Umtanum Creek Canyon — Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016

Central Washington > Yakima

In search of sun on a stormy Sunday, we made the long drive to the desert climate of Umtanum Canyon. Mission Accomplished, for the most part! The weather was blustery and partly cloudy, but not bad. Long intervals of sun warmed heart and soul. After crossing the suspension bridge over the Yakima River, we headed up the canyon, then shortly veered left onto the trail climbing toward the top of Umtanum ridge. This route follows an old jeep trail that climbs briskly up a side canyon. The seasonal creek in the side canyon was running with a good flow, forming some charming waterfalls where it dropped over ledges of lava. Higher up, the trail levels out in a hanging valley. There were patches of icy snow and mud there, nothing too difficult to cross. Grass was beginning to sprout in the meadows, but spring flowers are still a long way off. The trail eventually crosses the seasonal creek, then climbs swiftly up a small drainage. There is one section of bad mud along a shaded stretch; I would recommend going cross country up the ridge on the other side of the drainage to avoid the mud. We stopped short of going to the top of Umtanum Ridge due to high wind and lingering snow. Instead, we stopped for a long lunch in a wind sheltered spot and enjoyed the broad view to the east and north. Then we headed back down by the same route. It is still winter by the calender, but spring is definitely beginning to arrive in the big sky country of Eastern Washington.