Cowiche Canyon, Central Washington

Posted bytagpipspearlPosted inUncategorizedTags:, ,

Part 2

The following pictures are from two full days of hiking in the Cowiche Canyon, outside of Yakima, Washington. This post concentrates on the outstanding beauty of this shrub-steppe habitat and its distinct plant-life and geology. Bill and I will return to the region for a botanist/ecologist guided hike in a few weeks, and I will post detailed plant info and more pictures at that time. Until then, this will give you an idea of the wide variety of plant life in the Canyon.

At the end of this post, I will include a link to the CC website.

Entering the Canyon

Color around every bend.

Sumac

Seedheads of a native Penstemon gairdneri

Seedheads of Asclepias speciosa, Milkweed
Rosa woodsii, Western Wood’s rose

Layers of basalt along the creek bed. – Correction: either shale or slate.

Looking through Salix towards the creek.

Couldn’t get close enough to ID this tree, but it looked like a Black Cottonwood to me (Populus trichocarpa).

Deep in the Canyon, rock formations are incredible.

Layers upon layers.

I know this type of landscape isn’t universally considered beautiful, but how life finds a place and can thrive in such dry, rocky conditions is, in my mind, the essence of beauty.

For more information about the Cowiche Canyon trails, go to:

http://www.cowichecanyon.org

I wish you colorful trails, clear skies, and beauty to surround you.

And to my frequent viewers of this particular post, I welcome your comments! I’d love to hear your thoughts about this area.

2 thoughts on “Cowiche Canyon, Central Washington”

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