergia oregana and Rhyticiadelphus loreus grew profusely over the boulders that line this riverside trail. Adiantum pedatum, Polystichum munitum and Athyrium filix-femina glistened in the morning mist. Polypodium glycyrrhizza sprang forth from majestic Acer macrophyllum that crowded the trail swathed in hirsute suits of Neckera douglasii. I was pleased to recognize some Lobaria pulmonaria by the tiny orange growths on its ridges.

As the trail rose and moved away from the river, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Thuja plicata became more prominent. At the top of the hill we caught our first glimpse of the waterfall, captivating in the morning light and mist of a rainy day. I noticed some Rubus ursinus though none of them bore fruit. When the trail meanders back toward the river you will see a gigantic old growth fir. As we moved uphill again we saw several more. Eventually you will see a set of stairs on your right that lead to a spectacular view of the falls.

Follow the trail farther and you will cross a bridge directly over the falls. From the bridge you will see young Tsuga heterophylla and Acer circinatum tucked between the rocks. Go a little farther and you can get one more good view of the river and a small fall. Some Vaccinium parvifolium grew at the edge of the precipice just out of reach. If you like you can follow this trail uphill and connect to the Iron Horse trail. Otherwise turn back at this last outlook (apx. 1.6 mi.) and enjoy a lazy afternoon back in Seattle. A familiar, but idyllic walk through a northwest lowland forest.

Driving Directions: Follow I-90 to Exit 34. Turn south on 468th Ave SE. Before the bridge turn left onto SE 159th which ends at the trailhead.

Frog Lake Trail — October 2008 By Dan Paquette

The Frog Lake Trail just outside of Darrington is a wonderful old growth hike that can easily be done on a sunny October afternoon. I recommend starting up this short trail late morning or early afternoon when the sun will be lighting up the understory as you walk in a south-southwesterly direction. Out and back is about 2 1/4 miles, elevation gain about 400 feet. All page references to plants in this description are to Pojar and Mackinnon’s Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast unless otherwise noted.

The trail begins with a gentle ascent through Geum macrophyllum (Large-Leaved Avens, p.185), Gaultheria shallon (Salal p. 53), and typical lowland ferns as well as Gymnocarpium dryopteris (Oak Fern, p. 423). After climbing no more than twenty or thirty feet, look back for a good view of Clear Creek. Note where it flows into the Siuttle River beyond the bridge. Resuming your uphill climb:

autumn sunlight, touch the dusty puffs of hylocomium moss. spent skeletal sword fern fronds gray ribs no longer writhe, nor cast forth spores— morsels to birds, insects more than that ingested or detected The waters persist in whispering in the canyon, and the branches overhead hold onto their cat-tail mosses. The trail squeezes between a large cedar and Douglas Fir, and soon after, the trail bumps into a road, but heads immediately back into the woods on your left.

After about a half mile, the trail levels. The pathway is lined with Tolmiea menziesii (Piggy-Back Plant, p. 168). Look under the larger mats of these plants and note that part of the understory is covered with a large thalloid liverwort called Conocephalalum conicum (Snake Liverwort, p. 446) On the bottom side of this liverwort, along its margins, look for large stringy gobs of mycelia (fungus) growing. The fungus must be doing its job, assisting plants, creating soil, for high above, the Western Red Cedars are not suffering from poor posture or a negative self-concept.

After about a mile, you will encounter another road. Go left on the road. In about 250 paces, you will find easy access to the lake. The partially submerged horsetail is Equisetum fluviatile (Swamp Horsetail, p. 430). Along the shore and underneath the Spirea douglasii is a small prostrate to rising opposite leaved plant, flowers having four petals, two anthers, pubescent stems. This appears to be Veronica scutellata (Hitchcock, p.444). For this trip, I recommend having your poles along. Also bring a garbage bag for litter.

I’d leave the cans in the lake since the tadpoles and insect larvae seem to readily use them for shelter and cover. To reach the trailhead, drive to Darrington on SR 530. At the east end of town where SR 530 turns north, turn right (south) and in just a mile or two, you'll pass the Clear Creek Campground on the left. Just beyond this on the right is a pullout just before a bridge. The trailhead is located here. Display your Northwest Trails Pass.

Schriebers Meadow to Railroad Grade — October 2005 By Holly Zox

October is typically the last month to visit the high country before it is blanketed by snow. The bright red autumn blueberry blanket of Schriebers Meadow should make a fitting farewell. The year and the foliage may be old, but the landscape and its cloak of vegetation are young on this busy flank of Mount Baker. Within the last 10,000 years, Schriebers Meadow has been covered by glacial ice, lava, ash deposits, debris, and mudflows.

Begin the hike by crossing Sulpher Creek. The andesite lava flow is the youngest known from Baker, and came from a flank eruption of two cinder cones in Schriebers Meadow. The meadow today is primarily mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) parkland growing out of Cascade and black huckleberry (Vaccinium deliciosum and V. membranaceum) and pink and white mountain-heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis and Cassiope mertensiana). The shrubs are growing out of, trap, and hold loess, wind-blown soil. What the wind blows in, wind and water also carry away. When hikers crush the not very resilient subalpine shrubs on the way to the biggest berries, best views, etc. soil washes away. Eroded trails become rivers in the rain, and hikers crush more vegetation and create more trails (social trails) in an effort to keep feet dry. Consequently, the elaborately engineered trail with landscape cloth, gravel, and deep drainage ditches. The hard work appears to be working. Social trails are few in this heavily visited area.

After about a mile, the landscape changes dramatically. Rounded rocks cover the ground. Uphill, the Easton Glacier flows from Baker’s summit. Meltwater (Rocky Creek) rushes down and may be difficult to cross during high water. One hundred years ago, the crossing would have been on glacial ice, which terminated about a quarter mile below the trail. Now the ice ends one mile upslope. Pioneering on the new land is subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa). Perhaps cold air accumulating from the mouth of the glacier or droughty conditions in the shallow rocky soil favor subalpine fir over the mountain hemlock that dominates the meadows in this part of snowy Mount Baker.

The trail next switchbacks up through mountain hemlock forest with an understory of blueberries and white-flowered rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum). Massive log retaining walls strive to hold the soil. Parkland is reached again after another mile at Morovitz Meadows. Follow signs to Railroad Grade. To limit impact, camping is allowed by permit only in designated sites. Pass the sites, complete with constructed tent platforms. If still snow-free, continue a third mile up Railroad Grade. Climb up and walk along the dramatic knife edge of a lateral moraine of the Easton Glacier, all the way to High Camp, the glacier itself, and start of a climbers’ route to the summit. Mat-forming sedges, grasses, and partridgefoot (Luetkea pectinata) and fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) with its wind- blown seeds are among the early colonizers.

The first mile of trail, to Rocky Creek, is easy. The hike becomes more strenuous after that, and would require mountaineering skills if snow-covered. Bring the 10 essentials, good boots, and warm clothes. Winter comes early here. Directions: drive the North Cascades Highway (SR 20) 14.5 miles east of Sedro-Wooley and turn north onto Grandy Lake-Baker Lake Road just past milepost 82. Turn left in 12.5 miles onto FR 12 and right in 3.6 miles onto FR 13. Parking and the trailhead are in 5.2 miles at the road end.

Mount Dickerman Trail — October 2004 By Holly Zox

The Pacific Northwest, with its evergreen conifer-dominated forests is not noted for autumn color. Furthermore, our dominant deciduous tree, red alder (Alnus rubra) drops its leaves before coloring. Our maples may not compare to those in New England, but the buttery yellow of big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) and orange and red of little-leaved vine maple (Acer circinatum) are particularly vivid against the evergreen backdrop. Both occur on the Mount Dickerman Trail, along with a host of other coloring leaves on this fall foliage hike, Northwest style.

The Dickerman Trail is also noteworthy in traveling from low elevation (1825') in the Western Hemlock Zone to subalpine parkland (5723') at the summit. Abundant younger Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) suggests a disturbance, in this case a forest fire early in the 20th century. Aspect and topography exert a powerful influence on local climate, and vegetation zones exist much higher on the south-facing, gentler slope the Dickerman Trail climbs than they do on the Perry Creek Trail, which traverses Dickerman’s steep, north face.

Though the south slope may be gentler, the trail is steep, and switchbacks from the valley to the summit. Look for diversity in the forest from openings such as seeps and rock outcroppings. The darkest forest floor is home to several non- green saprophytes including candystick (Allotropa virgata) and pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea). An avalanche chute framed by western yew (Taxus brevifolia) at about two miles lights up the gloom with a swath of golden senescing devil’s club (Opoplanax horridus) with its racemes of bright red berries. Another island of diversity within the forest matrix occurs under a steep basalt cliff, where mountain-boxwood (Paxistima myrsinites) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) intrude into the Western Hemlock Zone. Look for dirty socks (Eriogonum pyrolifolium) growing in the volcanic rocks of a seep near the cliff.

The trail soon levels in an area of snow accumulation. See here huckleberry/heather meadows aflame with the red fall leaves of Cascade huckleberry (Vaccinium deliciosum), and tree islands of Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), Alaska cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis), and mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana). The trail then steepens again and enters subalpine forest, lit in October by Sitka mountain-ash (Sorbus sitchensis), and finally subalpine parkland and the summit.

The snow that brings about the changes in vegetation can begin to accumulate in the subalpine on Dickerman in October. Unless you possess the mountaineering skills to travel on steep snow, don’t continue to the summit if snow-covered. Also beware of snow cornices that occur as wind blows snow out over the edge of the mountain’s steep, north face. Come prepared for winter mountain conditions, with the 10 essentials, sturdy boots, warm and dry layers, ski poles, and extra food and water for this strenuous but not difficult 8 mile round-trip hike. Directions: drive the Mountain Loop Highway east from Granite Falls to the trailhead and parking lot on the north side of the highway just past milepost 27.

Asahel Curtis Trails: A Slice of the Northwest — October 2003 By Fred Weinmann, Dedicated to Margaret Bergman The Asahel Curtis picnic area and trails are right along Interstate 90 at exit 47 (and in fact much of the preservation area is centered between the east bound and west bound lanes of the freeway) on the way to Snoqualmie Pass. The Asahel Curtis natural area has been a destination for WNPS field trips and for field trips taken by the Native Plant Stewardship classes, but has never been hi-lighted as a Walk of the Month. Perhaps the place is too well known, or too easy to find; but what it does is remind me of the many field trips that Rick and Margaret frequently led in the early 90s when Rick was field trip coordinator for the Chapter. These were family oriented hikes to beautiful places that typify our northwest ecosystems.

