GETTING TO THE TRAILHEAD: If you are leaving from south Spokane, it makes sense to take the Palouse Highway to the junction with State Route 27 and drive north to the village of Mica. SCENERY: Pleasant second-growth forests and some wild flowers. I noticed a lot of small new larch trees. They should be pretty in the fall. FINDING THE RIGHT TRAIL: I used the Spokane County maps. Having a topo map would have helped. You hike 1.98 miles from the parking lot before getting to the boundary of the conservation area. After leaving the parking lot go straight along the creek. Do not turn right over the creek on the road that looks more heavily used. That takes you into a logged over area. The trail to take is mostly an old logging road, but a couple of newly constructed hiking paths offer a pleasant alternative to hiking on the old road. These are shown on the county map. At the point where the road starts to go downhill you will find a hiking trail to the right. Take it. It is shown on the map. At the end of this trail is a sign announcing the boundary of the conservation area. Here you can go three ways. NORTHBOUND: I walked along what I supposed was the trail under the electric wires. I came to a sharp drop off and opted to go no further. I saw nothing resembling a trail. SOUTHBOUND #1 takes you 2.7 miles to a junction with an old road headed south for .83 miles to a viewpoint. It is easy, and the view is nice. While there I saw the beginning of the new trail shown on the map as under construction. I took it, thinking by now it might be finished. It nearly is finished, but I had some cross country hiking for an unfinished gap. It takes you to a flat spot under the electric wires. From here you can follow an old road downhill and eventually find a newly built trail headed north. This is the trail discussed as follows. SOUTHBOUND #2 from the conservation area boundary is a newly constructed trail, which is shown on the map. It takes you down into a valley. You will often catch sight of the electric wires. Once you are at the end of the newly constructed trail go uphill on an old road and walk for a ways under the electric wires. You will eventually find the northerly end of the new trail that is still under construction [see notes under SOUTHBOUND #1].
Washington Trails
Association
Trails for everyone, forever
Comments