UWFA Blog

Good Morning Trekkers –

Last week we enjoyed a nice change of pace with a lovely beach hike at Double Point on Whidbey Island. Although a crispy day, the sun was out and we had some company on the beach – a few other folks, two eagles, an islet full of sunbathing seals, and lots of waterfowl. I just wish we’d had a geologist with us, as the enormous bluffs along this stretch of beach are an ever-changing mystery with a wide variety of the forces of nature present!

This week we’ll head in the opposite direction for a very different experience. We’ll strap on our X-C skis and play at the Cabin Creek area on Snoqualmie Pass. This lovely area has varied terrain with something for everybody – 10+ miles of groomed trails for beginner through expert, and no avalanche danger. We’ll depart from 35th Ave. N.E. & N.E. 50th St. at 7:30 a.m. Please let Barbara know by 5 p.m. Monday if you plan to go and whether you can drive. Note that Sno-Park permit is needed for the cars. If you use a daily permit ($20) you don’t need any other pass. If you have a seasonal Sno-Park pass ($40), you’ll need to also have a groomed trails permit (another $40 for the season). You can get a day Sno-Park pass online or at the Snoqualmie Pass Visitor’s Center.

As for drivers, all-wheel drive and a ski rack are helpful.  I just heard that snow is falling at very low Puget Sound locations as I write this, so we may have to alter our location, but plan on a X-C ski trip in the I-90 locale.

An alternative: The Gold Group is planning a 4 to 5 mile walk through the Lake Hills Greenbelt in Bellevue, including the Larson Lake Blueberry Farm. Level terrain, mostly bark lined. Today, Larson Lake hosted buffleheads, gulls, widgeons and mallards. On the trail, we met a Bewick’s wren and a rufous sided towhee. A red tailed hawk hunted overhead. The blueberry fields in winter are glowing red.

Meet at  35th N.E. & N.E. 50th at 9 a.m. DIRECTIONS: Cross the 520 bridge, and take the 148th Ave. exit South. Go South about 2.5 miles (past Main Street) to the Larson Lake Blueberry Farm parking lot on your Left. Sue’s cell phone is 425-417-0087.

For all of you who took part in any of the 2015 hikes, here is a chance to revisit:
See photos

Due to the coinciding UWFA Holiday Tea, held at the Waterfront Activities Center, today’s hike was a combined Silver and Gold Group hike.  We, all THREE of us – (really only Gold hikers attended, I was just there to document the fact that only Gold hikers showed up for this hike)  had a lovely hike through the Union Bay Natural Area.  We saw plenty of birds – coots, wood ducks, mallards, buffleheads, shoveler ducks, cormorants and an eagle.

It was pretty rainy and windy but that did not deter those intrepid Gold hikers.  They covered up their Holiday Tea finery with Goretex and headed out.  I brought along my underwater camera which does not have a good telephoto lens (telephoto is not useful underwater) so unfortunately I did not get good close-up shots of the birds we saw.  It was a nice bit of exercise with plenty of fresh air!

There was a very strong turnout at the Holiday Tea by the Trekkers.  Go Trekkers!

Here’s the link to today’s photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3b3mafyp0x7d2b8/AACCyzc3ArlTV29M7lRnOyVUa?dl=0

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.