Don’t turn off on the way to Snoqualmie Pass, but continue to the pass to admire the red, yellow, and burnt orange colors provided by vine maple, huckleberry and other species growing on the slopes of Denny Peak, etc.; then turn back west and stop at the Asahel Curtis picnic area (This is the area between the east and west bound lanes of I-90, not the large parking lot south of I-90. No parking pass required.). Park at the Memorial Grove area and take the sign marked nature trail. Follow this trail as it passes by the giants of the forest and down to the banks of the South Fork Snoqualmie River, here just a small stream during the low flows of late summer and early fall. Spend some time at the river to admire whitewater riffles flowing into turquoise pools.

The trail continues as it passes under the east bound lanes of I-90 and ending at the main Asahel Curtis parking lot. From here take the 1-mile loop trail that continues through old growth forest with monster trees adjacent to the trail. This is the trail well known for its orchids and other species characteristic of the dark, damp under story of the old growth forest. Return via the nature trail taking the time to walk one or more of the loop trails internal to the picnic area. In total a walk exceeding three miles can be pieced together, all of it within old growth forests, along a nice riparian corridor of the Snoqualmie River, and past some fine examples of forested wetlands.

Within the mixed stand of old growth trees are trees of western redcedar over 25 feet around, Douglas fir over 15 feet around, and 300 year old western hemlock trees. By October, the squirrels will have removed the seeds and dropped the remaining bracts of the silver fir cones to soften the trail. The understory is classic northwest. In the depressions and drainages are skunk cabbage, devil’s club, salmonberry and other species of the wetlands; in dryer areas solomon’s seal, twinflower, thimbleberry etc. But we don’t go here to record species diversity or see individual species, but to marvel at this little piece of forest in its totality. Dominated by trees that began their lives over 500 years ago and are healthy and thriving today and the forest of the next century which makes its appearance on nurse logs and nurse stumps.

Asahel Curtis is not an out of the way or secret place; but within its boundaries are much of what is precious about our northwest forests. It is a fitting place to reflect on the things Margaret cherished: peace, wild plants, people, natural beauty, and a calm soul.

Perry Creek Research Natural Area, Darrington Ranger District — October 2002 By Fred Weinmann

Big trees and ferns from the front of 'the book' are the highlights of this gorgeous walk. Combine this with October's reds, golds, and yellows provided by three species of native maples and it adds up to a superb walk in the woods. Pick a nice day in October and walk the first 2 miles of the trail to the waterfall, or start early and go another 2 miles to the meadow. Descriptions here are for the first 2 miles of trail. The botany begins right in the parking area, where Douglas maple (Acer glabrum) and vine maple (Acer circinatum) grow side by side. Within a half mile up the trail you won’t be able to miss the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) with diameters approaching 8 feet. Note the Western redcedar growing side by side with Alaska cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis), providing an opportunity to compare the morphology and gestalt of these two species.

Careful observation without leaving the trail will yield ten or more species of ferns along the first mile and up to fourteen in the first 2 miles. Some species not frequently encountered include the male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas), leathery grape fern (Botrychium multifidum), and maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes). All of these occur along a gently uphill trail and in view of brilliantly fall-colored slopes across the valley of Perry Creek. October is a perfect time for a hike among the conifers when ripe cones have developed and to identify ferns with mature sporangia. The Perry Creek Research Natural Area was established in the Darrington Ranger District in August 1997 by the Forest Service following many years of advocacy by Art Kruckeberg, Laura Potash, and other WNPS members. In total, over 250 species have been identified within the RNA, a total which demands that the hike be repeated during the peak flowering season of next year. Take a moment to reflect and appreciate the effort to have this botanically diverse area designated as a research natural area.

How to get there: From Granite Falls take the Mountain Loop Highway (route 92) east to the Verlot Ranger Station, then continue 15.2 miles to the Perry Creek Road (4063), turn left, and go 1.1 miles to the trailhead at the end of the road. A Forest Service parking pass is required. The starting elevation is 2100 feet, and in the first 2 miles to the waterfall the trail gains 1000 feet. A description of the hike can be picked up at the Verlot Ranger Station (trail 711) and the trail is shown on Green Trails map 111, Sloan Peak.

Boulder Creek Trail (North Fork Stillaguamish River area) — October 2001 By Brenda Senturia

This beautiful trail follows Boulder Creek upstream for many miles, passing a couple of waterfalls which cascade down the steep sides of the valley. The grade is very gradual, making this an excellent choice for a family hike. This trail (approx. 1500' elevation) is an excellent choice for the in-between seasons - early spring and late fall. In some years, the trail may be snow-free during much of the winter.

The trail follows an abandoned road bed and is forested all along the way. You are never far from the sounds of Boulder Creek. There are large Western Red Cedars and Western Hemlocks with an under story of Sword Fern, Lady Fern, Salmonberry, Coltsfoot, and Miner's Lettuce. Look for Goat's Beard in the moist areas. After crossing a bridge, you'll come to a kiosk and junction with Trail #134. The under story here consists of Bleeding-Heart, Sweet-Cicely, and Devil's Club. The trail continues through young Red Alders. There are carpets of Star-flowered Solomon's seal. False Lily of the Valley. Wood Fern, Western Starflower, and Deer Fern can be seen. Look for Maidenhair Fern, Licorice Fern, and Goat's Beard on the rock walls. Other plant species along the route include Enchanter’s Nightshade, Mitrewort, Sitka Valerian, Ocean spray, Thimbleberry, and Red Huckleberry. At about ½ mile you will reach the entrance to . Rounding a curve to the left, you will find yourself in a sunnier habitat with a change in plant life. Bracken Fern, Wild Strawberry, Twinflower, and Oregon Boxwood are found. There are some nice campsites at the top. Watch for a delicate waterfall on the right.

At 1 mile there is a larger waterfall. Vine Maple and Salmonberry are abundant. Creeping Raspberry is found along the trail. At approximately 2 miles, look for Bunchberry, Hooker's Fairybells and, a bit farther on, Skunk Cabbage. There is some water on the trail through this section, so mud boots are advised. The trail ends at campsites by the river. This is a great place for relaxed lunch. Although I hiked this trail in May, I imagine that it would be very picturesque in the autumn due to the Vine Maples found along the route.

To reach the trail head. Go north on I-5 to exit 208 (Silvana, Arlington). Go east on Rte. 530 through Arlington. Just past MP41 (before reaching Darrington), turn right on Forest Rd. 2010 (very near a bus stop). Drive about 3 miles to the end of the road (past French Creek Campground). There is "pull-off" parking. The trail begins at the end of road.

Rockport State Park— October 2000 By Brenda Senturia

Autumn is a good time to head into the mountains to sample Washington's fall colors. Rockport State Park (Rte. 20 near Newhalem) contains spectacular stands of old growth conifers, with an understory of Vine Maples which turn brilliant red in October and November. Many of the largest trees in the park are Douglas Fir, but there are also imposing Western Red- Cedars and Western Hemlocks. This park is also an excellent destination in winter, since the Nature Conservancy's preserve for wintering Bald Eagles is nearby. The trails describe below are all in excellent condition and most can be hiked in almost any season. Kiosks in the park show the trail network.

The Fern Creek trail offers a loop of about 1 mile. This easy trail wanders along a beautiful creek through Salmonberry and Thimbleberry. The mosses on the trees create an otherworldly atmosphere. Along the trail you'll find Enchanter's Nightshade. When the trail heads gently down, you'll see a fallen tree whose roots support a veritable 'root garden'. At least seven plant species can be seen on this forest 'sculpture'. The trailhead is found along the right side of the main road leading between the Tent and Trailer Campgrounds and ends at Campsite #18.

You will find the Evergreen trailhead by driving in to the Trailer Campground. This 2.6 mile loop (approximately 200 ft. elevation gain) finishes at the picnic area near the park entrance. The trail begins in a grove of Bigleaf Maples. Staying on the Evergreen Trail through 2 intersections, the route follows a small creek gradually upward, crossing back and forth. Skunk Cabbage and Devil's Club are sure signs of wet seeps. At the top, look for a Pacific Yew at the right side of the trail. In summer along this trail there are Bleeding Hearts, Bedstraw and Violet sp. The trail crosses another small creek and descends to a junction. Passing 'Broken Fir', a 314 year-old Douglas Fir stump, the trail descends, paralleling an area with obvious past logging. In summer, look for Indian Pipes as the trail swings back into old growth and eventually ends at the Picnic Area. Throughout the Park there is a lush understory of Sword Fern, Lady Fern with a variety of Saxifrages including Foamflower and Youth-on-age.

There are two short hikes just across Rte. 20 – the Sauk Spring Trail and the Skagit View Trail. The views of the Skagit are pretty much blocked by trees, but both trails are short (<1 mile) and a pleasant ramble. All of the trails mentioned above are suitable for family hikes and are well marked and maintained. There are bathroom facilities at the picnic area.

To reach the trailhead, go north on I-5 to Exit 232 (Cooke Rd.). Go east on Cook Rd. until the intersection with Rte. 20 (about 5.5 miles). Continue east on Rte. 20 for 30 miles to Rockport State Park (on the left). Driving time is about 2 hours. In autumn a very popular excursion is to visit Washington and/or Rainy Passes along Rte. 20 on Cascade Crest. At Rockport State Park you're well on the way, so why not?

November Cape Alava Trail at Lake Ozette — November 2010 By Erin Meier

Cape Alava is one of those places that stays in your mind’s eye for years after, whether you’ve only been there once or dozens of times. Located on the western edge of the Olympic Peninsula, north of Lake Ozette, the richness of plant life on this walk is enchanting. Just 3-1/2 miles from the trailhead to the beach, you’ll follow a boardwalk through forest, bog and meadows only to end with a spectacular view of the ocean. You can just glimpse the sparkle of the water as you come to cliffs’ edge before the trail descends to the beach. Be sure to bring sturdily treaded boots, parts of the boardwalk become quite slippery in the rain.

If you’re going on a day hike you need only pay for parking at the trailhead. For an overnight hike, it’s important to procure a permit as you’ll be camping on Ozette tribal land. From the parking lot you’ll cross a bridge, and come to a point where the trail diverges. Hang a right to continue onto Cape Alava, although if you’re up for a challenge you can start on the Sandpoint trail and do a 9 mile loop.

You’ll start your exploration of this dense forest surrounded by Thuja plicata and Picea sitchensis. There is a plenitude of Vacciniums on this trail such as Vaccinium ovatum, Vaccinium parvifolium, Vaccinium oxycoccus and more. I like to hunt for pungent stands of Lysichiton americanum, their greenishyellow cups like bright flags in the dimness of the forest. At 2 miles, you’ll come to Ahlstrom’s Prairie. A great spot for such creatures as Kalmia occidentalis, Juncus effusus and Luzula campestris. While the trail continues into the forest, look for the many varieties of fern abundant here.

