The Destruction of Development~

Last night - just at midnight - we woke to the sound of the Coyote's howling.  Loud & mournful - I knew - without knowing - they were voicing their shock & sorrow at the loss of their habitat.   With those howls fresh in our minds, we decided to hike up late this afternoon.  Only a few feet in - the trail was gone.  We were confronted with a scene - surreal in it's stark contrast to what once was...  Soon, there will be 600 residential homes here, residents complaining when the coyotes take their pets & deer eat their flowers.

Where my entry trail was~

Utter destruction in every direction.

Trees cut & stacked ~

 It was like walking through a place so strange - somewhere I'd never been, rather than a place that I've known as well as anyone for over twenty-five years.

Butch - where my trail came out on the intersection~

 To the south - a line of heavy equipment - ten in all.  Hundreds of trees down & stacked.

Lined up & ready to go~

 This trail now a graded roadway - went to the first section of the development - where the tree was across earlier this year.  Post~

The gate now~

The development is moving from south to north along the east side of the power lines.

Toward the power lines, west~

 Above was my main access to the outflow of the wetland & on up to Cottonwood Cathedral.

My trail is between the trees ahead~

 We walked all the way to the end of the grading - the trail is still there at the bottom of the wetland, but I'm sure not for long.

Right past the edge~

 A stake marks the clear-cut boundary - for now.  Trees felled here too, as close to the wetland as they could possibly get.  Several had fallen over the boundary line.

Looking back the way we'd come~

 Back at the intersection, we walked north.

Butch walking north~

 Parallel with what's left of the woods, where houses will be built.  Actually toward our street.

Looking east from the road Butch is walking above~

 I was surprised to see the drainage basin dry & marked for houses!

What was a drainage basin~

Below, full of water~

12/09/15

 Evidently, they no longer need water retention.

Cutting through toward 116th~

 Another surprise, to see that a dozer had gone through from the end of the graded road toward the top of our street.  I've not been able to ride up our road for years - due to the adjoining landowner with the pit.  Originally we were told the development would not come through here - but now - who knows?

Looking south, back the way we'd come~

 As we headed back to the way we'd come in, to say that my mood was subdued, would be an understatement.  I couldn't help but notice the little things. 

Butts in the dirt...

 Butch had to ask me where we'd come through. 

The cedar log marks the way~

 To think of all the land that isn't wooded, doesn't have the headwaters of three different streams, doesn't have fresh water wetlands & doesn't have wildlife...   Somewhere else besides here?  This last remnant of the forested land that was our buffer from the ever-spreading Marysville. 

The land - looking from west to east~

Since this image is old, it only shows the first of the development.  Now, everything along the west edge of the large wetland is gone.  It's probably not worth the effort to try to get through - but I may try.  I know that the Cathedral will go down soon - there's the trail soon to be road that they will cut right through it.

Marysville development moves east~

 Combine this mess with the new development just five-miles up Burn Road, then the 300 houses that are planned for the old Thoroughbred farm near the Granite Falls High School.  Our narrow country roads were never built for the kind of traffic that we already have, not to mention the cars that all these developments will add.  Our rural lifestyle has lasted a long while - just not long enough...   Snohomish County has sold out our rural - five acre status - for rural cluster development dollars...

Kathryn Taylor & Redmond Watershed

Coyote

I was up early, checked with Amanda & our ride was ON!  It was a gray, cold morning - but we'd planned a ride together & were determined to get one in this Thanksgiving week!  When I unloaded Farah at Kathryn Taylor, I noticed that she was watching the ridge that overlooks the parking area.  It took me a minute, but I could just pick out the ears of a Coyote watching us.  I zoomed in & actually got the above photo of him as he moved down the hill.  Seeing him watching us - reminded me so much of Kitt.

Amanda & Cato~

 Farah was thrilled to see her friend Cato!  Cato seems to like Farah too, we did quite a lot of side-by-side trotting.  Lynn riding Sophie & Sara Jane riding Lou - joined us too!  It had been a very long while since I'd been here to ride & I'd forgotten how beautiful the trails are.

Sara Jane on Lou & Lynn on Sophie

 Amanda discussed our route with Lynn.  The park personnel are working on one set of bridges, so we detoured through a neighborhood.  It was a day that felt a little more like Winter than any of us expected. No other horsemen on the trails, just a couple bikes & hikers.

Google Route~

 Riding along side NE Novelty Hill Rd. to get to the Trilogy Trails is pretty noisy - traffic whizzes by close to the sidewalk, but all four horses did just fine.  Once across - the trails are so pretty, it's worth making the crossing.

