Signs of Spring!

Skunk Cabbage

My first ride in March & it was yet another sunshine, brisk day.   When I asked Jeff @ King Five News about the weather - here was his reply as he stated on last nights news;

"Every month has been warmer than average since February of 2014, Connie. That was the last month we had cooler than average temperatures for the month as a whole."

Regards,

Jeff

This is a far cry from our normal early March weather - not that you'll hear anyone from this side of the state complaining!

Heading to the far side

We decided to head to the far side of the tree farm, on a mission to find another old trail.  It had been a couple years since Linda had ridden this far & I always enjoy it when we go out to the places where we used to ride when things looked oh so different!

Nakashima Barn - north end of the Centennial Trail

We headed down to the old Scott Mainline & there turned south.  The logging roads are still pretty soft, we were trotting & I was on the look out for the holes that had opened up the last time I was here.  Since we didn't see them - maybe someone filled them in?

Creek

Linda said that the creek above used to be full of Salmon - with Eagles sitting on the trees to feast...   I'm sure it was a sight to see!  We kept going - happy that the days are long enough that we could go as far as we needed to & still get back before the day was done!

Linda leading Count

We made our goal & found what we wanted to find!  We can't tell you where - it's a total secret - but we were happy that even washed out & in bad shape - it was still there!  Now - we were about as far away from where we started as we could get!  Time to start back & we wanted to do the lower loop, which again, Linda hadn't seen for a while.  When we started up - Linda asked if I recognized it?   No, not really - but it was only the second time I'd taken it the direction we went.  Linda said;  "It's the hill where we used to let Eb & Alexi Go!"  That put me in flashback mode - of the two of us - blazing sunshine, open hillside, gradual uphill grade & flying along side-by-side!  It was really hard to reconcile that scene from the past - (Over 20-years past!)  - with the now overgrown & narrow wooded trail.  We are lucky indeed to still be doing what we love & still riding together - with all those years of trail dust behind us & ongoing plans for more ahead!

Three Fingers

Back at the top of the first long climb & even on Farah - looking for Food...   I used the zoom on the new camera to get the above photo.  The day was never really warm on the shady side of the mountain, I had my coat on over my vest all day!  Now though - we'd been out over five hours & it was cooling off as we rode around back to the west side & into the rapidly dropping sunshine!

My first Salmonberry blooms!

What a bonus to find the Salmonberry starting to bloom at the top of the hill!  A sure sign that Spring is around the corner!

Blue, Gray, February Day~

Cutting through~

I can't believe that I hadn't ridden since the 30th!  Rain & a busy schedule contributed to Farah getting time off that she didn't want or need :-)  Then - Linda's neighbor brought home ten Jersey cows!  This made for some exciting time on the two farms!  Farah was in the trailer when the little herd of young heifers came over to the fence next to where the trailer was parked.  Farah instantly kicked the side of the trailer - scattering the herd!

Whitehorse & Three Fingers

We started out on foot, neither of us felt like getting pitched off!  We did - in the interest of keeping trails open - check out the start of one that Linda knew would probably need work - but is part of a plan to open a lower section & therefore make another loop.  Instead of riding it, we hiked it & took turns cutting our way through the downed trees.  At least until we ran out of arm strength & found a large dead-fall that will require the chain saw.

Cut!

Last week, Linda & Scott got up with the chain saw & cut open several trails that had been blocked by fallen trees.  This particular one - on the way to the Monument is often used.  Of course Count had to do a double-check, just to be sure it was safe!  :-)

Title of this post :-)

We'd hoped to at least see some sun & finally - when we stopped for lunch on top - things did warm a few degrees~

Looking NW toward Antacortes

 Shortly after I took this picture & as we left, the clouds thickened.  No one else out on this day - I did keep Farah behind when Count would trot out.  She pitched a fit & found herself circled more than once.  Finally - toward the end of the ride, she mellowed.  Again - she was showing signs of her cycle - which I now know is rough this time of year.

Just after 3 p.m.

 Our ride started in the blue/grays & ended in the same.  A beautiful day for February - so mild & we did see the skunk cabbage starting to emerge from the swampy areas - of which there are many!

My best surprise though - was to come in our gate & find my husband home!  Finally - Finally - he is Out of the Ballard project & on to the next in Bellevue!