At the point just before the trail drops you’ll see many Acer macrophyllum lavishly adorned with Adiantum pedatum. Be aware as you come down to the beach that you are on tribal land, and be respectful. You’ll notice that the beach is a bit seaweedy here. If you keep moving north around the point, you’ll be rewarded for your persistance with a beach to stun the senses and noticeably less seaweed (not to mention sand fleas). We like to hike down to the creek and lunch there. On our last trip we enjoyed sea lions and even some sea otters frolicking in the waves as we demolished our sandwiches.

Directions: Drive on Hwy 101 West past Port Angeles. Take a right on SR 113, and enjoy the drive through Clallam Bay and Sekiu. Turn onto the Ozette Lake Rd and drive 21 miles to the Ranger Station and parking lot.

Spruce Railroad Trail — November 2009 By Erin Meier

The next time you are on the Olympic Peninsula this is a great hike to check out, particularly if you haven’t been to Lake Crescent yet. The trail winds along the north shore of Lake Crescent for approximately 4 miles before it runs into North Shore Road. In the autumn you will see a stunning display of trees on the hills surrounding the lake from the Abies grandis to the brightly burning Acer macrophyllum.

The first half mile or so of the trail runs through a pleasant lowland forest. At one point the forest floor is entirely smothered by broad swaths of Polystichum munitum growing in lush verdant glory beneath the striking whitish-gray trunks of Alnus rubra. Keep your eyes peeled for the first of two collapsed railroad tunnels, although further exploration is not recommended. As the trail descends to the shore, you will get an unhindered view of Mount Storm King. Near the shore of the lake you will find familiar plants such as Carex rostrata and Scirpus lacustris.

One of the principal highlights of this walk is the Devil's Punchbowl. After a mile you will cross a bridge over this lovely swimming hole that sparkles in a bright milky shade of turquoise on sunny days. Arbutus menziessi perch precariously on the surrounding boulders. Look for grasses such as Vulpia bromoides or the fern Pityrogramma triangularis which thrives in crevices and on rocky slopes. As I clambered over the boulders on the lakeshore, I found some Sedum spathulifolium emerging from a gravelled nest.

As you move farther along the trail dodging Gaultheria shallon, Mahonia nervosa and Lonicera ciliosia you will tromp along cliffs providing excellent views of the lake. At approximately three miles you'll reach the second railroad tunnel. During the fall with the often inclement and always unpredictable weather of the northwest, you’ll find this a pleasing exploration of both woodland and shoreline flora.

Directions: From Seattle, drive to Edmonds and take the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry. Follow Highway 104 to Highway 101 west to Port Angeles. Around mile marker 232, take a right onto East Beach Rd. Follow this road for a little over 3 miles, just past the Log Cabin Resort. On your left you will see a sign for the Spruce Railroad Trail.

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary — November 2007 By Dan Paquette

Those of you who are birders will probably be familiar with this site located in the large delta formed at the mouth of the . The lesser Snow geese should now be arriving. Pick a Sunday with a sunny weather forecast. Leave the Seattle area at 6:00 a.m. which should guarantee low traffic volume at the border.

At Reifel Bird Sanctuary, John Ireland leads a birding tour at 10:00 a.m. John is a great leader and a wonderful source of information. The sanctuary actually opens at 9:00 a.m. The cost is $4.00. For an annual membership you enjoy free admission and their quarterly publication.

For every native plant there’s an escapee from the same genus — just go up the alphabet: Apples, birches, cherries, dock. Still, with the maritime air, the plants, and the birds, this place is very addictive. If you don’t take in the tour, another great time to visit is a weekday with late afternoon autumn sun when the most everyone has gone home. The gate closes at 4:00 p.m. There have been times that I’ve just kept walking around and around on the many lanes criss-crossing the sanctuary. Start by making the big clock-wise circle. Early on, you will see a field of bulrush — probably Scirpus lacustris ssp. validus (Soft-Stem Bulrush, Pojar, p. 404), and beyond the walkways is a field of Typhus latifolia (Cattail, p. 338) extending ½ kilometer or more. In completing the circle, you will enter more woody areas and more examples of the occasionally crunchy-looking bark of Malus fusca (Pacific Crab Apple, p. 48) and remnants of plants like Heracleum lanatum (Cow Parsnip, p. 213) and the Rumex-like pods of Artemesia suksdorfii (Suksdorf’s Mugwort, p. 278). If you then have time to do some of the inner walking lanes, you may see evidence of Cotula coronopifolia (Brass Buttons, p. 280)

Driving Directions: For the fewest turns, proceed up highway 99 north from the Canadian border. Take exit 20 which is Highway 10, the "Ladner Trunk Highway". At the signal light, turn left onto Highway 10 which heads to Ladner. In Ladner, the name of the road will change to "47A Avenue", and later, "River Road West". After leaving the downtown area you will soon be traveling next to a dike on your right. Eventually you will pass S.M. Manufacturing. After that, you will soon turn right onto a road destined for Westham Island and the bird sanctuary. Yield to on-coming traffic on the one lane bridge. After very roughly 5 miles, turn left in front of the black iron gate and you will soon be at the sanctuary

For more information, see “Visitor Use Information” at http://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com/.

Tradition Plateau NRCA — November 2006 By Dan Paquette

Now that the rainy season is here and we are somewhat confined to the western edge of the continent for our Native Plant hiking. Let me suggest that you try the Swamp, Big Tree, Wetland and Bus Trails in the Tradition Plateau NRCA. These four trails will allow you to make a nice 3 ½ mile loop in the Tradition Lake area. Because of space limitations, I will just describe the Swamp and Big Tree trails. For this hike, you should have Green Trails Map 204S and a compass as some of the intersections with utility right-of-ways at the West end of the area are not signed and it’s easy to get disoriented on a foggy day. Also, the boardwalks can be slippery, so one needs to be careful.

From the parking lot, walk west in the open area and in fifty yards or so, you should see the Swamp Trailhead leading into the forest on your right. Guarding the trailhead entrance on the left is Salix scouleri (Scouler’s Willow). As you make your way down the trail, note the various shrubs. November is a good time to brush up on your knowledge of branching patterns, twig textures, leaf scars and bud characteristics. The Winter Twigs book by Gilkey describes what the ideal specimen looks like, but you may find that you need to look at a large number of twigs in order to see what the authors describe.

On the trail you will see an abundance of Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray), Corylus cornuta, (Western Hazel), Acer circinatum and A. macrophyllum (Vine and Bigleaf Maple) and Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry). Less common, but scattered about are Rhamnus purshiana (Cascara) and Oemlaria cerasiformis (Indian Plum).

Even though this is called the “Swamp Trail”, it appears that the summer drought is very hard on some of the trees, particularly young Tsuga heterophyla. There is so much competition for water on this mixed forest floor, and skeletons are common. In the very wettest portion of this trail, you will find Alnus rubra (Red Alder), Salix lasiandra (Pacific Willow), Salix sitchensis (Sitka Willow) and Salix scouleri (Scouler’s Willow) and on Sambucus racemosa (Red elderberry) one can carefully look and perhaps discern the eight sides of the twigs.

As you leave the Swamp Trail, you will cross an open area and you’ll be on a path that connects you to the Big Tree Trail. Once on the trail, you’ll note the large numbers of fallen trees - - victims of a severe wind storm about three years ago. One of the root balls you will see is perhaps thirty feet high, and has lost some of its grandeur as rains erode this unusual addition to the canopy. Other attractions on this trail include the old growth including Picea sitchenis (Sitka Spruce), the attendant Plagiothecium undulatum (Wavy- leaved Cotton Moss) and Dryopteris expansa (Spiny Wood Fern). At the end of the Big Tree Trail, you can either head back the way you came, or head South to make your way to the Wetlands Trail.

Deception Falls — November 2005 By Holly Zox

Autumn heralds the return of the Aleutian Low pressure system to the Pacific Northwest. Southwesterly winds carry moisture-laden marine air over western Washington which condenses and falls as rain over the lowlands and snow in the colder high country. Excited skiers and holiday travelers follow. This month’s walk offers travelers on US 2 a treat: a bathroom break with a bonus old growth forest nature walk.

Deception Falls nature trail begins at the rest area at milepost 56.8, about 8 miles east of Skykomish on the north side of US 2. Enter the forest behind the restrooms. The first part of the trail is barrier-free and leads to a view of the Upper Falls. Once on the trail, the roar of water drowns the highway racket. Here Deception Creek tumbles to meet the which will soon form the South Fork Skykomish River. The waters are carving the granodiorite of the Mount Stuart batholith, which has been magnetized in a way that leads some geologists to believe it came from Baja .

The forest is classic early successional old growth following fire in the Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) Zone. The biggest, oldest trees are western redcedars (Thuja plicata) about 600 years old, survivors of a fire about 280 years ago, perhaps because they grow in moister locations. Most of the mature trees are Douglas-firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) that sprouted after the fire. The mature Douglas-firs have now altered conditions so their shade-intolerant seedlings cannot survive. When the Douglas-firs die in another 500 years or so, the forest will be dominated by the western hemlock and, because at 1800’ elevation Deception Falls is near the upper limits of the Western Hemlock Zone, Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) now waiting in the understory. The shade-tolerant seedlings of these species should allow them to remain the climax species for generations to come, until the next disturbance and environmental conditions change again. Also notable in the forest here is a large western white pine (Pinus monticola) that has not fallen victim to the introduced white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). Alternative hosts of the genus Ribes the rust needs to complete its life cycle such as stink currant (Ribes bracteosum) grow streamside in the forest, so presumably this old tree has some resistance to the rust.

Examples of different organisms enhancing the survival of one another also abound. Mushrooms, the above-ground reproductive structures of fungi are the “flowers” of the autumn forest floor. Hyphae, microscopic tubes that are the rest of the fungi extend throughout the soil and form mutual associations with plant roots called mycorrhizae. The fungi get their sugar (energy) from photosynthetic plants, and the fungi give plants access to nutrients and water from a much greater surface area.

Fungi also form associations with green algae and blue-green bacteria we call lichens. Cyanolichens, those with blue- green bacteria, like the Oregon lungwort (Lobaria oregana) seen here, are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form plants can use and are a source of nitrogen for the forest when they fall and are decomposed. The activity of decomposers is visible everywhere. Soil bacteria are key mineralizing organisms critical in nutrient cycling, converting dead organic material into inorganic nutrients plants need.

