Day 19, Alice Creek to Cedar Falls

Woke up to clouds but no rain. This is how I remember it over here. Nice temps too.  I lived over on this side for several years.  Scenes like this bring Twin Peaks back to mind.

The clouds moving in and out.

Low Clouds

Running along I-90

We got going and breezed through the last 10 miles to Cedar Falls. Counted over 30 trail users on the way there including climbers at the Deception Pass climbing area. There were a lot of trestles today as well.

One of the bigger Trestles

Go to the edge and look over!

Something kind of fun happened.  I had noticed a few days ago on Instagram a biker starting the trail.  Him and his partner passed us today.  They moved quick!  I recognized him from his photos when they passed us, and then, with the luck of a fortuitous flat, we were able to chat a bit when he was fixing it.  His name was Bryn.

Once the trail turned away from I-90 and more in toward Cedar Falls the forest got more mossy and most definitely Squatchy!

So many slugs!

Very Squatchy. He’s out there somewhere!

So many Maidenhair…

I’m amused how these signs seem to always have a trail running past them.

Finally found some stinging nettles, I’d been looking for them once we got into the mountains but couldn’t remember exactly what they looked like. After touching them I remembered pretty quickly.

Most definitely stinging nettle.

In Cedar Falls there’s a big educational center for the watershed. It’s pretty interesting. We didn’t spend much time there other than to look at the rain drum garden and the roof covered in vegetation. In all honesty I felt out of place there, I couldn’t eat my instant potatoes out of a bag like a vagrant if you know what I mean… so I talked Coyote into heading down to Rattlesnake Lake to sit in the park.

Watershed Education Center

Rattlesnake Lake

Seems early, but berries are on.

Sitting in the park.

Our original plan would’ve taken us into Issaquah via the Snoqualmie Valley Trail-Preston/Snoqualmie Trail-Issaquah/Preston Trail and there I would rent a car and drive home. But my incredible friend Lisa had generously offered to come pick us up, so we waited there by the lake.

Lisa showed up and we were off… we even stopped in Cle Elum and ate at Smokey’s Bar-B-Que!  Then we drove Highway 10 through the upper Yakima river canyon watching the trail we had just been on.

And then we were home.