Vancouver, WA

I took advantage of a break in the winter-like weather to explore the Washington State University Vancouver campus trails. What I expected would be a normal out-of-doors excursion turned into a serendipitous adventure through lush valleys, quiet woods and hidden meadows dotted with apple trees. The campus itself is small but at its foot lies a sizable collection of meadows, ponds, streams, woods, and fields all interconnected by modest cedar-chip paths.

On weekends parking is free so I left my car parked at the base of the campus on the west side of the trail system and headed east across a field. Skirting the path was a tangle of blackberry bushes, note to self: come August this is the jackpot for the main ingredient of my favorite blackberry pie recipe. The path soon plunged into a sun-dappled wood before exiting again into a flat marshy area where a thoughtful boardwalk carried me over the muddy parts.

I discovered the Butterfly Meadow off to the left of the trail and lingered in the long grass and shady trees imagining butterflies swarming the air once summer is well established. The Butterfly Meadow is bound by Mill Creek so I had to double back and cross over a wooden bridge to continue my explorations.

On the other side of the bridge I had to choose between two paths. One was the cedar-chip trail which ambled comfortably up and over a wooded slope. The other was a narrow packed-earth trail that dodged between patches of long grass and newly planted trees along the creek’s edge. The latter path looked like a route for the adventurous naturalist and I decided I was game to try. The path proved adventurous as it shot between cedar trunks and briskly up steep mounds and came precariously close to the edge of the creek.

There was a spot where I had to take extra care as the trail was washed-out. Though the trail was a bit of a challenge it had its rewards: the sound of water over stone kept pace with the trail and signs of spring were all around. I saw white and purple lilies and heard robins, wrens, and redwing black birds. I also discovered a patch of stinging nettles the hard way. The trail brought me out to one of the campus drive ways which I followed back to my starting spot in only ten minutes. I had been exploring for an hour but never was very far from a main thoroughfare. On my way back to the car I spotted a large field encircled by a path that would be perfect for jogging or walking the dog. I noticed a few people walking their dogs but signs spelling out fines for having unleashed pets in the area kept dog and owner attached at all times. The day had been warmer than I expected and I stayed out longer than planned so I wish I had brought some water or at least had a bottle in the car. Must return with water, dog and Audubon plant book. Must also avoid stinging nettles.