So, while the rains may have returned, and the flowers faded, the work of the forest is as fascinating as ever. Bring a picnic and stretch your legs on this easy 0.7 mile trail the next time you’re heading over Steven’s Pass. You might be so enchanted you decide to stay on the west side, cross the highway, and hike miles up Deception Creek.

North Creek Tour — November 2004 By Holly Zox

Now that our rainy season should be well under way, why not see where all that water goes. Pick a rainy day for this tour of what has been Washington’s fastest urbanizing watershed, Snohomish (and King) County’s North Creek.

Meltwaters flowing beneath the various advances and retreats at the end of Pleistocene glaciation carved a series of north- south valleys in the Puget lowlands. Before European settlement, North Creek would have meandered through one such valley, the hills covered in forest that would intercept precipitation, slow runoff, and allow some water to infiltrate and recharge the aquifer that fed the creek. The floodplain would have largely been forest of western redcedar (Thuja plicata), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), red alder (Alnus rubra), and black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa), with a patchwork of scrub-shrub and emergent herbaceous wetlands, especially near the once marshy mouth, steeper now that is some 12’ lower than it was before construction of the Lake Washington ship canal and locks in 1913-1916.

All that timber proved irresistible to European settlers, and North Creek was straightened to logs to market. Gone were the sources of coarse woody debris, which provided food and habitat for the aquatic ecosystem, including salmon, gone the habitat diversity of ripples and pools, backwater channels, and ever-shifting stream banks, and into the floodplain came farms and cattle pastures of invasive reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), planted as a high quality forage grass in wet pastures. Houses and strip malls grow more money than trees and cows. Now the watershed is largely developed and covered in impervious surfaces, precipitation reaches the creek in mere hours and the hydrology, both flow and chemistry is altered forever.

Begin our tour in your mind, at the Everett Mall, site of North Creek’s headwaters. Then take I-5 exit 186 (128th St SE) 1/2 mile east to the entrance to McCollum Park on the south side of 128th. Drive past the pool and park near the WSU Extension offices at the south end of the park. Former site of a garbage dump; McCollum Park also contains a lovely remnant of second-growth forest for North Creek to meander through, and the headquarters of the Adopt-a-Stream Foundation. Enter the woods by crossing a bridge over North Creek. Wander through the redcedar/hemlock forest, with Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, black cottonwood, red alder, vine maple (Acer circinatum), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), sword fern (Polystichum munitum), and piggyback plant (Tolmiea menziesii). See also plenty of dead stuff: snags and stumps, upturned root boles, and decaying logs.

Though just a small fragment, and always under the influence of its edge, the forest is not all the same. Evergreens sword fern, salal (Gaultheria shallon), and dwarf Oregon-grape (Berberis nervosa) make up most of the understory in the drier areas. Some areas, perhaps too dry and/or too dark, have virtually no understory. The most complex structure is found nearest the creek. Increased disturbance from fluctuating water levels creates a diversity of conditions, with horizontal openings. Increased moisture and nutrients support a deciduous shrubby understory for vertical complexity. A 1.35 acre freshwater marsh reclaimed by Adopt-a-Stream from a gravel parking lot, adds to the diversity.

For more marsh, drive east on 128th St SE, which soon becomes 132nd St SE, 1/2 mile to 527 South. Take 527 South about 3.5 miles and turn west (right) onto 183rd St SE and drive 1/2 mile to North Creek County Park. Thousands of years of layering of poorly decomposing plants in the oxygen-poor soil of this glacial valley have resulted in peat deposits 20' thick. First homesteaded by the Bailey family in 1891, the land was used to raise cattle and mine peat. Now the wetlands serve the valuable functions of collecting and cleansing surface water and regulating flash floods. On a rainy day the boardwalk trail floats on runoff from the watershed’s impervious surfaces.

Look down at the valley and see a mosaic of dueling plants adapted to vegetative reproduction. Walk down the trail and encounter reed canary grass. Native “thugs” like hardhack (Spiraea douglasii) and cattails (Typha latifolia) muscle in on the exotic reed canary grass and creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens)/ soft rush (Juncus effuses) communities. Nice colonies of inflated sedges (Carex utriculata and C. vesicaria) can also be seen. Numerous emergent and aquatic bed wetland plants, such as small bedstraw (Galium trifidum) and duckweed (Lemna minor) can be found along the boardwalk and in the ponds of this fine urban park.

Next, drive back to 527 and head south another 2.5 miles to 405 South. Take 405 South to exit 24 and turn right onto Beardslee Blvd, and drive 1/8 mile to the entrance to the University of Washington-Bothell/ Cascadia Community College campus at the distal end of North Creek where it joins the Sammamish River on its way to Lake Washington. The campus wetlands are an ambitious restoration to reconnect North Creek with its floodplain. The 58 acre floodplain restoration covers nearly 1/2 the campus and is mitigation for about 6 acres of hillslope wetland filled for building. The restoration is not just plants. Considerable efforts went to restore physical, chemical, and hydrological features and processes to transform pasture and farmland with a straight channel confined within levees into a dynamic floodplain with meandering primary and secondary channels which flood, and complex, gently sloping surrounding topography with microdepressions. Two hundred sixty-one polygons were then planted in a mosaic of forested, scrub-shrub, and emergent wetland communities from fall 1998 to spring 2002. Environmental science students help with ongoing monitoring of this living campus laboratory.

To view up close, walk the Regional Trail, stopping at interpretive signs and the viewing platform at the end of the boardwalk. See logjams, bank and bed features, and riffles and pools in the creek. Pioneer plants like red alder and Pacific and Sitka willows (Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra and S. sitchensis) have been especially successful. Birdsong from hardhack and willow thickets almost drowns out the roar of the freeway above.

All told, these 3 sites include about 3 miles of flat walking. At the end of the day, one can be both dismayed that the uplands have lost much of their protective mantle of forest, and encouraged by the multiple efforts to support the floodplain of this urban watershed on more of a landscape scale.

South Tiger Mountain/Otter Lake, Issaquah — November 2003 By Fred Weinmann

By now the weather is starting to push us down slope to our backyards. For me this means the Issaquah Alps, and this month's hike will take you to a little-used and botanically diverse trail on the least visited of the five main peaks of Tiger Mountain. An excellent place to renew our acquaintance with plants of lower elevations and in different condition-many in edible and/or aesthetic fruit. Because the loop trail has a few intersections and options, I have expended a long paragraph to describe the route.

Directions to the trailhead: From I-90 exit 17 at Issaquah drive south on Front Street through town and continue south and east on the Issaquah/Hobart Road for about 8 miles; turn left on Tiger Mountain Road SE; in about .25 miles note the Tiger Mountain Trail (TMT) on the right and wide areas for parking on the left.

The loop trail: This is the southern terminus of the Tiger Mountain Trail at an elevation of 560 ft. (The TMT extends 16 miles over several peaks of Tiger Mountain to the High Point Trailhead outside Issaquah.) Follow the TMT 1.3 miles to Hobart Gap where there is a sign and trail map, keeping right on the TMT per the sign. Continue 2 more miles and notice a road/trail turning sharply left and uphill; don’t take this yet. Instead, continue straight ahead 100 yards and notice a trail to the left (if you come to the wide, gravel West Side Road you have gone too far); follow this trail 0.1 miles to the wetlands of Otter Lake. Return and take the road/trail uphill that you passed 100 yards back. This is the start of the South Tiger Traverse, which will take you back to Hobart Gap. Follow the road/trail for about a mile, watching for a trail dropping down to the left and marked by a cairn partially obscured by bushes (there is sometimes a flag here also). If you miss this trail the road/trail you are on will soon turn into a dense stand of young alder. Don't go here! Go back and look for the trail. Follow this for less than a mile to an overlook with wide views to the west under crackling power lines; continue on the trail to Hobart Gap (requires a 30 foot jog to the left where the trail meets an old road) and return to where you started via the TMT, the way you came. See Green Trails Tiger Mountain Map 204S for a good depiction of the route. The hike is about 7 miles with 1000 feet elevation gain.

What to see: This walk offers a fine example of mature second growth forest. Look for Douglas fir, western redcedar, and black cottonwood trees, many of them in the 3-4 foot diameter range; magnificent old-growth lady ferns (Athyrium filix- femina) approaching 1.5 meters tall; and lush growth on the trailside featuring maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum [pedatum]) and the bright red bunches of baneberry (Actea rubra). Four lilies that tend to cause identification confusion all occur within short distances of one another in the first 2 miles of trail?wild Solomon?s seal (Smilacina [Maianthemum] racemosa), star-flowered Solomon?s seal, (S. [M.] stellata), Hooker?s fairy bells (Disporum hookeri), and clasping-leaved twisted stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius). In mid-September, all had berries in Technicolor.

At Otter Lake, which may or may not have water in it depending on the intensity of our fall rains, you can find the uncommon native forget-me-not Myosotis laxa (only recorded in the Issaquah Alps), a bed of simple-stem burreed (Sparganium emersum), beautiful examples of the lens-fruited sedge (Carex lenticularis), and several other species in the sedge family.

Stop for lunch along the South Tiger Traverse where the views of the Cascades are best, or on a cloudy day continue to the overlook under power lines where the views west across Whulge country are excellent even on cloudy days. Essentially all of the botanical highlights on the first 3 miles of trail are repeated on the back side of the loop on the South Tiger Traverse. In fall conditions I have tallied 134 species of vascular plants on this hike: 34 were in flower and 94 were native, seven were listed as noxious by King County and three as obnoxious. I can provide a plant list in Microsoft Word format via email, at [email protected].

Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail — November 2002 By Brenda Senturia

(Note from Fred Weinmann: Although the Middle Fork Snoqualmie hike was described by B. Senturia for June, 1998, it is an excellent hike in the fall as well. Very nice fall colors last through November and lots of different species of moss have perked up following the rains. Notice particularly the Sphagnum moss on the vertical rock faces near the beginning of the trail. I have a plant list for this hike developed on a hike in late October. It is available as an attachment in WORD format by sending an email to [email protected].) It is possible to hike the trail along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River almost any time of year. At an elevation of about 1400 feet, it is only in periods of low elevation snowfall that the trail might be impassable. However, many wildflowers are in bloom in late April and May. The trail meanders along the Snoqualmie River for 6 1/4 miles one way. Rock faces are often visible through the trees. There is very little elevation gain between the trailhead and the trail junction to Dingford Creek. Mosses and lichens cover the trees, creating a rich, deep green landscape.

