Wildflowers | Love, Laughter, and Life

July 22, 2025
by Angie Leave a comment

Snoqualmie Tunnel I-90

Here we go, headed into Snoqualmie Tunnel!

We headed out for a cool walk/hike last weekend. Located at the top of Snoqualmie Pass just off of I-90, the Snoqualmie Tunnel is an old railroad tunnel that stretches about 2 miles one way. The distance is not the same as other places I looked, but let’s just say 2-ish tunnel miles to get to the other end. If you want to get back to your car, then 2-ish tunnel miles to get back. LOL

Take the Hyak exit and follow the signs to the large parking area. Restrooms are available. The parking lot sits next to the Palouse to Cascades Trail, so if you don’t want to walk in the cold damp dark, you can head east and walk along the backside of Keechelus Lake (which is very low this year due to drought).

Just inside the tunnel. The light at the end looks like it’s just right there. But there are two miles to go before it’s just right there.

There is a short walk (the sign says .4 mile, but it didn’t feel that long) to the tunnel entrance. It felt cumbersome to be dressed so warmly when out in the sun, but we dressed for the cold dark tunnel. Coats, long pants, gloves, hats, flashlights. If you have a scorcher of a day, this hike is a great way to escape that heat!

Our obligatory “here we go” selfie at the beginning of the hike.

It’s always a bit disconcerting to see nothing but a tiny dot of white far in the distance. But your eyes adjust and you get used to seeing nothing except that bit in front of the flashlight. The tunnel runs pretty straight and mostly flat, but at both ends there are areas where the center is higher than the rest. There are also ditches along the sides, mostly with wood coverings, but some covers have broken through. I wouldn’t want to fall into one of those places, so I’m quite happy to carry my flashlight to make sure I keep away from the edges. Expect wet areas of dripping water.

In the tunnel selfie. No turning back now. Haha. But we did see one couple head in with 2 little dogs. And pretty soon he came back with 2 little dogs while she continued on. The dogs were NOT a fan of the tunnel.

Noises are amplified and echo back and forth. We arrived early and mostly had the tunnel to ourselves as we headed west. It was quite relaxing. The views once you get out of the east entrance of the tunnel are beautiful. You can hear traffic on I-90 and see far down the valley. We watched a small plane looping around doing some sightseeing. Wildflowers are blooming like crazy right now, so I had fun snapping photos. There are a few picnic tables and a forest toilet (no running water). The trail continues on, but we were not equipped to keep going. ONE day we will be, because I would love to go on to Annette Lake.

Almost to the west entrance (the end of our 2-ish mile one way walk) where we hung out for a bit before heading back.

We hit the crowds on the way back. Multiple groups with electric bikes passed us in both directions. Some people were walking, a few with dogs. I think we only saw one person with a manual bicycle. This was definitely the most traffic we’ve seen in the tunnel over the numerous times we’ve visited.

Pretty foxglove stealing the wildflower show!

Despite the crowds, we had a lovely hike. Cool, dark, refreshing. Ahhh. And snacks waiting for us back in the ice chest.

Vibrant wildflowers at the east tunnel entrance.

Sunday Peace

April 27, 2025 by Angie Leave a comment

September 6, 2023
by Angie 7 Comments

Haiku Moment: beauty reigns

where did you come from?

you pretty pinks and purples,

garden beauty reigns

beauty reigns by Angie Quantrell

photo by Angie Quantrell

Yakima Valley

I have no memory of planting these gorgeous garden queens. In fact, the colors are so brilliant the flowers seem artificial. But they are real, bugs and all. And apparently, prolific seeds and all, because these returned from last summer, and the summer before that. My best guess is there must have been some seeds in the packets of wildflowers I once spread hither and yon. They grow crazy all summer, and then by late summer, bam, crowds of beauty.

