christopher575

Toward the end of the day yesterday, I decided today's walk should probably me more of a hike. My employer added Martin Luther King Day and Presidents' Day to the holiday schedule this year, and I wanted to take advantage. We've got tons of choices for hiking in the area, but they're not great for weekdays because they're all at least half an hour's drive from here. I found this article listing ten hikes in Snohomish County, and chose Lime Kiln Trail.

The trail starts off looking a lot like one you might find in a larger park.

Then the vibe becomes a little more "enchanted forest."

Then it finally ends up being more of a "terrifying cliffside trails over a huge river" sort of situation.

I can tell you for sure my hike would have ended here if this little bridge didn't have a hand rail.

There was a lot of fog and moss, two of my favorite things.

It's a little crazy to think that trains used to run through here, and when you see the kiln, it's amazing to picture it ever in use. The hills are so steep, I still can't imagine active, working communities in the area.

I took a lot more pictures today, they're all in this set.

This sign is right by the kiln. At this point I could have added another mile and a half round trip, and was thinking about it. But as soon as I thought it might be a good idea to head back, some cold rain hit my face and sealed my decision to go to the car.

On my hike out, I didn't see a single person, and was pretty surprised seeing as how it's a holiday. On the way back in, I must have encountered 40 people. My car was the first in the lot, and there were 16 more when I pulled out. I'll go back again sometime, but it'll be when the weather has been dry for a while and when it's light out early. I want to enter the area right when it opens at 7am and minimize encounters with other hikers. I just like having places to myself, what can I say?