From the parking lot kiosk, the trail heads across the Middle Fork on a sturdy bridge and then bears left, following the river floodplain. In the first section of the trail, ferns and liverworts abound. I have seen eight species of fern along this trail: Deer Fern and Sword Fern in abundance and also Wood Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Licorice Fern, Bracken Fern, Lady Fern and Oak Fern along the way. There are blankets of Snake Liverwort in damp spots. Western Hemlock is the dominant tree species in the coniferous areas a few hundred feet from the river. On the floodplain close to the river, Red Alders dominate. Evidence of former logging of large trees many years ago can be seen along the trail. The ‘feel’ of the vegetation, however, is that of mature forest. Salmonberry, Thimbleberry, Devil’s Club and Red Huckleberry are the dominant shrub species. Youth-on-age, Bunchberry, Creeping Raspberry, and Evergreen Violet are common in the understory. Skunk Cabbage and Devils’s Club are found in the moist seeps. Trillium and Pacific Waterleaf bloom in abundance in spring. Wild Ginger is found along the trail. After staying alongside the Middle Fork for a short distance the trail heads to slightly higher ground. At 3+ miles, the trail returns to the edge of the River. There are places to scramble down to the water. Watch for American Dippers working the river - flying up and down, feeding on the rocks and in the water. The trail keeps close to the bank for about 1/2 mile. There are excellent lunch spots along this section. The trail then leaves the riverbank and goes to higher ground via a few easy switchbacks up a hundred feet or so and continues for 1 1/4 miles to a bridge and beautiful cascading waterfall (about 5 miles from the trailhead). In another 1 1/4 miles, you reach a signed fork in the trail (Dingford Creek, Middle Fork Rd.) - a good place to turn around.

This is a relaxing, serene hike in a beautiful river valley. There are occasional views of the surrounding mountains. Despite the many wooden bridges and boardwalk sections, you can count on very muddy feet during the rainy season. There are a few fallen trees across the trail which have not been cleared as of this writing. A recent treefall (1998) necessitates a 200 ft. detour via a makeshift track. Hopefully, this will be repaired in the near future. This trail is excellent for a family outing, especially if young ones can make the 3+ miles to the River’s edge.

To reach the trailhead, take I-90 east to Exit 34 (Edgewick Rd). Cross to the north side of I-90, pass through the truck stop area and soon turn right on SE Middle Fork Road. At the junction with Lake Dorothy Rd. (< 2 miles from I-90), take either route (they rejoin in about a mile). After about 2.5 miles from I-90, the paved road becomes gravel. There are some potholes, but the road is easily drivable with a 2WD vehicle. Continue until you have gone about 11.5 miles from I-90 and turn right into a large gravel parking area. Allow a generous hour to drive to the trailhead from Seattle. The trailhead begins near the information kiosk. There are facilities at the parking lot.

Mercer Slough Nature Park — November 2001 By Fred Weinmann

A wetland walk with many habitats: disturbed wetlands, farmed wetlands (blueberries), natural wetlands, open water habitats and upland forests. Undisturbed portions of the site (mostly beyond the bridge) are wet and interesting throughout the year because the water levels stay quite high as they are controlled by the Ballard Locks.

The site and its trails can be accessed from either the west or east by road and up the middle by water. Perhaps the most convenient approach is from the South Bellevue Park and Ride so I will describe the hike from there. From the SE corner of the P&R walk past the domestic hedgerow on a bark trail and down the wide and obvious path. The trail quickly passes into shade under several species of willows. This is a good opportunity to begin your review of willow identification based on twigs and a few remaining leaves. Find the three common species: Salix lucida (=lasiandra) (Pacific or gland willow; there are wonderful example of old growth trees having diameters exceeding 12 inches), S. scouleriana (Scouler's willow) S. sitchensis (Sitka willow). Later during the hike you will encounter Salix piperi (Piper’s willow) and possibly S. geyeriana (Geyer's willow), but the latter has not been confirmed. After struggling through willow (which may take a while) continue through a mixture of disturbed habitats with Spiraea douglasii (Douglas spiraea) Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass), Scirpus microcarpus (small-fruited bulrush), Equisetum telmateia (giant horsetail) and a wide variety of both native and non-native species which reflect the dry/wet/disturbed nature of the area. On the left will be large patches of the late-blooming/non-native/noxious Polygonum cuspidatum/sachalinense (Japanese/giant knotweed). I slash this name because I have just learned from botanist, Peter Zika that most of the populations we see are probably a hybrid of these two species with leaves intermediate in size and exhibiting other technical characteristics that are intermediate.

Continue on the trail eventually crossing the bridge over Mercer Slough. Spend a minute looking for late blooming Myosotis scorpioides (water forget-me-not) or possibly a few remaining blossoms of the Impatiens ecalcarata on the slough margins and Potamogeton spp. (pondweeds) in the open water. After the bridge continue to the end of the boardwalk to a trail fork. Keep left to make a clockwise loop (following the sign which says Bellefields Loop) through several different communities representing examples of forested wetlands. Many fine examples of Populus balsamifera (=trichocarpa) (black cottonwood), Rhamnus purshiana (cascara) and Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon ash); these are joined by the ubiquitous Alnus rubra (red alder) and a wide variety of shrubs and herbs. The dominant white-barked birch of the area is European silver birch (Betula pendula). Note the drooping branches and deeply cut black Vs at the juncture where the large limbs join the trunk. This is the only non-native wetland tree that is common in our area and is the most often seen birch of wetlands in and around Seattle and suburbia. There are two (often unnoticed) native birches along the trail. One of these is Betula occidentalis (water birch) generally thought of as an eastern Washington species but is native (or naturalized?) in the Mercer Slough Natural Area. The second is Betula pumila (swamp, scrub or peat bog birch; also known as B. glandulosa var. hallii). This species usually grows as a small shrub, but along this trail are examples up to 15 foot tall with a main trunk up to five inches in diameter. To tell these species apart, look for the pubescent and glandular twigs of water birch and the glandular but hairless twigs of swamp birch. They both grow in moist to very wet habitats.

As you continue a clockwise route you will pass through areas which are obviously boggy in nature as the trail quakes beneath your feet. Watch for our native crabapple, Malus/Pyrus fusca, huge lady ferns, Athyrium filix-femina and equally large skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) as well as many other species which typify our wetlands. In an obviously boggy site, take time to examine the soils. They are a fine example of a peat soil? bright brownish/red with undecomposed plant fibers.

At the next trail fork, keep left to take the upland route or straight ahead for the wetland route. The wet route could be named skunk cabbage lane. Either way leads shortly to a stream crossing and an open grassy area, the old archery range. At the far end of the range make a choice [admiring the large Thuja plicata (western redcedar) tree with DBH of 52 inches] while deciding. Keep right to complete the Bellefields Loop, then back across the bridge the way you came. Keep left and up the hill on the gravel trail for a longer loop back to the P&R. This trail will continue south to I-90, turn right and continue west across a large wetland and eventually a foot bridge across Mercer Slough. Keep right on the blacktop trail and pass by a wetland mitigation pond with Osprey pole (unused as of last inspection); continue north on trail along Bellevue Way to P&R.

When not studying willows or puzzling over birches or admiring the large examples of native trees, or digging in the soils, look around for over 100 other species of native plants and over 30 non-natives which have naturalized in the Park. Some species that bloom into late fall include Tiarella trifoliata (foamflower), Veronica americana (American speedwell), Bidens cernua (nodding beggar's tick) and Geum macrophyllum (big-leaved avens). If the birds haven't finished them off there will be berries on several species (Lonicera involucrata, Sambucus racemosa, Viburnum opulus, Sorbus aucuparia, etc.) and nice fall colors on the leaves still remaining on the birches, maples, ash and cottonwood.

To get there: Take I-90 to the Bellevue Way exit. Continue north for about a mile to the South Bellevue P&R. For closest access park in the SE corner of the lot.

Heart Lake, Anacortes— November 2000 By Brenda Senturia The trail around Heart Lake takes the hiker through some of the most beautiful large Douglas fir and western red cedar remaining in the Puget Sound area. Heart Lake is bordered by Heart Lake State Park on the south and Anacortes Community Forest Lands on the north. This 2-mile walk is flat and the trail passes through a number of interesting habitats. There are lovely spots for relaxing along the lakeside. The Heart Lake Loop is an excellent choice for a family hike.

Look for the trailhead (signs saying Erie View Trail and Pine Loop Trail) across Heart Lake Road from the parking area. Immediately, bear right and then again bear right on Trail 210 after a few hundred yards. The understory here contains many species, the dominant ones being miner's lettuce, sword fern, twinflower, dewberry, and creeping buttercup. Grand fir, western hemlock, and bigleaf maple are scattered through the forest. Red huckleberry, Indian plum, salmonberry, and red elderberry make up much of the shrub layer. The trail veers left near Heart Lake and more or less follows the shoreline all around the lake. Approaching a small stream crossing, there is a wetland with skunk cabbage, willows, and Carex obnupta. Continue around the lake. As you leave the state park, the character of the forest changes with more deciduous tree species. Watch for a few water birch trees here. The trail can be muddy, but doesn't involve any wading. Always staying right, you will cross the outlet stream and soon reach a parking area with pit toilets. For the last quarter-mile, follow the road back to the parking area.

There are wonderful birds along this trail (in season): nesting osprey, bald eagles, pileated woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, brown creepers, Hutton's vireos, and many more woodland species. Virginia rails are found year-round in the cattails and marshy areas. In winter, you can see ring-necked ducks, common mergansers, bufflehead, and common goldeneyes on the lake. Wood ducks and pied-billed grebes breed in the summer.

To reach the trailhead, take I-5 north to Exit 230 (Anacortes). Cross the freeway and head west on Route 20. Go about 12 miles and, before reaching Anacortes, turn left and stay on Route 20 toward Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. In 1.8 miles, take Campbell Lake Road, staying straight as Route 20 turns left. After 1.5 miles, stay right at a 'Y' intersection, see Lake Erie Grocery. Stay on Heart Lake Road about a mile and park at the Sugarloaf Trailhead parking area on your right. Driving time is about 1¾ hours.

December Rattlesnake Ridge— December 2010 By Erin Meier

I hiked Rattlesnake Ridge for the first time on a warm summer day, and the trail bustled with a multitude of determined hikers. In the winter, Rattlesnake Ridge is another experience entirely. A winter hike here is not about panoramic views, or the challenge of a 1300' elevation gain over just 2 miles. The cool air takes the bite out of the upward climb, and this hike becomes a more contemplative experience. On the day of our hike, the chill rain soaked through our raingear down to our skin. Yet we were delighted by the symphonic splash of the rain and the subdued light that seemed to give each plant its own luminescence.