On the Powerline Trail~

After that loop, we crossed Novelty one more time & headed down the Powerline Trail to return to the Watershed trails that would take us back to KTP.  We didn't seen any animal life at all, after riding under the new overpass that was built for wildlife.  We again discussed why that overpass wasn't built for trail users, rather than the non-existent wildlife.

Coming to the 133rd street crossing~

 This crossing not nearly as busy.  It seems so strange to come out of the beautiful wooded trails to civilization!  :-)  Even in the winter months most of these trails stay in good condition.

View from the top of the hill~

We rode up to the top of the hill, already knowing that the view would be hazy at best & we were not disappointed.

Our rigs as we come down the hill~

After the sunshine all weekend, it seemed later than it was with the cloud cover.  The day was cooling off again already.  I decided to forgo lunch & get on the road in the hope of missing most of the afternoon traffic.  There was a stalled car on the bridge going to Duvall & the usual holdups in Monroe, but we made it safely back just as the rain started at home.

Our route~

It was so good to get in such a great ride this time of year!  Thanks to all for including me!

The Shrooms!

The Fog...

Highway 9 heading north - fog.  I left home on a gorgeous sunshine morning - but on the far side of Arlington the fog reappeared.  Joyce & I had planned a ride at Bracken Rd.  I was hopeful that it would burn off.

Mushrooms Everywhere!

We were talking about all the mushrooms I'd seen at Victoria, so Joyce, working on a solid state of one-up-man-ship duty :-) - took me over to where she'd seen a cornucopia of the fungi when riding there last weekend!  The numbers, variety, colors that were growing was almost surreal!  I had to dismount & take a photo - it gave us that "Alice in Wonderland" feeling, especially in the fog.

Perfect growing environment~

Farah really seems to like Target, he prefers her in front of him, as do most of the geldings we ride with :-)   This day she was in a very good mood, a change from earlier in the week - when she was a little ornery.  I had an incredible ride this day!  My mare was on her "A" game, acting like a well trained horse.  When she opened up at the trot - we were flying!  Showing more strength than I was aware she had gained over the summer of miles adding up on top of miles.

Coyote

Right in the center of the photo above, in the left "track" is a Big Coyote!  So big - that he could have been a Wolf.  He was so handsome & made eye contact with us as we stood to admire his looks.  Joyce had her dog with us, but the Coyote didn't show any interest.  As we moved further away, I looked back & watched as he circled then laid down!

Golds in the valley`

The sun finally burned through & the woods were covered in yellow & golds.  By the time we arrived at the river it was a perfect Fall day!

Joyce & Target

We're maintaining our position in the Distance Derby, but with the shorter, darker, colder days to come - will be interesting to see if my motivation continues.  When we have friends to ride with - it's easy, but saddling to ride on our own as often as we do - does get lonely on some days.  I know we're lucky to have all the places to ride that we do, but I've picked up a couple maps & would like to explore to see if I can find somewhere new! 

The sun was nice & warm when we returned home, it was earlier in the afternoon, so I gave Farah a warm bath, which she always enjoys & had her dry before the sun set. 

Kitt's Ride

Wetland

What is it that makes two people who've know each other a very long time, think the same thought at the same time?  ESP?

Joyce & I left from her place mid-morning, Joyce's plan for the ride was to do some more exploring of the trails to and around to what we've always called the "upper loop".  We'd not been this way for a few months due to the heavy logging that had been going on up the mountain - which makes it very dangerous as the loaded trucks head down.

Today's ride in black, last Friday in Red

 We ran a gauntlet of barking dogs, squawking turkeys, questioning landowners, etc. just to get to the actual trails, but once there - we both commented on the quiet of the morning.  No Blue Heron at the wetland this day.  It was very warm & Very humid - we were sweating & the horses were sweating before we'd even started the climb.

The first surprise of ride greeted us as we rounded a corner - just amazing how quickly things change!

Clear-cut that opened up a view of where we were heading~

It was eerily quiet, with white puffy clouds moving by overhead.  Before long though the sun returned & the heat went right up!  As we rounded a corner we both pulled our horses up to watch the beautiful Coyote who had appeared on the trail in front of us.

