Friday, April 25, 2014

Boardman Lake Trail

Boardman Lake Trail August 2012 

Lake Evan on the Boardman Lake Trail August 2012 

 
Fungus on the Boardman Lake Trail August 2012 

Boardman Lake August 2012 

Boardman Lake August 2012

Click here for more photos of the Boardman Lake Trail.

The Boardman Lake Trail is a pleasant & easy hike in the Cascade Mountains of Washington along the Mountain Loop Highway.  The way is densely forested.  There are 2 lakes here. First comes Lake Evan, then Boardman Lake.  I wouldn't say this is the most spectacular hike in the area.  But the trail is only 2 miles round trip & 200 feet in elevation gain.  In August, there were lots of ripe huckleberries around Boardman Lake.  It was pretty there.  At the highest point, the trail reaches 3,000 feet (914 meters) in elevation.

Friday, April 18, 2014

New Holly Youth & Family Community Garden





 New Holly Youth & Family Community Garden in August 2013

The New Holly Youth & Family Community Garden is another charming garden located in the City of Seattle Power Line Right of Way on land owned by Seattle City Light adjacent to the Chief Sealth Trail.  The New Holly Power Garden is located not far to the south.  This is a very well-sited, well-designed & well-tended garden of 50 plots on 5,000 square feet.  I found the gardeners very friendly when I visited this place.  They are clearly very happy to garden here.  The garden was established in 1999, rebuilt in 2006 & expanded in 2011.

Friday, April 11, 2014

March in Seattle

Chaenomeles (Quince) in Columbia City

 Hyacinthus (Hyacinth) in Rainier Vista

Narcissus 'Beersheba' (Daffodil) in Rainier Vista

 Ranunculus (Buttercup) in Columbia City

 
Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant) in Columbia City

March 2014 in Seattle was warmer & very much rainier than normal.  In fact, a record was set for rainfall in March at 9.44 inches/239.78mm.  The previous record had stood at 8.40 inches/213.36mm since 1950.  Normal rainfall is 3.72 inches/94.49mm.  The mean temperature was 48.5F/9.17C.  The normal mean temperature is 46.5F/8.06C.  The highest temperature was 66F/18.89C on 3/24, the lowest was 34F/1.11C on 3/22.  15 days had highs over 55F/12.78C.  There were 2 days with heavy rain, 10 days with rain, 21 days with light rain, a trace of snow on 3/1, 20 days with fog, 16 cloudy days, 14 partly cloudy days & 1 fair day.  In spite of all the rain, there were periods with sun & 16 days with very little or no rain.