Mirror Lake reflects Mount Hood

A minimal amount of effort pays big dividends on Oregon's Mirror Lake hike.

On a calm day views of Mount Hood reflecting in the lake await anyone who arrives at the apex of the four mile round trip trek through the forest.

"It's a pretty easy one," said Jeff Clinton of the journey he made this summer.  "It's good exercise, but nothing strenuous."

The hike's distance includes a loop around the lake.

"Just to get to the lake is the most memorable part," the 45 year old Clinton said.  "There's nice viewpoints with four or five around the lake."

The trail is not without its small challenges.

"At one point the bridge is out over a stream," Clinton said.  "But it's only a couple of feet and there's rocks you can walk on.  And there's beams to walk on over a marsh by the lake, but nothing that serious."

Another popular activity awaits at the lake if desired.

"Some people swim," said Clinton, a resident of Sequim in Washington State.  "There's a lot of places you can get into the lake."

Parking requires a Forest Pass costing $5 per day or $30 per year.

"There is a QR code on an info board to scan and pay that way," Clinton said.

Parking can present its own challenges.

"It's a large parking lot, and we got there at 9 a.m. and parking was still available," Clinton said.  "When we finished the hike, it was really full."

How to get there:

Mirror Lake is located at Government Camp near Sandy and is a 1 hour, 22 minute drive east of Portland.

Take Interstate 84 and turn onto Highway 26.

"The lake is right at the base of Mount Hood," Clinton said.  "It's not high altitude.  The road is steep for a couple of miles.  There is a 6.5 percent grade on the way down, but nothing serious."

Text by Tim Clinton and photos by Jeff Clinton.

Ohme Gardens offers fantastic views

Ohme Gardens offers more than just stunning views of the Wenatchee Valley.

Aside from the vistas at almost every turn and every gap in the trees, there are the trees themselves and other plants on an otherwise windswept desert hillside above the Columbia River and the north side of the city of Wenatchee.

Not to mention about one miles's worth of stone pathways weaving throughout, plus ponds and gurgling waterfalls.

And keep an eye out for wild animals that may wander by and take advantage of the man-made oasis among the grass and sage brush.

Upon a recent visit, three bighorn sheep were grazing near the parking lot as an early evening thunderstorm rumbled nearby.

Also watch for log structures throughout the gardens left by the Ohme family who planted the trees and watered them from five gallon milk cans.

Over their four decades of owning this steep plot of land starting in 1929, they brought in the stones to make the rugged pathways and dug out the ponds and waterfall beds.

It was signed over to the state of Washington to preserve its legacy, and the state in turn signed it over to Chelan County.  The county turned it into a park.

The gift shop and entry payment window is manned by a kindly older gentleman who can tell you all about the gardens.

Adults are admitted for $8.00 and youth age 6-17 for $4.00.  Children age 5 and under get in free.

Entrants are offered the use of walking sticks hung behind the gift shop for the duration of their visit.

They are a necessity on the sometimes steep and always rugged paths, which are not fit for users of wheelchairs or walkers.

Pets are not permitted.

Parking is free, with accomodations for buses and recreational vehicles.

The grounds are also available for weddings and other occasions if people so desire.

You can call (509) 662-5785 for more information on Ohme Gardens, or email info@ohmegardens.org or look them up at ohmegardens.org.

Operating season is April 15 through Oct. 15 with it closed for July 4.

Park hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the last entry at 5:15 p.m.

How to get there:

Ohme Gardens provides views of the entire Wenatchee Valley, and the entire Wenatchee Valley can see them.

They are the tall stand of trees on an otherwise brown hill above the Columbia River looking north.

They are right near the junction of Highways 2 and 97A.  Take Easy Street and veer right onto Ohme Gardens Road.  Watch for Ohme Gardens Road as a turn to the left, with going straight putting you on Ohme Road instead.

Go up Ohme Gardens Road through some houses and watch for the entry sign on the right.

The address is 3327 Ohme Road, Wenatchee, WA 98801.

Text and photos by Tim Clinton.

Kitsap Memorial memorable

Kitsap Memorial State Park is more than just a convenient place to stop on the way to and from the northern Olympic Peninsula.

