Bald Mountain & Cutthroat Lakes

Great drive to this trailhead. The Malardy Ridge road is one of the smoothest logging roads in the Stillaguamish valley. Knowing that this trail has increased (deservedly) in popularity in the last two years, we arrived early enough to find good parking. We saw just a couple other hikers on the way up, but passed two dozen on the way down.
I was disappointed in the berry crop this year, the berries were extremely sparse, half the size they should be and rather bland. Normally by this time of year the Cutthroat Lakes basin below the summit is awash in a rainbow of fall colors, the evergreens surrounded by the yellows, reds & oranges of the autumnal palette, but this year, just like my garden at home, everything seems to be late and undersized. Still, even swathed in granite gray and forest green, it is a beautiful place in the transition zone between foothills forest and sub-alpine.
The wildflowers, though not exactly numerous, added nice little accents of color here and there along the trail, with bluebells, two types of aster, heliotrope, trillium and red columbine. In another 2-3 weeks, with help from cooler weather, we may yet see fall in all its glory, but at this point its a race against time and the first snowfall.

Snohomish River - Snohomish to Everett

I talked a friend into coming along on a kayak journey from Cady Park in Snohomish to the boat launch at Rotary Park in Everett's Lowell neighborhood, just 3 blocks from my house. I figured that we could go for an easy float, letting the river carry us towards Puget Sound. I probably should have checked the tide table first.
The Snohomish is tidally influenced in the estuary and probably 10 miles beyond at high tide, and the tide was coming in this day, so our leisurely downstream drift became a 5 hour aerobic workout, struggling against the current and a constant 10 MPH headwind.
The Snohomish winds through the farms and fields of Ebey Island and the Lowell-Snohomish Road, with the banks mostly covered in blackberry bushes. There are occasional breaks, some natural, some created by fishermen looking to reap the bounty of coho, chinook and pink salmon, as well as cutthroat and steelhead trout. The pinks had been running heavy for a couple weeks, and they were jumping everywhere, but didn't seem to be biting today.
While not as wild or scenic as the sloughs that criss-cross the estuary, the main stem still has lots of herons, ducks, geese and the occasional harbor seal. A seal followed us for a bit, circling the boat looking for a handout of fish heads or guts, but eventually gave up when he realized we either had no fish or weren't giving up any.

We found two spots with muddy sandbars where we could stop for a much needed breather, but mostly it was more work than fun. Next time I'll do my homework first.

Anacortes Community Forest Lands

Having only a short time to hike on this sunny first day of summer, I sought out someplace close and low, somewhere I could drive to in an hour and not have to cross swollen streams or struggle through slush. I used the WTA "Hike Finder" app to search the Skagit river delta, and thanks to a nice trip report from Mike (the 50 year old guy who is doing 50 hikes this year), I discovered the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, for which I am very grateful.
The Cranberry Lake area is just a couple blocks from downtown Anacortes, but within 100 yards you're in a different world. The bowl that the lake, ponds and wetlands sit in screens out the traffic noise from nearby roads almost immediately. With the exception of one jet and one prop plane that flew overhead, I never heard anything but birds, no car noise until I was almost back to my own vehicle. I'm not promising you the same thing; some of these trails are motorcycle accessible. Indeed, this is a multi-use park, with hikers, cyclists, horses and bikers allowed on various routes, but on this Tuesday morning wheels and motors were blessedly absent.
There are a few benches along the trail, quiet places for a picnic or birdwatching, and there are definitely birds that need watching here. I saw heron, eagles and owls, along with lots of smaller brown and gray birds. The owls seem quite used to people and will hold still for photos if you approach quietly. Signs warn that joggers and mountain bikers are sometimes swooped on by startled owls, and I can sympathize. I feel the same way when an ATV or a jet ski buzzes by belching smoke.

If you go, you'll need a map, because there seems to be a trail junction about every 1/8th mile, all given cryptic headings like "HW124BM". I got mine for $10 at the charming little Lake Erie Grocery at the foot of Mount Erie on Heart Lake Road (open weekdays at 7AM). It's a packet of 3 maps, because there are three units to the ACFL. Cranberry Lake is where I hiked today, but there are also trails at Heart Lake and to the top of Mount Erie. I cheated and took the road to the top today, but I'll be back to do more hiking here. There are over 50 miles of trails, and at the top of the mountain you'll see Whidbey, Camano and the San Juan's, as well as the eagles who live there. With the adjacent hikes in Washington Park and at Deception Pass, this area is a great year round, all weather easy getaway.