As the quiet patter of rain fell around us we began our hike surrounded by Tsuga heterophylla and Acer circinatum. Spreading their branches wide in the understory, the maple' yellow leaves were a bright contrast to the dark trunks of the evergreens. Some of the vine maples branches were so overgrown in Kindbergia oregana that it seemed as though they had bathed in it. We saw a few desiccated though golden Oplopanax horridus that in this season had only retained a few of their spiked leaves. We followed a side trail to a charming and narrow creek with young Alnus rubra sprouting from the banks.

I enjoyed the views that we gained as we ascended the trail. It was intriguing to watch as the lake disappeared and reappeared through the mist. My friend was fascinated by the spare, delicate branches of Vaccinium parvifolium that make intricate lacy patterns without the distraction of foliage. Other pleasing finds, were the shrubby Sambucus racemosa, Rubus parviflorus and Physocarpus capitatus. As we gained the ridge, the wind picked up. Arctostaphylos columbiana and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi graced the trail at the forest's edge. Out of the shelter of the forest, we clambered over gargantuan rocks and were able to sight the lake as well as our lone car in the parking lot below.

Directions: From I-90 E, take Exit #32. Turn right off the exit onto 436 Ave SE. The road turns into Cedar Falls Rd SE. You'll see the blue "Rattlesnake Lake" signs on your right, turn there for the trailhead.

Carbon River Road, Mount Rainier — December 2008 (No vehicles are permitted beyond the Ranger Station. Bicycle and pedestrian traffic only.) By Dan Paquette

Mount Rainier lures us to its flanks throughout the year. This December, walk along the Carbon River Road, still closed to vehicles because of the rain damage from November, 2006.

Park your vehicle at the entrance, pay your fee and begin your walk. The road can also be biked or snow shoed depending on conditions. Very little elevation gain occurs on the road, as it begins at about 1800 feet.

During the first mile, look for the few spruce along the road and the much more plentiful Corydalis. In the second mile, the road begins to have breaks and you’ll typically follow a newly formed trail running on the right side of the channel which runs dry part of the year. In this area, note the large number of new bridges (fallen trees) crossing the channel. A couple of the root balls are still intact suggesting that these trees may have been undermined in the current, succumbing this past year.

Back on the road, be on the lookout for the delta-like fronds of Gymnocarpium dryopteris Oak Fern (Pojar, p.423) and in the third mile, cliffs come close and trees fall away as the road comes down close to the forces of the Carbon River. On the cliff walls, look for the abundant, toothed, leafy liverwort, Scapannia americana (Pojar, p.442). It often grows in dense communities with stems about 2 centimeters in length. A hand lens is needed to see the teeth clearly. Just ahead, at the Trailhead, note the large Doug Fir just off to the right as the trail begins. This tree is about eight feet in diameter at breast height and about 260-265 feet tall. Trees in this valley may be as much as 580 years old, the last major fire event on the lower slopes being around the year, 1428 (Source: Hemstrom and Franklin, Quaternary Research 18:32- 51).

From this point, you can head up to Green Lake, turn back, or head onward another 1.8 miles to Ipsut Creek. Other possibilities include the old Boundary Trail (near the entrance). If you take any of the hiking trails, be sure to check with the ranger for trail conditions, snow level and avalanche conditions.

The Carbon River entrance will generally be manned during the month of December, 2008 on Wednesdays through Sundays from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. except right around the holidays. Call the Carbon River entrance number (360) 829- 9639 for road, trail, snow level, and avalanche conditions. The main park phone number (Longmire Museum) can also be called if no one is at the Carbon River entrance. That number is (360) 569- 2211, extension 3314.

Ed Munro Seahurst Park, Burien— December 2007 By Dan Paquette

West-northwest of Seatac Airport is E.M. Seahurst Park. You can easily spend a couple of hours there on a cloudy December day, and then retreat for coffee when the Puget Sound air has sufficiently chilled you. Page references that I've included in the description are from Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Pojar and MacKinnon.

After arriving at the park, head down toward the beach. Walk northward along the graveled path at the base of the hill and parallel to the beach. You may see waterfowl such as herons, American widgeons, and buffleheads as you proceed about 250 yards before sighting a path heading up into the forest on your right. As you move up the trail, you'll note a typical cast of mixed forest native plants including Tolmiea menziesii (Piggy- Back Plant, p.168) and to a much less extent Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup, p.167). Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry, p. 76) is also plentiful.

Pertusaria amara Almost immediately you begin passing about ten Alnus rubra (Red Alder, p. 44) on your photographed by Richard left. Examine the olive-colored bark and you will see among the a diverse number of Droker. Copyright 2004. All lichens one that is white, roughly circular, quite common, lies flat on the bark like it's rights reserved. painted on. The margin of this lichen has messy bluish to greenish concentric rings. This is a crustose lichen called Pertusaria amara. It's categorized as crustose because it is flat and has no bottom side — more or less wedded to the substrate. Wet you finger, rub the lichen slightly (don't overdo it) and taste your finger (see photo). The bitter taste will last for a while. This lichen occurs along the coast and much of eastern . Also on some of these same trees are the graygreen circles of Menagazzia terebrata.

Unlike the Pertusaria, Menangazia is foliose; i.e. flat but loosely attached to the bark (see photo). Note the flatness and small perforations.

If you remain on what appears to be the main trail, you will eventually come to a creek and after crossing a foot bridge, you'll pass a very large stump and off to the left is a very large hemlock and then a number of Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple) all freckled with little light bushes of lichens known as Evernia prunastri (Antlered Menagazzia terebrata Perfume Lichen, p.498). As the trail ascends away from the creek, little Claytonia photographed by Richard siberica (Siberian Miner's Lettuce, p. 133) are occasionally in bloom among the Urtica Droker. Copyright 2004. All dioica (Stinging Nettle, p. 309). The trail now meets a service road. rights reserved. For a bit of a workout, cross the road and the trail continues upward. When one reaches the top, you'll be in a clearing and close to people's backyards. You can return to the beach by taking the service road downward which is close by. You will pass stands of Arbutus menziesii (Pacific Madrone, p. 49) and less conspicuous is the Lonicera ciliosa (Western Trumpet Honey Suckle, p.69). Further down, you'll pass some patches of Rumex, some which may be in flower. The one I checked was Rumex obtusifolius, (Broad-Leaf Dock p. 130) which is not a native and has imperfect flowers. Check out the tiny female flowers under magnification. They look like Vampire-Medusas, don't you think?

When approaching the beach, you'll pass a building called Marine Technology. A trail will be coming down on your left. If you go up less than a hundred yards you will encounter large alders which have unusually thick bark. If you’ve seen large alders inland, you know that often they still retain a very thin bark.

Driving Directions: From I-5, exit west unto SR road 518. Remain on 518 as you enter Burien. You will be on 148th Street. Make a right turn onto 12th Avenue, then right on 144th Street, and left onto 13th Avenue which you follow downhill into the park. Slow for the speed bumps.

Many thanks to Richard Droker for accompanying me onsite and photographing the lichens described.

Redmond Watershed Preserve— December 2006 By Dan Paquette

Redmond Watershed Preserve is perhaps fifteen minutes away from the 520 floating bridge. Here is a mixed forest replete with ponds and streams, beaver, mountain beaver, wood peckers, native plants, and a wide array of macro-lichens and moss.

Choose a rainy day; bring your umbrella and rain gear. You may not wish to leave once you’ve done some exploring here. There are many small loops as well as longer ones for you to choose from. My suggestion would be to get to the pond at the Northwest corner, or take Siler’s Mill Trail, or do both.

The preserve is extremely well-signed with maps showing your position at every trail junction. A compass is still recommended. It’s still possible to get turned around at some of the Utility right-of-way areas.

Now, at the eve of December, one must root about to see what leaves belong to bare branches. The Wood Ferns have finished their reproduction and have gone the way of the Lady Ferns. Leaves of Trientalis are turning yellow. Along the trail, Plagiomnium mosses are now returning to life, their leaves once again moist and shiny. Dark pods of Pearly Everlasting and Self Heal lay thin shadows on the trail. Leaves of Devil’s club and Elderberry sometimes hang like sleeping bats.

Plant Lists: Fred Weimann has created a list of plants for the general area. For a moss list, contact Dan ([email protected]).

Directions: From Seattle, go East on SR 520. Follow signs to Avondale Road going North. From Avondale Road, make a right onto Novelty Hill Road. After you’ve crossed 204th Avenue, you will be about a half mile from where you make a left turn into the Watershed Preserve. Watch for a brown sign.

Devil’s Lake near Quilcene, WA — December 1999 By Dawn Corl

Devil’s Lake is located east of Mt. Walker just 2 miles from the town of Quilcene. It is owned by the State as DNR Common School land and is contiguous with National Forest land to the west. The lake has about 12 acres of open water, 6 acres of marsh and swamp and 4 acres of a sphagnum bog. The short trail to the lake (less than a half mile) runs through old growth forest habitat filled with very large Doug Firs and Western Red Cedars, Sword, Licorice and Deer Ferns, horsetails and Piggyback Plant. According to Dept of Ecology information, this forest has survived Heather Lake Trail—December 2004 By Holly Zox

Winter is a good time to study structure. Gone are those distracting flowers with their sexual parts and tempting adornments. Whether it is the bones of deciduous trees and shrubs, or the bones of the forest, the Heather Lake Trail on the side of Mount Pilchuck has plenty to offer students of structure.

Begin the hike along a stream and note bud arrangement (opposite or alternate), bud scales, scars, branches, and bark color and texture to identify the deciduous woody plants that thrive in this moist open environment. Don’t forget to include forensic evidence such as old leaves, stipules, and fruits. After a mile of second-growth western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forest, the trail enters old-growth. How can we tell when a forest is old-growth? Structure!

First notice big old live trees. Really big western redcedar (Thuja plicata) and big western hemlock beckon. These big live trees are important primary producers, provide habitat for epiphytes and animals, store nutrients, modify the environment of the forest interior, and influence disturbance regimes. Also notice standing dead trees. Snags provide habitat such as perches and cavities, food and habitat for decomposers, let light into the forest, and influence disturbance regimes. Horizontal dead trees also create openings, and when decomposed enough to hold moisture, can become nurse logs. Nurse logs create habitat for primary producers, critters, including amphibians, food for decomposers, nutrients for the forest when decomposed, and influence disturbance regimes. In addition to individual structural elements, note the complex overall structure of the old-growth forest compared to the second-growth. The old-growth forest has complex multi- layered vertical structure, with ground vegetation, a shrub layer, understory canopy, and overstory canopy, and complex horizontal structure with openings created by dead wood that let light in.