With its stunning view of the Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains beyond, it also makes a destination unto itself.

That can be said about the 63-acre park as a day use area, or as a place to spend the night.

Kitsap Memorial boasts picnic tables, playground swings, barbecue grills and a grassy lawn to play catch or Frisbee on or fly a kite.

It is open from 8 a.m. until dusk daily the entire year, and also features 1.5 miles of forested trails.

That includes a short walk to the beach area, where you can check out the tide pools, sit and relax -- or get married.

Located alongside the 1,797 feet of shoreline is the Log Hall Heritage Area suitable to house weddings and other events.

It features a panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains to tantalize guests.

For those wanting to pitch a tent, park an RV or stay in a cabin, Kitsap Memorial offers places for all of the above.

There are 39 campsites available, including 19 standard sites, three partial hookup sites and eight full hookup sites.

The park also has four cabins, one of which can accommodate up to two pets for a fee of $15 per night extra.

The camping is also available all year, and reservations for the cabins can be made up to nine months in advance of your arrival date.

Kitsap Memorial can be enjoyed along with all other Washington state parks on a yearly $30 Discover Pass.  They are available when you renew your vehicle licenses.

How to Get There:

Kitsap Memorial State Park is located seven miles north of Poulsbo on Highway 3 on the way to the Hood Canal Bridge.

It is near the old Lofall ferry terminal.

The address is 202 NE Park St., Poulsbo, WA 98370 with a phone number of (360) 779-3205.

Text by Tim Clinton and photo by Ethan Johnson.

Try a trip to Wenatchee

Downtown Wenatchee is overlooked by Saddle Rock with Mission Ridge in the distance.

You don't have to go all the way to San Antonio to visit a River Walk.

One can be found as close as Wenatchee.

And there is plenty of other things to do in the Central Washington city and its environs than take a stroll along the Columbia River at River Walk Park.

Although the park is a good option.

It lies on a narrow strip of land between the Columbia and the railroad tracks and features green grass, trees and a paved trail.

It can be accessed by an arching covered bridge over the railroad tracks from near the Wenatchee Convention Center.

It can also take you to the Pybus Public Market, another favorite tourist stop in town.  The market has a deck suitable for hosting small outdoor dances and dozens of shops -- and places to eat.

The Wenatchee River joins the Columbia River in town and features white water rafting and fishing upstream.  A state park lies at the confluence.

Skiers can find nearby Mission Ridge off Blewett Pass.

But Wenatchee boasts more than just outdoor recreation.

It also offers big time sports practically year round.

The Wenatchee Wild plays in the Junior professional Western Hockey League, competing with the likes of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Everett Silvertips, Spokane Chiefs, Portland Winterhawks and Tri-City Americans as well as Canadian teams.

In the summer months you can watch the Wenatchee Apple Sox, who play a high caliber of baseball in the independent summer collegiate West Coast League.

Other Northern Division opponents include the Bellingham Bells, Port Angeles Lefties and Canadian entries from as far away as Edmonton.

There are plenty of places to stay in Wenatchee, as well as shopping opportunities and drive-ins and restaurants.  Not to mention golf courses.

You can also easily access the Lake Chelan area to the north.

So whatever you prefer to do, Wenatchee and areas nearby will have it.

How to get there:

Wenatchee can be found by heading east on Highway 2 over Stevens Pass, or west on the same highway across the farmlands and desert from Spokane.

Another option is to hop on I-90 from Highway 18 or I-5 and travel east over Snoqualmie Pass.  Take Highway 97 from near Cle Elum or Ellensburg and go north over Blewett Pass to Highway 2 and turn right through Cashmere.

Text and photos by Tim Clinton.

Coldwater had hot beginning

With most lakes, scientists can only make an estimate as to the time period in which they had their beginnings.

But the beginnings of Coldwater Lake can be pinned down to the minute.

Try 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980.

That's when a gigantic landslide swept down the north slope of nearby Mount St. Helens, unleashing a tremendous eruption -- and plugging off Coldwater Creek.

Çoldwater Lake formed in its place, with the Army Corps of Engineers later stepping in to make the plug permanent by creating a spillway and outlet channel.