Coyote in the road~

 We had commented more than once this Summer - that we'd seen very little wildlife, but that had now changed.  He or she disappeared into the brush as we approached.    We climbed & climbed some more, finally deciding to call a halt & take a short break.  Both of us were starved - we found some ripe blackberries & ate a late breakfast!  :-)

Joyce turns to start down & see's the Coyote

As we started down, I heard Joyce say something & turned to see that the Coyote had actually followed us!  Pretty unusual.  We looked at each other & both said at the same time;  "Kitt".  Kitt was the special "dog" that shared her life with us for over 14-years.  Dory always thought & a lot of us did - that in spite of the literature saying that Coyote's & dogs don't interbreed - Kitt was half Coyote.  She moved like one, acted like one & certainly had the smile :-)  It brought tears to my eyes - thinking of her spirit visiting us in that way...

Where our next surprise happened - at the low point on the road~

Now lower on the mountain I was gazing off at the view when I spotted some incredible looking animal who had just come out on the gravel from the brush to the right.  Joyce - who's voice was the most excited I think I've ever heard - was saying;  "Bobcat"!  It was!  The first I've ever been lucky enough to see in the wild!  Much darker brown than I would have expected & a decent size, probably at least a year old!  We didn't have more than a second or two to appreciate him, when he moved off across the road & again disappeared on the far side!  Way COOL!  We were feeling extremely blessed to not only be out on such a fine day - but to have such unique experiences!

Joyce & Target - Heading down~

This mountain, in spite of the heavy logging, heavy logging traffic & the work it takes to get up - is a special place.  You can just imagine how amazing this country was before it was turned over to the logging companies.  No, we wouldn't have the views, but we would have had the forests, the cover, the water & everything necessary to have supported an amazing variety of both plant & animal life.  It's a hard place to leave - but in so saying - I'll leave you with a short video clip that I took at our turn-around for the day - only about half way to the summit~

Coming back, the trail we'd hoped to take that would have gotten us back to where we wanted to be, was almost totally blocked by blackberry.  Joyce spent at least 30-min. with her hand pruners cutting & cutting.  I used my stick to beat them down, but we finally had to give up when the vines became a wall!  That meant going back the long way & making plans to return & get that trail cut through!
Enjoying the ride~

Losing our Golden Girl ~

Kittaka was special from the very beginning. Sweet, loving & smart - quick & fast. Beautiful as could possibly be & rare.  At her very first trip to the Vet for vaccinations, we were warned that she was a either a wolf or coyote hybrid. 

 I pulled up to our gate one afternoon to see something thrashing at the north pasture fence. It was a deer Kitt had hamstrung. I got the rifle, asked Kitt to get away & shot the deer. She also loved to hunt Squirrel - then eat them! I understand Squirrel meat is actually very good. Since ours live on the nearby walnut trees, I'm sure they were!

Raised by our 7-year old Beagle, Abby --  Kitt did her best to dominate :-) As she grew taller, she would stand over Abby & the two of them looked like a dog with 8-legs. When we took the two of them with us to the Alpine endurance ride camp - she spent the day hopping around the pasture catching grasshoppers :-)  She also learned to hunt for grubs. Each spring & sometimes in the fall, she could be found sniffing around the yard. Stopping, digging a bit with a paw - then eating whatever grub it was. I attribute all that fine protein to her longevity.

Kitt & Abby - 2-25-1999

The only time she had an "accident" was when she found & tasted slug-bait. We raced her into Pilchuck Veterinary Clinic & she survived without any problems. That was the end of slug-bait on the Homestead. 

She grieved with us at Abby's passing in 2004.  When Rowdy came home with us, she took on the responsibility of teaching him our routine.  She loved him as though he were her own & spent hours playing with him - he could get away with almost anything!  We were amazed...

Rowdy & Kitt - 2-10-2004

The two were an almost inseparable pair.

Kitt & Rowdy - 1-9-2005

At the age of twelve, she suffered with us when we lost Rowdy.  We were all so lonely, we again searched to find another Beagle & came home with Rascal.  Kitt tolerated him, but he couldn't replace Rowdy.  He had to make his own way & find his own path to our hearts.

Kitt with Rascal - 11-1-2009

 We had Coyote's around in the early days, some evenings they would start to howl, setting off the dogs in the valley. Kitt would walk out to the center of our driveway - puff herself up & send off her own howls. They were so incredible - you felt you were listening to Wolves in Alaska. After her first howl, there would be utter silence!~ Not one more bark, not one more howl, nothing. She would finish her song with a flourish & strut away - Queen.

As she aged & lost her hearing, the howling stopped. We have no idea why - but it was a terrible loss to us. My first cell phone with a video mode, I managed to catch her song one morning when emergency vehicles went by down the hill.  I think I somehow knew those songs were numbered.

Here. I'll share with you - as a final tribute to the finest canine companion any mere mortal could ever possibly hope for ~