Took a quick hike with the family. Pretty wet and muddy, and the walkway under the bridge was totally flooded. Had to remove our shoes and carry the kids through to the beach area. That cut down on the number of people on the beach though! Unfortunately there were a lot of dogs on the trail, so didn't get to see much in the way of wildlife. We did get a quick glimpse of a red-tailed hawk .

The trail was muddy in spots and there was some standing water on the trail here and there. Nothing that was a problem though, until you get to the underpass that takes you to the beach. From the photo you can see that it's covered with water. It's impassable unless you're willing to get wet. All of the recent rain has made the little creek spill out over the walkway, covering the only access to the beach. Since we were unable to do any beachcombing, we stood at the bridge near the ranger's house and watched a few spawning salmon for awhile. We then made our way back to the parking lot and headed home. Happy Thanksgiving! To see more of our hike go to: http://1retromama.blogspot.com/2012/11/lunds-gulch-meadowdale-beach-county.html

We needed a short hike close to home today so we chose Lund's Gulch. On a sunny day, the parking lot is always full. However, we have found that if you arrive before noon there is usually a spot or two empty. As always, the trail was well maintained. Though going down the trail, I slide on loose gravel and rocks. My husband found the trail to be a bit slippery too. Perhaps from the lack of rain we've had? This trail is a fantastic urban hike for people of all ages.

If you want a close-to-home hike to enjoy after work, then this hike is for you. The wide, well-maintained trail descends 1.25 miles through lush Lunds Gulch before terminating at Meadowdale Beach. The trail can be steep at times, but wooden planks act as stairs to make the going easier. Paralleling a stream, the trail passes through a forest of towering trees before reaching the beach, complete with picnic tables, views of the Olympics (on a sunny day), and plenty of space to explore.

Red tide! I don't know if this was the kind of red tide that makes shellfish poisonous or not, but it truly was red! Also a nice minus tide, so there were lots of intertidal sea life under and around rocks. A green larvae or bug of some sort amoungst the green seaweed, I'd never seen that before either. 2 herons, fledglings, I think, were fishing along the flats. A nice beach walk if you can't go to the Mtns.