Much of the understory canopy in the old-growth forest is young trees. Most of the young trees here are western hemlock, indicating the trail enters old-growth in the lowland Western Hemlock Zone. Note an increasing abundance of young Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) as the trail gains elevation and enters the montane Pacific Silver Fir Zone. Temperature, precipitation, and the interaction between the two are the main environmental controls on zone boundaries. Though precipitation amounts in the two zones are similar, the lower winter temperatures of the higher elevation montane forest means more of the precipitation falls as snow so less is available for plant use. This shorter growing season favors Pacific silver fir. Vegetation responds continuously to changing climate. Old western hemlock and western redcedar in the Silver Fir Zone may reflect warmer conditions hundreds of years ago. As the trail enters the lake basin notice old and young mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana). Cold air and snow slide into the north-facing basin resulting in deep, long-lasting snow pack. Mountain hemlock withstands the heavy snow and even shorter growing season better than Pacific silver fir. In this case, topography and aspect, rather than just elevation, affect temperature and form of precipitation and result in a very low elevation (about 2500’) Mountain Hemlock Zone.

Heather Lake sits in a glacial cirque. Expect snow and the possibility of avalanches tumbling down the cirque walls. Unless avalanche danger is low, do not walk around the lake. Stand at the outlet and study landscape patterns around the lake instead. The cirque is a mosaic of forested and non-forested communities. Areas of high disturbance, such as snow and rock slides, high moisture, such as marshy lakeshore and the lake itself, and high snow accumulation such as the south end of the lake are not forested. Scattered trees grow out of sheltered microclimates such as the lee side of large boulders, ledges, and the company of other trees.

Practice your twig identification over lunch. Look for willows (Salix sp.) with their single bud scales (like a mitten without the thumb) at the outlet. The capsules of copperbush (Elliottia pyroliflorus) resemble miniature peeled tangerines. Pioneers salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) and Sitka alder (Alnus sinuata) fill the avalanche chutes.

Bring the 10 essentials, extra warm layers, rain gear, good boots, a thermos, and ski poles to help negotiate the icy, snowy conditions near the lake. The moderate four mile round-trip hike can be treacherous during winter. Directions: Drive the Mountain Loop Highway east from Granite Falls to USFS Road # 42 (Mount Pilchuck Road) on your right at MP 12 and drive 1.4 miles to the trailhead. Lime Kiln Trail—December 2005 By Holly Zox

New trails and protected open space in development-crazy Snohomish County are cause for celebration. Spurred by the Stillaguamish Citizens’ Alliance and River Network in the early 1990’s, county and state funding were combined to purchase nearly 1000 acres (about 7 miles) of forested land along the wild canyon of the South Fork Stillaguamish River. The resulting Robe Canyon Historic Park is chock full of interesting vegetation, geology, and history, but until 2004 only the 1.6 mile Robe Canyon Trail (see the February 2003 Walk of the Month), built by boy scouts in the 1960’s, was open to hikers.

Trains once chugged through the canyon, carrying ore, then logs, then tourists. Built in 1892, then rebuilt in 1893, then again and again until its abandonment in 1934, the Everett and Monte Cristo Railway opened this rugged area to resource extraction. The river and landslides that foiled the railway eat away at trails that follow the old rail grade too. Intrepid volunteers from Volunteers for Outdoor Washington maintain the Robe Canyon Trail at the park’s east boundary, and spent 7 years building the Lime Kiln Trail, which allows 3.5 miles of exploration at the park’s west end.

The Lime Kiln Trail begins at the end of Waite Mill Road, southeast of Granite Falls, past a string of houses, some still being built. Walk first through dark forest of even-age Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) with an understory of sword fern (Polystichum munitum), evidence of a past clear-cut. The trail soon opens onto a logging road through an even more recent clear-cut. Here the even-aged Douglas-fir are just beginning to overtop the shrubs who dominated the most recent successional stage. Solar radiation is still high at the shrub layer, and plenty of thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), salmonberry (R. spectabilis), and Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis) are passed. The high light and disturbed post-logging conditions would earlier have supported an herbaceous stage dominated by native fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) and non-native foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). Both can be seen lining the logging road.

Western red cedars (Thuja plicata) and hardhack (Spiraea douglasii) herald Hubbard Lake at about 1.6 miles. Most of the hills glimpsed through the clear-cut are glacial moraine, but large rock outcroppings also abound. A particularly intriguing limestone outcrop lines the trail at Hubbard Lake and begs for a bryologist to tell the stories of the many mosses dripping water down the rock face.

Logging roads are left behind as the trail turns down a ravine along Hubbard Creek to meet the old rail grade. Sasquatch seems a more likely encounter than artifacts of human industry under the arms of moss and fern draped bigleaf maples (Acer macrophyllum) amid the roar of the mighty river. But artifacts there are along the rail grade, best of all the 30’ high lime kiln at 2.6 miles. Used to melt local limestone into lime powder for a fluxing agent, the kiln is now a dandy fern grotto. The rest of the trail travels down to a loop at the river, under towering Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) to the site of the old bridge, across from collapsed tunnel #1 of the Railway.

About a century ago, hardy workers risked their lives (some died) to keep this canyon open to the extraction of its natural resources for the profit of financiers. Today, volunteers keep the trails open to protect those natural resources, for nobody’s financial gain, but the enrichment of us all.

Allow four hours for this easy 7 mile round-trip hike. Bring the 10 essentials, and expect rain. Directions: from SR 92 in Granite Falls turn right onto S. Granite Ave., then left onto Pioneer St., which becomes Menzel Lake Road. Turn left onto Waite Mill Road and find the trailhead and parking lot past the school bus turn around.

Lake 22—December 2003 By Holly Zox

The two features that best characterize the natural history of western Washington would have to be the ancient coniferous forests our climate fosters and the effects on the land of water in its various forms. Both can be experienced on the Lake Twenty-Two trail in winter. This 790 acre Research Natural Area on the north flank of Mt. Pilchuck was set aside in 1947 to compare ecosystem processes in a virgin forest with those in logged forests. Camping, camp fires, and travel off trail are all prohibited.

The hike begins at 1000’ in forest mature enough to be dominated by its climax species. Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) of all ages are growing and regenerating in the shade of centuries old members of their own species. Dull Oregon-grape (Berberis nervosa) and deer fern (Blechnum spicant) rise out of luxuriant carpets of mosses.

Winter is moss time in the lowlands. Bring a hand lens and your favorite bryologist and you may spend the whole day happily exploring the first ¼ mile of trail. Mosses cover nearly every surface, filling the boundary layer with a fantastic array of textures ideally suited to channel moisture. Anyone can learn to recognize feathery stair step moss (Hylocomium splendens), spiky haircap mosses (Polytrichum sp.), and wavy-leaved cotton moss (Plagiothecium undulatum).

Water drips and roars. Every needle, leaf, frond, and blade tip holds a drop of water. Water streams through every rock crevice. Torrents of water cascade over rock ledges at every bend in the trail as Twenty-Two Creek carries bits of Mt. Pilchuck on their way to the Stillaguamish estuary.

The biggest trunks in the forest belong to western redcedar (Thuja plicata), living and dead, abundant in this area of super high precipitation. If decomposers make noise, listen for the munching of millions of saprophytes recycling tons of organic matter to feed the forest.

At about 1700’ enter an earlier stage in the life of a forest. Avalanche slopes, frequently disturbed, remain in a shrub dominated state. Vine maple (Acer circinatum), devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), and deciduous members of the Ericaceae such as Alaskan blueberry (Vaccinium alaskaense) and fool’s huckleberry (Menziesia ferruginea) line the slopes. If snow covered, turn around here.

If not, switchback up the avalanche slopes until the forest is re-entered at 2150’, this time in the Pacific Silver Fir Zone. Note the increasing abundance of Pacific Silver Fir (Abies amabilis) and Alaska –cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis). Expect deep snow here, an explanation for the change in forest zone.

The trail levels as the lake is neared. Nestled in a forbidding glacial cirque a half-mile deep is Lake Twenty-Two. Though only 2413’, the basin is full of ice and snow. The lake is ringed by mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and copperbush (Elliottia pyroliflorus), a plant association common to more northern latitudes. Bare patches of water near the outlet may have an American dipper dipping. Waterfalls spill off of snowy ledges high on the cirque wall, rocks large and small tumble down to join the talus at its base, and avalanches thunder.

The Lake Twenty-Two trail is a trip through time. Travel from the forest before the arrival of European settlers, to the early seral shrubby avalanche slope, back to the glacial forces that carved new landforms and set the stage for the march of primary productivity that followed.

To take this trip, drive the Mountain Loop Highway from Granite Falls to MP 13 and the trailhead on your right. Expect rain and snow, regardless of the weather elsewhere. Bring warm clothes, rain gear, the 10 essentials, a thermos, good boots, and perhaps a ski pole to help negotiate snow and ice on this moderate 5.4 mile round trip hike.

Preston-Snoqualmie Trail, Fall City—December 2002 By Fred Weinmann

It's time to hang up the mountain boots, get out the tennies and have a leisurely stroll in our luscious Puget Basin forests. Take this walk in any weather and with the whole family. The walk: From the Alice Lake trailhead, head north on the blacktop trail marked by a sign indicating a Snoqualmie Falls viewpoint in 1.8 miles. Follow the trail for about 15 minutes. You will pass by one hog fuel trail on the right, then look for the second hog fuel trail about 100 yards past an overlook with benches. The start of the side trail is flanked on the left by a clump of five or more western redcedar trees, a 6-inch DBH (diameter-at-breast-height) bigleaf maple, and a snowberry bush. On the right are a 6-inch DBH red alder and a snowberry bush. Views in this first mile look across to Cascade foothills and down to pastoral scenes in the valley of the Snoqualmie River.

Follow this over-constructed side trail for 15 to 20 minutes to the top of a ridge with benches and picnic tables. Here is an expansive view of the Snoqualmie River Valley and, if ceiling is above 5000 feet, a great view of Mts. Si and Teneriffe. The trail continues, but this is the turnaround point for this easy stroll. As you start back note a log across a trail going down to the right. This is a closed but navigable trail which returns to the hard surface Preston-Snoqualmie Trail. When you regain the blacktop, turn right and continue another 10 minutes to its end. Take a moment to appreciate a distant view of Snoqualmie Falls. Return the 1.8 miles to the parking lot for a total distance of about 4 miles. If time and energy permit, take the trail in the opposite direction for a mile to the Preston/Fall City Road.

