Chiwaukum Creek — Saturday, May. 27, 2023

We had two grandparents, two parents, and two kids (ages 8 and 12). Lots of flowers! We hiked 2 miles out and had lunch at a spot where the trail met the creek, then returned. There wasn't much shade there, but the breeze off the water at our picnic spot kept things cool. Lots of brush after the wilderness boundary -- sometimes taller than me and with little trail visible at my feet. I was glad to be wearing long pants despite the heat. We had to climb over one fallen tree.

Word of warning -- shortly before the road ended and the true trail began, my kids were walking about 15 feet in front of me and suddenly started screaming. A large rattlesnake was crossing the trail right in front of them, rattling. They turned and ran back to the rest of the group and I managed to grab a quick photo as it hid in the rocks on the creek side of the trail. I'm glad we encountered it when the road was still wide enough to easily spot it and have space to turn around and move quickly away.