Sulphur Creek

Day 203: The Cowlitz Wildlife nature trail along the south side of Swofford Pond is little-used and therefore is one of my favorite springtime walks. It can be muddy at times and nettles thickly line the sides of the path in many places, but the rewards of walking in this virtually unspoiled and intensely green area are worth the price of mucky boots and the small risk of brushing up against a stinging plant.

Sulphur Creek tumbles down a narrow gorge from a waterfall half a mile up-valley and not accessible by trail. A stalwart hiker with skill at navigating by map and compass can reach the falls with some expenditure of sweat as I have done on many occasions, but today I did not make the trek, content simply to walk along the lower forest trail in search of spring wildflowers and to view the creek from this vantage point near its mouth.

If one had to pick a single word to describe this environment of old cedars mixed with evergreens and big-leaf maples, of oxalis and ferns, of salmonberry and devil's-club, of moss and lichen, that word would be "green." Although not a rainforest by technical definition, the air is ever moist, even in the heat of summer. The hillside seeps water from its pores. The foliage breathes dampness. Beneath the understory, wetland plants emerge: yellow violets, bleeding-heart, skunk cabbage, cardamine. Near the lake shore, alder is the dominant tree species, rising well above grass which will stand chest-high by the end of the growing season. Everywhere you look, you are surrounded by the perpetual greenness, and you cannot help but feel the life of the Earth pulsing in the creek.

Some day soon, I'll make the climb to the falls again. It's something I do at least once a year, just to touch base with the heart and soul of this splendid corner of natural beauty.