Blanchard Hill - Alternate Incline Trail, Lily and Lizard Lake Loop & North Butte — Sunday, Mar. 26, 2017

Road to the trailhead is in good shape. Only a few potholes here and there, all are easily seen and avoided. Restrooms available at the parking area just before the Alternate Incline trailhead lot. Discover Pass required. The Alternate Incline Trail climbs gently but steadily through some nice second growth conifer forest, a nice canopy for a drizzle-y spring day. Lots of mosses and ferns give the trail a lush feel. Keep an eye out for the ancient remains of old logging equipment parts along the edges of the trail. Though this trail has seen some recent water diversion work (thanks!), there are still many sections which are muddy, mucky, and/or waterlogged. Waterproof boots and gaiters are definitely helpful! We explored around Lizard Lake for a bit, checking out numerous little streams, waterfalls, and several giant glacier erratics. There is a ton of fresh beaver work around the lake. Many trees are in various stages of being gnawed through and felling. The far side of the lake has a lovely beaver dam, and not far away is a good sized beaver lodge, easily seen from the shoreline. We did not see the beavers themselves however. After a bit of lunch at the lake, we headed up to North Butte and were treated to some lovely views of Puget Sound and the islands. I would say just as nice as the views from Oyster Dome, however there is less room to move around, and the rock ledges are steep and pretty slick in wet weather. I would not recommend it for small children. On the way out, we drove back through LaConner for the brilliant golden fields of daffodils. They are in peak bloom right now, and there are plenty of good photo ops all through this area; most traffic comes later in the season for the tulip festival. The bright yellow flowers are especially nice contrasted against the overcast skies we had today. Like the farmers had planted fields of sunshine.