Now the large lake sits placidly behind Johnston Ridge, filling a valley between it and Coldwater Ridge.

You can pull over on top of the plug on your way to or from the Johnston Ridge Observatory and check out the scene, or launch a boat as long as it's not motorized.

Rainbow and cutthroat trout provide targets for boaters with a one fish daily limit and maximum length of 16 inches.  The lake was stocked at one time but is no longer.

Or they can just cruise the five mile long, half mile wide lake and get a closer look at rocky Kim Island.

The area also features picnic tables, rest rooms and trails, including the 0.6-mile boardwalk Birth of a Lake Trail.  The Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center is nearby and overlooks the lake and valley.

The lake has an average depth of 87 feet with a maximum of 180 feet.  Its surface sits at 2,503 feet above sea level and covers 773.2 acres.

How to get there:

Take the State Route 504 exit off Interstate 5 at Castle Rock and head east toward Johnston Ridge.  Coldwater Lake will be to the left.

Text and photos by Tim Clinton.

Tulips return to Skagit Valley

Tulip time is upon us again.

The colors are just starting to show in the Skagit Valley, and in the coming weeks of April full blooms will spring out and draw an expected one million visitors.

If they are anything like last year's season, they will be well worth the journey to Mount Vernon and environs.

The most popular way to visit is on your own by automobile, cruising the country roads between the fields.

Stops can be made at the four major gardens for a small price, and you can get out, stretch your legs and carefully wander through the fields snapping pictures.

Or you can go the easy route and visit by tour.

You can reach Shutter Tours at (425) 516-8838, and Skagit Valley Guided Adventures by website for tours at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Some parks departments offer tours as well, such as Federal Way for seniors age 50 and over and inclusions, but they fill up fast.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs an office and website with information on all of the above and more year round.

It runs seven days per week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in April and Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the rest of the year.

It is located at 311 W. Kincaid Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273.  It can be reached at P.O. Box 1784, by phone at (360) 428-5959 or by e-mail at info@tulipfestival.org.

The four major gardens are RoozenGaard at 50 acres, Tulip Town at 18 acres, Tulip Valley Farms at 12 acres and Garden Rosalyn at seven acres.

Garden Rosalyn costs $15 to tour, while Roozengaard is $17 weekdays and $18 weekends.  Tulip Valley Farms checks in at $19.50 and Tulip Town at $20.

All but Garden Rosalyn offer discounts if you register online ahead of time.

How to get there:

Take Mount Vernon exit 225 or 226 off Interstate 5 and follow the Tulip Festival signs out to the area of the farms.

They are all located just south of State Route 20.

Photos by Jeff Clinton and text by Tim Clinton.

Cline Spit offers easy access

Cline Spit has its advantages over much larger and longer Dungeness Spit nearby.

It has a boat ramp while Dungeness does not, it is free to walk on while Dungeness is not -- and it is much easier to get to.

Rather than taking a long walk through the woods to get to the beach, you simply drive down a small hill, park, get out of your car and you are there.

And the view isn't bad either.

Look east on a clear day and you can see snowcapped Mount Baker in the distance beyond a wetland and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Look west and you can see the sun trailing across Dungeness Bay or even a sunset if it's later.

To the south is a wooded bluff with wind swept fir trees, and to the north, west and east is log strewn Dungeness Spit in front of the horizon line.

And instead of offering a miles long beach hike like Dungeness, Cline Spit County Park is packed into just less than the length of a football field at 80 yards of beach front.

The park encompasses two acres in all.

Rows of boulders separate the beach from the parking lot, and provide a place for youngsters to climb and make up their own adventures.

Or adults and children can walk the beach and listen to the sounds of the lapping waves, screaming seagulls and gravel crunching under their feet.

The ramp can launch vessels up to 17 feet in length.

Aside from boats to fish from and explore with, the adventurous can launch sailboards, kayaks, rafts and jet skis.

Call Clallam County Parks at (360) 417-2291 for more information on Cline Spit.

How to get there:

Cline Spit County Park is located at 199 Cline Spit Road No. 1, Sequim, WA 98382.

Cline Spit Road is accessed off Marine Drive on the bluff to the south.

Text and photos by Tim Clinton.