Rainey Creek Nature Walk

Day 23: For the last several weeks, I have been spending as much time on the trail as possible, knowing that the snow would soon be coming to my favorite hiking areas, and I do not enjoy driving in snow. Looking out the window this morning, I could see a clear white demarcation on the hills only a few hundred feet above my elevation, so any thought of going up to Longmire was quickly shelved. I decided instead to take a short walk on the old gated road which leads to Rainey Creek.

At Rainey Creek, the road terminates abruptly and becomes a footpath crossing a sturdy metal bridge. Beyond the bridge, the way opens out into an acre of grassland, the trail following the edge until it reaches forest on the opposite side. It passes over another smaller creek there, debouches into grassland again for a few hundred yards and then climbs into timber for the remainder of its transit through the Cowlitz Wildlife Area. A gate on the opposite end likewise prevents vehicles from entering from the paved haul road. I seldom see anyone on this little-known nature walk, and today it was apparent that no foot had disturbed the carpet of leaves for quite some time. A chill was in the air, so I turned back shortly beyond little Rainey Creek, scuffing through a precipitation of alder leaves with joyous abandon.