Steppe Outside: Wildflower Hikes in the Yakima Valley

Steppe Outside:  Wildflower Hikes in the Yakima Valley

By Heather Caro

 

With blankets of wildflowers beginning to bloom and the smell of sage perfuming the air, spring is a good time to enjoy Yakima’s shrub-steppe landscape. This season why not pull out your hiking boots and go for a stomp? Here are a couple of hikes to help get you started.

 

Umtanum Creek Canyon

Hike it: The Umtanum Creek Recreation Area is well known for its wildflower displays, and early spring is a great time to see brand-new buds and blooms.  The trail begins by crossing the Yakima River on a suspension footbridge. Hikers can trek through desert canyon wilderness, past gnarled fruit trees and the markings of an old homestead site, while keeping a lookout for wildlife along the way. The trail crosses the creek, passes by an alder grove (watch for bighorn sheep here) and continues about 3 miles before it narrows and becomes overgrown. After a picnic lunch, turn back here rather than attempt to trek through the underbrush.

Why You Should Go: Herds of bighorn sheep and mule deer, birds of all sizes and creek-side beaver activity are common sights along the well-preserved desert canyon. And when in bloom (usually mid to late April), Umtanum spring wildflower displays are some of the best in the state.

Directions: From I-82 Merge onto I-82 W/US-97 N via the exit on the left toward Selah/Ellensburg.  Take the WA-81 N Exit 26, toward WA-823/Selah.  Turn right on State Route 821 at the stop sign, then left at the next stop sign, following the signs for Yakima Canyon. Continue about 8 miles to the Umtanum Recreation Area. A large gravel parking lot will be on the right side of the road.

Permits: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Vehicle Permit. (Permits are valid for one year and can be purchased online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov for $12.

Cowiche Canyon Trail

Hike it: The wide trail alongside a vibrant streamside ecosystem follows what was once an 1880s railroad line connecting the Tieton foothills to Yakima. Hikers can wander the gentle unpaved route for 3 miles of trestle-bridged creek crossings and stunning rock sculptures before finally turning back.

 

Why You Should Go: Volunteers for Cowiche Canyon Conservancy have worked hard to develop and maintain trails on the 200-acre Cowiche Canyon preserve area. Thousands of visitors every year enjoy rock formations that would make a geologist drool, vivid wildflower displays and the many birds, marmots and other desert creatures who make this rugged landscape their home. Four trails with several access points create plenty of outdoor options so be sure to allow for time to explore. Located about 6 miles from Yakima, the pristine wilderness — and its nearly 14 total miles of established trails — make a welcome sanctuary for hikers, bikers, and nature lovers alike. www.cowichecanyon.org

Directions: From Yakima, travel west on Summitview Avenue about ten miles to Weikel Road and turn right. Follow Weikel Road for 0.4 miles then turn right at the sign for Cowiche Canyon.

Permits: None

Essentials

1. Dress the part. Sunglasses, bug repellant and sunscreen, comfortable boots, and layered synthetic or wool clothing help keep hikers comfortable and dry in changing environments.
2. Drink it up. Drinking plenty of water during a hike is essential to avoid dehydration or even heat stroke. Plan on carrying at least a liter or two per person – more if hiking during hot weather.
3. Fuel your footsteps. Whether you bring a picnic lunch or just a few snacks, be sure to pack a little more than you plan to eat during your hike.
4. Remember your manners. Pack up trash, take pictures of wildflowers rather than pick them and stay on established trails to keep fragile desert ecosystems intact for the next hikers. And though not yet out in full force, be on the lookout for less-than-desirable wildlife encounters with ticks and rattlesnakes.

Recipe:  Gourmet Trail Mix

Ingredients:
2 cups salted, roasted nuts
1 cup dried blueberries, cherries or apricot
1/4 cup crystalized ginger
1/4 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
1 cup pretzels

Combine in a large mixing bowl and stir until evenly distributed.

