UWFA Blog

Good Morning Trekkers –

With cooperation of the weather gods, we had a wonderful time exploring the trails and boardwalks at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge last week. I wish I could send out all the incredible photos of birds and sea life that were taken! What a wealth of life in this delta area!

This week there will be a return outing to the Nisqually for Luci, Libby and all others, SILVER or GOLD, who missed the opportunity last week. Plan to meet at NE 50^th & 35^th NE in time to depart at 8 AM. Weather should be good. Very low chance of showers. Bring binoculars (you’ll be glad!), wind protection (it can get chilly out on the boardwalk even with a little wind), and if you’re as optimistic as Luci, bring sunscreen.

SILVER hikers will head over to Dungeness Spit, the longest coastal spit in the United States….. and surely the most glorious! The hardiest can hike all the way out to the lighthouse at the end of the spit. This is 11 miles RT, all beach-walking. Others may wish to hike shorter distances and take their time to poke around the beaches and enjoy the abundant wildlife. The tides and weather should both be very cooperative, but do dress for max. 60 degree weather and possible winds…. and, as above, don’t forget binoculars and sun screen. As this trip takes us over to the Olympic Peninsula and we’ll want generous hiking time, don’t make evening plans that require you to be home early. Some may opt to have dinner en route. We’ll depart from NE 178^th in Lake Forest Park opposite Libby’s drive way. We’ll aim for the 7:55 ferry from Edmonds to Kingston, so arrive at meeting place early enough for a prompt 7:15 departure. Let Leaders know by 5 pm Monday if you plan to go and whether you can drive. Information and trip reports at www.wta.org search for Dungeness Spit.

-Sandy

Five intrepid souls of the UW Faculty Auxiliary (Bernadette, Linda, Kathleen, Barbara and Donna) headed North for some x-country skiing at Silver Star, in the Canadian Okanagan.  Second day was kind of snowy with wind.  They could not quite escape the civilization since the last episode of “Downton Abby” had them spell-bound. .  They skied at both the Sovereign Lakes trail system and the Silver Star trail system.  Weather has been variable – sun, clouds, snow, a little fog.  Lots of new snow up here.

Accommodations in a rented home have been fabulous!  Except for one dinner and lunch, we’ve prepared all of our own meals so we’ve eaten well.  Everything comes to an end, and so they were “dragged back to reality, kicking and screaming” as someone put it

February 9 – 12 the Trekkers made their annual X-C ski pilgrimage to the Methow Valley. Twenty-six of us filled North Cascades BaseCamp to the brim, enjoying days of skiing, snowshoeing and relaxing, and evenings of wonderful dinners, great company, reading, conversation and games. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions…. above freezing during the days and 4 feet of perfect snow.  Glorious! Some folks stayed an extra night to take in the very interesting presentation about how re-introduced wolves are getting along in areas of Washington where sheep and cattle graze. (Actually, the sheep and cattle are faring VERY well!)

Last week’s hikes were terrific! The Gold group went to the Skagit Wildlife Preserve and saw lots of wildlife, indeed. According to Luci, the showstopper was sighting two horned owls in their nest, with a close second being thousands of snow geese feeding in a field. They also spotted herons and two eagles in their nest, as well as many other birds and evidence of beavers recently at work.

The Silver group explored the Chuckanut Mountain area from the East side, hiking first to Pine Lake where they enjoyed lunch, then Cedar Lake. After circling Cedar Lake they hiked up to overlook areas with views to the Northeast and to the West. Then they dropped back to the main trail junction and made their way up to Raptor Ridge, another lovely viewpoint that sits above an area of enormous rock formations.

This area is very dramatic with its lush forests, deep valleys, lovely lakes and interesting rocks. We didn’t spot as much wildlife as the Gold group, but we did encounter a bear in a cave!

Well, it was a great time last week what with the walk and big gathering at Magnuson Park culminating in the creation of a cairn in memory of Mary Hjorth. … and then a very festive gathering at Anne Johnson’s with a feast of yummy foods, catching up with friends old and new, and caroling to Amy’s amazing accompaniment ( or were we accompanying her?!). A lovely way to close the year. Ooops! Not quite yet! We need to at least try to shed some of those extra calories we’ve been accumulating over this holiday season. Soooo….

SILVER & GOLD hike: We’ll head over to the west Cougar Mountain area for a 4.2 mile RT hike on the Wildside and De Leo Wall Trails (489 ft. elevation gain). Trail info. at www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/de-leo-wall. It’s likely to rain that day, especially in the afternoon, so be prepared. We’ll depart from 35th NE & NE 50th at 9 AM. Please let Barbara know by 5pm Monday if you plan to go and whether you can drive.