Our original plan was to hike at Snoqualmie but there was still more snow than we expected (and was the patchy/"dirty"-looking snow that we didn't really want our dog to get all dirty in.) So, we kept driving to Lake Easton! No snow at all at Lake Easton. Been here many times, love it year-round. 

There were people fishing on the small bridge and we passed a few mountain bikers and a few other hikers but all in all, not many people around at all. Trail well maintained. I carried our baby in a hiking backpack. We have also pushed her in a running stroller on the trails here with no issues in the past. 

We hiked all the way to where you can connect to the Palouse to Cascades Trail and headed east until we reached the first tunnel. 

There were some trillium in bloom here and there and also some small flowers. The restrooms near the playground were open and were clean. 

Was expecting more snow but I guess a lot has already melted away. It was still "enough" for our city pup to be super happy and excited about though! 

Arrived at trail head around 11:30 am. We were the only car in the lot. Unlike when we were here at the end of January, the road leading up to the parking lot from the fire station is completely clear, albeit just very small patches of snow/slush here and there. Note that the outhouse at the parking lot is closed for the winter season. (Oddly enough, it was open and not locked back in January). 

We headed west on the trail this time to explore a new part of the trail (for us). After you walk by the fire station, you have to cross the road and then continue walking on the road/shoulder for a bit before you meet up with the trail again. Trail signage here has blown over/been knocked down so just be aware that you kind of have to walk right in front of some houses/their driveway to connect to the trail. 

The start of the trail here was clear of snow and there were a few rolling hills (nothing steep) and then the rest of the trail is flat. We did come across snow here and there, with a few areas of covered snow-beds that were maybe 6 inches to a foot deep. It was helpful to be wearing hiking boots. 

There is a portion of downed trees and erosion where some boulders have fallen onto the trail. The trail is wide so it's still easy to walk by, but just a head's up. You'll see this right after you go through the tunnel (if you are heading west). 

We hiked to the bridge that crosses the Yakima River. This was 2 miles from the trail head so made for 4 miles round trip. We came across three other people with dogs on the trail (all closer to town). 

Not sure if it was just the direction the wind was blowing but we could hear the highway pretty much the entire duration of our hike. Now that we've hiked multiple sections of this trail in this area, I would say this is probably my least favorite section. I prefer the section of trail closer to Lake Easton where you are "in the forest" more, or even starting from the Easton trail head (like we did today) but head east. This is just my personal preference because there wasn't as much to see where we were hiking today. It is a nice portion if you want to avoid crowds though!

The original plan was to take our pup to walk around in the snow at Lake Easton State Park but upon arriving just before 10 am, the parking lots were too full for our liking with wanting to practice good social distancing. 

We decided to go just east of Lake Easton to hike along the Palouse to Cascades Trail instead, and I am glad we did. Because of all the snow, it was difficult to find the actual trail head/parking lot since we had never been here before. (It was all covered in snow). After not being exactly sure where to proceed next to the fire station and a sign that pointed to a trail head, we turned our car around and parked at the school and walked from there. 

It was a good option because once we walked towards the trail head and realized the parking lot was completely covered in snow, it was obvious our non-4-wheel drive car would have gotten stuck here. 

We hiked a total of four miles round trip. There is a bit of highway noise but the hike was still enjoyable with all the snow and trees/foliage around. We were alone for our entire hike except the end when we were returning to the trail head/fire station and came across two groups of people (also with dogs). The trail is wide so it made it easy for social distancing.  

I am trying to stay on the flat trails for a while while recovering from two surgeries. The Palouse to Cascades Trail is ideal. Today I went west from Easton. This is an incredibly beautiful part of the trail. There are tunnels and cool bridges and lots of dark woods and open and sunny clearings. There are also good river views, especially from the bridges. The first bridge you go on is over a piece of Lake Easton. I also saw a train go by in the woods about 50 feet off the trail. It was a wonderful day on the trail with only a few other people cycling by. If you go far enough you can get to a second tunnel but that’s about 7 miles or so each way. Probably be better to save that one for cycling day. Fall colors are starting to come out in this area now. 

We started at Lake Easton State Park and walked 4.5 miles roundtrip.    The trail out of the state park crosses a bridge over Lake Easton.   We entered a forest with some side trails named S Curves, Loop D Loops, No Name Loop, etc.    We stayed on the main trail heading towards the Palouse to Cascades Trail, but another day it would be fun to check out all the side loops.   The main trail was well marked and clear.   It's a nice flat walk with views of the Yakima River.    There were some family groups walking and a few bike groups, but it's such a wide trail that it's easy to socially distance.