Travels with Walter and our friend Davida

Today we headed up to Mt. Spokane with our buddy Davida who sadly, is moving to Tacoma.
We went hiking on the cross country trails and it was very beautiful up there. The yarrow is just beginning to bloom but the bear grass is in full bloom and pretty incredible, as is the lupin and phlox. We had a picnic and rest in the tall grass on Eagle Peak. It has been a long time since I have been on those trails when there is no snow. I actually saw several trails that I did not even know existed that we are going to have to go back and check out. We only made it up once last summer because of the use fee, which was

removed this year. Our hike last summer was up to Bald Knob (trail maps are available at REI). After our hike, we drove to the top of the mountain to take in the view. There are twelve lakes visible from the top. On really clear days, you can actually see to the Montana Rockies. There was an orange haze to the east so something must be on fire, or else Kalispel is having some serious air quality issues. In the winter, the Vista Lodge on top is accessable via the ski lift and is open for hot drinks and what Seth has pronounced as the "best clam chowder on the planet." We met some folks on the trail who were hiking up to an old fire lookout that is now being rented out by the park. They told me that it rents for $50 a night. Sounds pretty cool. New book: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. If you want to feel like your life does not suck so bad, read anything about India, real or fiction. Very good book and even Ophra liked it.