The botany: This is the time of year to begin forensic botanizing based on whatever leaves, fruits or other evidence is offered. Wet and dry soils, stream courses running through gorges, and disturbed trailsides provide diverse habitats for native and non-native species. Nearly all of our local native tree species—bigleaf maple, vine maple, black cottonwood, red alder, cascara, Douglas fir, western redcedar, western hemlock and Sitka spruce—can be seen here and compared. Use characteristics of twigs and other evidence remaining in late fall to identify common shrubs such as Indian plum, snowberry, elderberry and more. At least five species in the sedge family can be seen without leaving the trail, including Carex hendersonii, C. deweyana, C. opnupta, Scirpus cyperinus, and S. microcarpus. Maidenhair fern, deer fern and several other ferns will be in reasonable condition for identification. Trailsides, although carefully maintained and mowed, are wild enough for devil's club, water parsley and other native wetland species. At the manicured overlook on the wood waste trail, areas around benches and picnic tables have been planted with native species. Identify the roses and critique the landscaping choices.

Enjoy this easy walk among familiar plants as many of them end their growing season while others begin theirs. For example, many species have new leaves emerging at this time of year to give them a head start next spring. Claytonia sibirica and Poa pratensis are among these. For think about Joe Arnett's essays from the CPS Chapter newsletter, many of which remind us how to appreciate whatever plants are around us. There is much to learn from even the most common species.

The directions: Travel to Fall City, and from the center of town go 0.5 miles toward Preston on the Fall City-Preston Road. Turn left on the Alice Lake Road and go 0.9 miles to the parking area on the right. If arriving via I-90 from Preston, turn right on the Alice Lake Road 0.5 miles before reaching Fall City. For your convenience there is a portable toilet at the trailhead.

Lord Hill Park Beaver Ponds—December 2001 By Holly Zox

Nothing appeals to me more, on a drizzly winter day, than to slog through the woods and sit by the edge of a hidden lake with a thermos of tea and drip like a tree. If splashing through mud puddles is not your cup of tea, a visit to the beaver ponds of Lord Hill Park is equally rewarding on a dry winter day.

Farmed, and logged as many as three times, this park of more than 1300 acres is part of the prominent volcanic ridge that towers over the Snohomish River SW of Monroe. Spring is the time to visit Lord Hill’s rocky bald. Anytime, the park is an excellent study in forest succession. Now, grab a map at the trailhead and set off to explore the Temple Pond Loop.

One approach is to head down from the parking lot through second-growth forest of Thuja plicata (western red-cedar), Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock), Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple), Alnus rubra (red alder), Populus balsamifera (black cottonwood), Rubus spectabilis (salmonberry), and Tolmiea menziesii (piggyback plant). Hone your winter ID. skills by picking out the Prunus emarginata (bitter cherry), Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian-plum), Rhamnus purshiana (cascara), and Acer circinatum (vine maple). Cross several boardwalks until you reach the intersection with the main trail in 0.4 miles. Turn left and take the Beaver Lake Trail through red alders, watching for the very spiny stems of Ribes lacustre (swamp gooseberry). The trail curves to the right, and you may see a sign for Beaver Lake Trail 0.2. Soon the trail will fork. The right fork is signed Pipeline Trail. Take the left fork downhill to a bridge at the outlet of Beaver Lake. Turn right, heading south on the Pipeline Trail, 0.8 mile from the parking lot, and over a second bridge with Beaver Lake to your left.

Avoid the temptation to enter the woods at the outlet of Beaver Lake. A dandy cross-country connection can be made to Temple Pond, but it is more likely that one will become hopelessly lost. Old railroad grades, game trails, and flagging lead to “Danger Keep Out” signs and a quarry with active blasting.

So, make your merry way uphill on the Pipeline Trail. See if you can tell the Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) from the Elymus glaucus (blue wildrye). Detour on an obvious path to check out active beaver logging. Do not try this on a windy day. Continue on the Pipeline trail to its intersection, 1.1 miles from the parking lot, with 1.6 mile Temple Pond Loop on your left.

Here enter some of the finest forest in the park. Forensic evidence of Hydrophyllum tenuipes (Pacific waterleaf), Achylis triphylla (vanillaleaf), Asarum caudatum (wild-ginger), Adiantum aleuticum (maidenhair fern), Bromus sitchensis (Alaska brome), and Trisetum cernuum (nodding trisetum) can be found. The fine lighter green blades of Carex deweyana (Dewey’s sedge) grow next to the wide darker green blades of C. hendersonii (Henderson’s sedge).

Beware of confusing trail offshoots on your left. If in doubt, bear to the right. Soon, you will pass a ravine full of Oplopanax horridus (devil’s club) and sense the pond’s outlet stream on your left. Bushwhacking can lead to two beaver dams, fresh bear scat, and a very heavy something crashing out of a tree.

Better perhaps, rest on a log surrounded by Linnaea borealis (twinflower) in the shelter of furrowed, middle-aged Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-firs). Then take any and all paths to the shore of Temple Pond. Here you can find all the shrubs mentioned, plus Lonicera involucrata (twinberry), Spiraea douglasii (hardhack), Amelanchier alnifolia (serviceberry), Salix ssp. (willows), and alien Cotoneaster.

Sedges include Carex lenticularis (lenticular sedge), and C. vesicaria (inflated sedge), rushes Juncus effusis (soft rush), and less often J. ensifolius (dagger-leaf rush).

Pull out your thermos, sit awhile, and you may see bald eagles, a belted kingfisher, beavers, or river otters.

Then, continue on the Temple Pond Loop past a small pond with a large beaver lodge, past a patch of Hedera helix (English ivy), and back to the Pipeline Trail. Cross the trail and take the Cutoff Trail 0.1 mile to the Main Trail and right 1 mile to the park entrance.

This large park is full of confusing unmarked and unmapped trails, always muddy, and wonderfully wild.

Allow at least three hours for the moderate walk described. Come prepared with sturdy boots and the ten essentials.

Directions: from Snohomish, follow 2nd St. east to Lincoln and turn right. This becomes the Old Snohomish-Monroe Highway. In about 2.5 miles turn right on 127th Ave. SE. and drive another 1.6 miles uphill to the park entrance on the left. From Monroe, take the 164th St. exit from 522 and head west on Main St. toward Snohomish. This too becomes the Old Snohomish-Monroe Highway. Drive about 2 miles and turn left on 127th Ave. SE. and proceed as above. Seward Park, Seattle—December 2000 By Brenda Senturia

It's easy to forget that we have some wonderful parks right in metropolitan Seattle. When the weather is fine, our thoughts turn to more distant spots, but in the month of December when we often wake up to darkness and rain, it's a better choice to stay close to home. Seward Park is a familiar urban park with a trail circling the park at water's edge—heavily used for biking and running. But the upper reaches of the park are magnificent and contain some of the oldest and largest trees in the Seattle metropolitan area.

Across from the kiosk in the parking area (directions below), two trails are visible. Take the left one and soon you will walk into another world, one of old trees and quiet groves. There are large, imposing conifers of three species: Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock. Moreover, the big-leaf maples here are truly magnificent. Many are covered with beautiful licorice fern. The understory is a mix of Indian plum, vine maple, thimbleberry, salmonberry, red elderberry, salal, Oregon grape, sword fern, and dewberry. Passing over two boardwalks with lots of youth-on-age, look on the right for a downed big-leaf maple "nurse log" with numerous other big-leaf maples sprouting from it. Watch for gaps in the canopy where large trees have fallen, leaving sunny spots for understory species to grow and for new trees to start. The trail passes through a beautiful cedar grove. In this park, ivy and holly are both major problems. Look at the trees to see areas "before" and "after" major ivy removal efforts by park personnel and volunteers.

At the first junction, stay left. There are numerous side trails which connect with the paved lakeside trail. Keep near the ridge and you'll soon come to a junction with a wide, gravelled trail. There are a kiosk and map here. For a short walk, go right, following the road back to the parking lot. For a longer route, go left and explore other trails down to the water's edge. The distance is anywhere from ¾ to 2 miles, depending on how many side routes you explore. This is a perfect choice for a walk with children.

To reach the trailhead, drive south along the shore of Lake Washington, past the I-90 bridge, to a stop sign at a three-way intersection. Drive left into the park and head uphill (following sign to Picnic Area, Amphitheater). Park on the right at the top of the hill at the first parking area. Restrooms are located here and at the park entrance.

Devil’s Lake near Quilcene, WA — December 1999 By Dawn Corl

Devil’s Lake is located east of Mt. Walker just 2 miles from the town of Quilcene. It is owned by the State as DNR Common School land and is contiguous with National Forest land to the west. The lake has about 12 acres of open water, 6 acres of marsh and swamp and 4 acres of a sphagnum bog. The short trail to the lake (less than a half mile) runs through old growth forest habitat filled with very large Doug Firs and Western Red Cedars, Sword, Licorice and Deer Ferns, horsetails and Piggyback Plant. According to Dept of Ecology information, this forest has survived numerous forest fires and includes Doug Firs that exceed 300 years of age. There are 2 access routes to the bog. One is on the far right side of a large camping area. There is lots of mud here and it is easy to lose your footing and/or your boots in the muck. The second is a brushy way through Salmonberry and Rhododrendron from about the middle of the campground. (There was a pink flag at eye level to mark the way on 9/99.) There are rare and wonderful plants in the bog, including Roundleafed Sundews. Predominant species are Marsh Cinquefoil, Douglas Spirea, Labrador Tea, Bog Laurel, and of course Sphagnum Moss. There are also Bog Cranberry, Kneeling Angelica, Bog Violets, Bog Hypericum, and Buckbeans. There are some trees including Western Hemlock, Western White pine and Western Red Cedar. If you are interested in sedges, this place is a bonanza.

Take the Edmonds ferry to Kingston. Follow Rte 104 west through Port Gamble and across the Hood Canal Bridge to Quilcene Road (approx 20 miles from the Kinston ferry landing). Turn right and loop under Rte 104 going southwest. At Quilcene (approx 8 miles), turn left on the road between the Post Office and a realty office. Go 1 block and turn left on Lingerlonger Road. Go about 1/2 miles and turn rt on Leadville Road (well-marked and before Lingerlonger gets to the bay). Go 0.1 miles and turn left onto Rodgers road at the barn. This is a gravel road with several turnoffs, but always stay left until you go 0.7 miles where you will encounter a private aluminum gate that appears locked but isn’t. This is a public road. Go through the gate and drive up a clearcut ridge line with beautiful views of Dabob Bay. At 1.1 miles from the gate, turn left at the fork and the trailhead is 0.6 miles at the bottom of the hill on the right.

NOTE: Residents of Quilcene have had problems with teens and rowdy behavior at Devil’s Lake so are reticent to give directions, including the personnel at the ranger’s station 1 mile south of Quilcene! This is a fragile environment classed as a “high quality native wetland” by the Washington Natural program, so please step lightly and help by removing any human-generated trash you may encounter along the way.