I hate Black Friday. I don't like dealing with crowds of nasty people, and I stood in more than enough lines in the military. Instead of fueling the greedy bottom line of corporate America. I, instead, prefer to put all the madness behind me and head outdoors. In past years I have gone paddling, wandered our beaches for some meditation and beachcombing, and climbed a mountain. This year I opted to take my granddaughter, Cupcake, on a short hike. Our original plans were thwarted by a subpar weather forecast (winter storm warning), so we resorted to our backup plan - 'hiking' the Clear Creek Trail in Silverdale.
By the time we arrived at the trailhead, the sun was shining brightly. (eyes rolling) Go figure. We laughed, chatted with our friend Evie, who was just leaving the trail, then began our mini-adventure. The Clear Creek Trail is an urban trail that winds through a small wetlands where you can often see many variety of birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Over the past decade I have watched it transform as trees and shrubs have been planted, natural water habitats restored, pathways added and benches built for peaceful viewing. A portion of the way is a gravel trail whereas the remainder of the trail is a nicely built boardwalk over the water. Educational boards are placed periodically along the route.
Cupcake and I walked in about half way, then stopped at a picnic bench to savor the beauty of the day. I hauled out our new JetBoil stove to heat water for hot cocoa, and we enjoyed some string cheese and grapes for our snack. She chatted with other 'hikers' and we giggled over girl things while sipping our hot cocoa. A few wintering birds flitted about the trees, pip-pip-pipping their greetings. We packed our things up, making sure we left no trace, and headed back to the car, our adventure done for the day. Although the skies were still clear at that point, we knew a storm was on the way and we wanted to be home before it blew in.
Hike 54.
Distance: 1.5 miles
Elevation gain: ~20'
Distance: 1.5 miles
Elevation gain: ~20'
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