Discovery Park Beach and Highlands Loop — Friday, Nov. 20, 2015

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area

A beautiful sunny afternoon, although the wind sometimes seemed cold. I walked the entire Beach and Highlands loop as described in the Hiking Guide. All these trails survived the recent heavy rain and winds unscathed. No blowdowns were evident today, and no significant mud. Most deciduous trees are bare now, their leaves gone after the recent storm. The south-side beach shows a lot of driftwood and pebbles, but not much sand. The beach north of the lighthouse has less driftwood, but a lot of sand remaining. It all depends on the wind, surf and currents. Mount Rainier was visible today, although hazy. The Olympics and Mt Baker were out too. Many robins, and an occasional towhee, appeared for me in the forested areas and meadow, and a few crows were around. Dozens of gulls swirled around, particularly over the north-side beach. As for native furry critters, I saw only a single chipmunk today. Two non-native rabbits browsed peacefully near the old church. It was a great day to be out.