August 22, 2022
by Angie 4 Comments

Columbia Hills State Park Hike: Crawford Oaks

NOTE: We hiked the Columbia Hills State Park Hike the weekend before COVID-19 lock-downs. Even then, people on the trail were distancing and loud murmurs of impending disaster made everyone uneasy. I’m posting this now, in August 2022. Trail conditions are MUCH drier and hotter. I imagine rattlesnakes, ticks, sunburn, and dehydration are all the rage right now. I’m not going to personally check that out though. Prepare well!

Spring is the time to enjoy hikes along the Columbia River Gorge.

We hiked about 4.5 miles of the Crawford Oaks trails on Highway 14, on the north side of the highway near Horsethief Lake. I say spring and fall because there is only sparse shade on the service road headed up to the head of the canyon. Once you reach the ridge view trails and grasslands, well, all you have is grass, sagebrush, and weeds. No shade.

But. You have fantastic views! We could clearly see Mt. Hood, The Dalles, and up and down the Columbia River. While warm in the canyon, once we hit the top of the hills, the wind was blowing Goldendale-style. Good thing my hat has a neck band for holding it on. This kept us cool, but the sun was in full force.

One very cool thing we saw was the waterfall. You can hear it from the parking lot and on the way up, as you hike beside the stream and cross it to get to the trails. I doubt there is much water flowing in late summer and fall. The water attracted all sorts in winged (and annoying) insects. Butterflies, horseflies, and beetles. Birds were plentiful and filled the air with chattering, squabbling, color, and entertainment. One of my favorites has always been meadowlarks. We heard several singing their beautiful song as we hiked. Jays, magpies, a bald eagle, and numerous sparrows added to our enjoyment.

Squirrels darted all over the canyon area and chittered loudly at we hiking intruders.

All in all, it was a beautiful hike. While we did not see snakes, I know rattlesnakes will become an issue as it warms up.

This is a great hike right now. OH. We were about two weeks too early for the lupines. That is going to be one beautiful show.

Necessities: sunblock, hat, sunglasses, ample water, good shoes

The trailhead has one of the cleanest port-o-potties I’ve seen, plus a shaded picnic table. Trails are well marked.

June 26, 2022
by Angie Leave a comment

Sunday Inspiration

Photo by Angie Quantrell,

Near Fort Simcoe, Central Washington

June 12, 2022
by Angie Leave a comment

Sunday Inspiration

Umptanum Creek Falls Trail, Central Washington

Photo by Angie Quantrell

June 11, 2022
by Angie 5 Comments

Central Washington Hike: Umptanum Creek Falls

What a beautiful hike!

Whether spelled “Umptanum” or “Umtanum,” it was gorgeous! Here is the view from the bottom of Umptanum Creek Falls. The clamber down was pretty slicky-slidey in dirt, but worth the effort. The crawl back up was even more tenuous! I noticed someone had tied a rope between two points on the south climb back up around. We didn’t use it, but look for it if you choose that way to get back to the top of the falls (the way back to the car park).

Proof of the “Umptanum” spelling. No potties here, friends, so plan ahead.

Evidence of a previous fire lines both sides of the trail. I found the stark black a beautiful counterpoint to the spring greens and gray bark.

Umptanum Creek is such a pretty, quiet little stream!

From the bottom of the falls. We had a wet, drizzly day (perfect to my way of thinking), so it was pretty chilly sitting at the bottom while we enjoyed the view.

This is the view from the top of the falls. The wildflowers were out in abundance! Gorgeous!

Pretty scenery along the way. We didn’t encounter very many people on the way to the falls, but the crowd was picking up on our way back.

Just starting to bloom!

Also…DUH dum…this looks like stinging nettles. There were huge sections of this plant lining parts of the trail. Just a heads up. I double-checked my photo with online sources and they look the same to me. We hiked with poles, so it was easy to push back plants as we walked through.

Honey? I want this in my back yard!

The hardest parts of this trails were: 1. getting there (pretty, but long drive from Yakima on a dirt road); 2. getting back up the steep hillsides from the bottom of the falls; and 3. no potties.

You can read more about this hike at Washington Trails Association.