 

The Importance of Calculated Risk

The Importance of Calculated Risk

By Heather Caro

Rustout is the opposite of burnout.  Burnout is overdoing.  Rustout is underbeing.” From On Purpose by Richard Leider and Stephen Buchholz

Wenatchee native Mark Shipman is, by all accounts, up for a challenge.

An avid outdoorsman, Shipman, 61, lists his adrenaline-infused hobbies the way some people his age list their prescriptions.

Frequently cited by publications such as Northwest Mountaineering Journal and Alpenglow for his feats in mountaineering and paragliding, Shipman also bikes, rock climbs, backcountry skis, Nordic skis, paddles, and is an accomplished ice climber.  And those are just his hobbies.  By day, Shipman is an emergency room physician at Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, which might lead some to believe he seeks out perilous adventure for the thrill.

The idea makes him grimace.

“It’s more about wanting to do things that require careful planning and decision making,” says Shipman.  “I’m the most conservative person as far as risk taking and planning.”

Conservative may not be the first word many would use to describe a man who scales frozen waterfalls cascading down sheer mountain faces.  For fun.

But Shipman’s approach to this calculated risk could be what has perpetuated his lifelong love affair with the outdoors – including the perilous sport of ice climbing.

“There is something innate in my biology that drives me to it, and I can’t explain it,” says Shipman.  “It’s the mountains that draw me.  If you don’t climb ice you eliminate a large part of alpinism.  You can get to places you would never otherwise see.”

The world of ice climbing is full of extremes.  The sport requires climbers to take huge risks. Apart from the various skills required for the climb, there are additional environmental hazards and inconsistent ice conditions that climbers must contend with.  Nobody knows when an avalanche is coming.  And a mistake can cost somebody’s life.

But, explains Shipman, this is part of the appeal.  The challenge of attempting what he calls a tremendously physical and mental feat – without guarantee of success – is what keeps him coming back to the mountains he loves.

Shipman’s interest in the outdoors began at an early age.  Growing up in the Wenatchee area, his worldview was forever changed after reading the mountaineering classic White Spider, by Heinrich Harrer, at the age of 11.  “I was convinced I was a climber before ever getting up there,” says Shipman.

By the age of 13, Shipman would spend countless hours practicing climbing techniques with friends.  His skills developed quickly, eventually leading him to ice climbing.

Shipman, along with friends in the climbing community, has been credited with discovering and summiting some of the now-classic Washington state ice climbs when the sport was not yet mainstream in the ‘70s and ‘80s.  And though he estimates his first-assent climbs to be “no more than 20 or 30,” he is quick to downplay his contributions.

“I clearly recognize the complete uselessness of the sport,” says Shipman.  “Anybody who thinks his or her climbing is somehow important to the rest of society in any way, truly misses the point.”

Ice climbing fatalities have claimed more than one of his colleagues; however, Shipman does not hesitate to express his intent to climb as long as he can, in spite of the dangers involved.

“Climbing is like life itself,” Shipman says, with an almost spiritual reverence.  “You need to know when to start out and when to turn back.  You need to know that if you keep plodding away, you will probably succeed.  That if you work at it you will get better – and yet, in the end nothing matters, it’s all folly.  The experience is only valuable to you.”

That seems to be enough to propel Shipman toward his next climb – whatever the peril.  And watching the childlike spark of excitement cross his face as he talks about his adventures, it is hard not to consider that perhaps there is more danger in surrendering to the rote of the day to day.

Hockey Goals: The Women of the Yakima Sting

Photos by George May

In recent years, ice hockey has enjoyed a surge of popularity from fans around the globe.  Long-term residents of the Yakima Valley may recall that this attention is not entirely unprecedented on a local level.  Since it began operations in the 1960s, the Yakima Ice Rink has been host to a variety of hockey teams.  During its heyday in the 1970s, its small section of bleachers was often packed to overflowing with hockey fans young and old, and games were broadcast live on the radio. Read more