Frenchman Coulee — Monday, May. 1, 2006

Central Washington > Potholes Region

Who knew time travel could be so easy, but it is. Puget Sounders, why wait for summer to come to you...in mid-July...when you could go visit it NOW? First off, the drive is beautiful, complete with a herd of elk just before hitting Ellensburg. After only a short ramble through Frenchman Coulee near Vantage I was feeling very lucky. For one, I was plenty warm in a t-shirt well before 9 am. Then, there is the abundant sage brush giving the morning a great scent. Cheery balsamroot and phlox and larkspur provide a splash of color and the little yellow buckwheat add texture. I found a deer staring at me and followed him a little ways to see another deer watching me. At a small pond, I was startled by a huge splash but didn't see what made the noise. A beaver, I suspect. The rocks are full of festive lichen. I saw two quail running around and little bunnies dashing about every which way. I even came within three feet of a rattlesnake. Eagles soared overhead and marmots (maybe?) scampered in the camprground. All of this animaly, naturey fun is set against a stunning backdrop of basalt columns. The nearby columns have climbers dangling from them which can be fun to watch with or without binocs. Frenchman Coulee is perfect for meandering, but you can follow the climbers trail to ""The Far End"" past the Sunshine Wall for a good mini-hike and a spendid panorama of the Columbia River and surrounding gorge. More hike info in 55 Hikes in Central Washington. Puget Sounders, remember that it will still be spring when you return home.