After hiking the Diosbud Creek Trail, we did this short hike. The trail begins at the northwest corner of the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center which is closed for the season. This is a 1.8 mile loop trail. The benches at the visitor's center had 2 and 1/2 " of snow. There was snow on the trail, but it had been walked by others so there was water and slush in many areas. There are many tall and ancient firs and cedars long the riverbanks. Mossy maples and yews were also seen. There were a few easily crossed blowdowns along the trail.

On our way to Winthrop, we stopped in Newhalem, as usual. Only this time, we turned off Hwy 20 before the townsite, and across the bridge to the campground and visitors center. We found this hike in Craig Romano’s North Cascades Hikes book, and decided to stretch our legs before our next hike on the way to Winthrop: Blue Lake. After a short descent to the river valley, we got to see lots of BIG trees, old growth that had been spared. The trail is wide and in great condition, with several benches hewn out of felled tree trunks that invite sitting and listening. To the river, the breezes through the leaves and campground activity. We got a nice short hike in before lunch, enjoyed the ranger’s display of grizzly and black bear pelts, admired a few Honda Gold Wings and then headed back to Hwy 20 and on to Blue Lake.