December 15, 2018
Once again we escape east of the Cascades to dry skies, a bit of sun, no wind, at Lyle Cherry Orchard. Quiet on the trail today. (5.2 miles/1250 feet, hike #64 for 2018)
Approach trail, up the first set of cliffs.
View from the Convict Road to the east
View from the Convict Road north – we are going up those cliffs to the top!
Hiking up to the second tier..
We could see the new trail reroute partially cut by WTA workers that will make the upper cliff ascent farther from the cliff edge and less steep in gradient. And lots of native plant seedlings in place.
Those lines in the slope ahead are the new trail, in progress, with a gentler gradient than the steep track we will climb today.
Looking back at the flagged new trail, not cut yet.
Lunch stop near the top…
The trail continues in and out of the woods along the top of the cliffs to the remnants of a cherry orchard…
View to the east from the grasslands near the cherry orchard.
One of the old cherry trees
Cherry tree in foreground, Lyle Peak above – our trail doesn’t go there.
We head back down…
View west toward Lyle
Closer view of the terrane we hiked, and the Convict Road Viewpoint on the lower left.
Convict Road viewpoint – where we stood looking up this morning. The grey background is the Columbia River, not the sky!
A spot of sun on the way down.
GPS track
Crafting
Another knit dishcloth,
and I’m now adding backstitch detail to Jane Austen’s cross stitched house….
Margaret Quilts 