February 9 – 12 the Trekkers made their annual X-C ski pilgrimage to the Methow Valley. 
Twenty-six of us filled North Cascades BaseCamp to the brim, enjoying days of skiing, snowshoeing and relaxing, and evenings of wonderful dinners, great company, reading, conversation and games. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions…. above freezing during the days and 4 feet of perfect snow. 
Glorious! Some folks stayed an extra night to take in the very interesting presentation about how re-introduced wolves are getting along in areas of Washington where sheep and cattle graze. (Actually, the sheep and cattle are faring VERY well!)
Month: February 2016
The March 2016 UWFA Newsletter is posted
Hikes For All Abilities
Last week’s hikes were terrific! The Gold group went to the Skagit Wildlife Preserve and saw lots of wildlife, indeed. According to Luci, the showstopper was sighting two horned owls in their nest, with a close second being thousands of snow geese feeding in a field. They also spotted herons and two eagles in their nest, as well as many other birds and evidence of beavers recently at work.
Check out Donna’s photos at her Dropbox site: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ruj0cec5i6e6g32/AADbgGcgcKX75VO0GP70YUGQa?dl=0
The Silver group explored the Chuckanut Mountain area from the East side, hiking first to Pine Lake where they enjoyed lunch, then Cedar Lake. After circling Cedar Lake they hiked up to overlook areas with views to the Northeast and to the West. Then they dropped back to the main trail junction and made their way up to Raptor Ridge, another lovely viewpoint that sits above an area of enormous rock formations.
This area is very dramatic with its lush forests, deep valleys, lovely lakes and interesting rocks. We didn’t spot as much wildlife as the Gold group, but check out the bear in a cave that we encountered!