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Quark Niece of Alvy Moore
Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
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Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:46 pm
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I can’t stay away from this area.
First, some business. I passed by the Oso General Store on 530 where there’s a banner that says, “Opening Soon!” I immediately got on the horn and called PiB to dispatch the information. After the appropriate “yippies!” and “hoorays” were exclaimed, we made a pact to shop there often, to help keep it open.
Looked inside, yep, they're working on it
Stopped at C Post road to see if I could best a photo that PiB took of the coloring salmon berry stalks a few years ago. Nothing doing. But I did get a nice photo of the road.C Post Road. This has nothing to do with the trip report but oh well
I then stopped at a secret forest location near D’town, where there old growth trees are all over the place. They’re practically right f**king next to the Hampton sawmill, which is pretty funny.
oops Light in the forest, secret locale That's not really me sitting there, just my jacket to show scale of doug fir on secret locale location
Finally I got to Howard Miller Steelhead County Park (Skagit) in Rockport. The map at the information kiosk shows the trail beginning at the Maintenance Shop, which is true. But DON’T PARK AT THE SHOP!!!! When I returned to my truck hours later a kindly parks guy said folks aren’t supposed to park there. Park in a little parking lot and walk to the trail at the shop, or wander to the farthest campsites at the park and find the trail there. He and I chewed the fat awhile - about one cigarette’s worth. Nice fellow.
He said that this trail is the old railroad bed, recently purchased by Skagit County for the park. The County got a good deal on it. The heavy rains this past January washed it out in 2 places, and they'll be working on it this summer.January 2009 damage
The trail goes through a wetland area that boasts brand-spanking new information boards explaining the life cycle of salmon and all about bald eagles. At the farthest end of the wetland, the trail “T’s, and you have a choice of “Dead End” or “Back to Park.” Of course, “Dead End” is prime facie more intriguing than “Back to Park,” plus I learned a long time ago that dead ends could be 100 feet, or 10 miles. In this case it’s about 5 miles, according to the nice State Park guy. I wandered about 2 miles down the rail trail at a washout that required a little steep but easy scrambling uphill, but by then I was ready to return to my rig and the bum parking spot in which I placed it.
It was raining quite heavily when I got back, but I stood at the banks of the Skagit and listened to the myriad of red-winged blackbirds and robins singing their little hearts out. Ton of birds.
It began to slush and rain on the drive back to town.
Beaver hors d'oeuvre Gee, Beave, dad's really going to give you The Business Busy big leafed maple Creeklet Draped1 Lichen and moss RR Grade1 Really bright moss on dark rock with red-brown leaves River view Swamp2 Wetland walk1 Wetland2
Nice place, this rail-trail. I highly recommend it.
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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GaliWalker Have camera will use
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 4916 | TRs | Pics Location: Pittsburgh |
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GaliWalker
Have camera will use
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Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:55 pm
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Quark wrote: | C Post Road. This has nothing to do with the trip report but oh well |
I'm glad you posted this, I love it. I was out for a walk in the rain today and couldn't stop oohing and ahhing at the vividness of the colors in the rainy conditions. It was gorgeous, but I didn't take my camera with me, so I am really pleased you managed to capture some of the flavor of what I saw.
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aywolfpac Member
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 1286 | TRs | Pics Location: Burlington, WA |
Quark wrote: | Gee, Beave, dad's really going to give you The Business |
This brings to mind one of the funniest moments in TV history when June asked Ward, "Don't you think you were a little hard on the Beaver last night?" Good stuff.
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Hulksmash Cleaning up.
Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics Location: Arlington |
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
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Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:31 pm
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Wow! so much color!
I'd go there tomorrow, i wasn't working
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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Jimbo Member
Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 1558 | TRs | Pics Location: Arlington |
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Jimbo
Member
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Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:09 pm
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Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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Quark Niece of Alvy Moore
Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
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Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:48 pm
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Jimbo,
I don't know if it was Rusty I spoke with, but he looked like a Rusty to me. A bodacious head of hair - Hollywood hair. Yeah, nice fellow; the sort that you wouldn't mind sitting down at a pub and having a beer with. He gave me a couple of tips on nice view drives to take around Concrete, too.
I parked at the Maintenance Shop area 'cause the map showed the trails start there and I figured if the trails start there, I can park there. I was too lazy to walk from the little parking areas. Which is stupid, 'cause I was there to walk.
I did see where the Sauk and Skagit meet - that's a wide, wide confluence. Beautiful place. There are lots of folks at the campground. Some looked like they're planning on being there awhile. What kind of fishing is going on now? I assumed they are there to fish; might be workers of some sort though. Maybe working on the wetland revegetation project, but it's prolly to early in the year for that.
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Hiker Mama Member
Joined: 25 Jun 2006 Posts: 3448 | TRs | Pics Location: Lynnwood |
Quark, you always find such interesting places to explore, and interesting folks to talk with and gather information.
Oh, nice pics, too.
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Jimbo Member
Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 1558 | TRs | Pics Location: Arlington |
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Jimbo
Member
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Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:39 am
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Must have been rusty, live's around Concrete. Think the fishing is closed till June 1st unless C/R Steelhead is going on. That place is always packed, then need to open that Damb State camp ground across Hwy. 20.
Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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