[marta]

Karen's post has inspired me to do a trip report for Meadowdale. We wanted to get on the trail this weekend but were too lazy to drive any distance. We decided to do a couple of 'laps' along the trail at Meadowdale County Park. For those of us living in the northend, it is a nice alternative to Discovery Park. The path starts at the parking lot at the end of 156 Ave W. It descends down Lund Gulch following a frisky stream. The trail is wide, well graded with excellent drainage. There were few puddles or mud. No blowdowns either. There are a few stairs along the steepest part. Along the trail, several of the native trees are marked. After 1.25 miles and 450 elevation loss, you will come to the picnic area and a tunnel under the railroad track to the beach. There is a gravel beach where the stream empties into the sound. Whidbey Island and the Olympics are in the distance. On Sunday morning there were several fishermen along the beach trying their luck. Round trip is 2.5 miles. We did it twice for a nice easy 5 mile winter hike.