Black Diamond NOW

Nature's Magic

What a great time of year it is right now.  Leaves are turning brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow and falling from trees in bunches.  There was a time growing up when I didn't appreciate all those leaves.  It took time to rake them up into piles and haul them away to compost.  Today, I have a much better appreciation for nature's magic and look forward to time in the mountains to experience the change of seasons.  This weekend, I observed and learned something new - one of the better places to see brilliant colors in the forest now is to visit areas recently logged.  An area recently replanted can be perfect, like this Gifford Pinchot National Forest land shown below.

Young douglas fir trees have been replanted here but this still "leaves" (pun intended) quite a bit of land area at risk of erosion.  Air borne seed from deciduous trees, like alder and maple, help fill the voids and hold the ground until youngster firs can begin their tall reach for the sky and shade out their temporary companions.  So much beauty here right now.  The above photo was taken along Hwy 23 just north of Trout Lake.

And then I return home and look out the window across Lake Sawyer.  I gotta say, this view is pretty tough to beat.

 

 

Lake Sawyer Water Quality - August 2019 Update

King County recently posted updated water quality test results for Lake Sawyer taken through August 2019.  Once again, one cautionary note - we need to focus on trends.  As the historical data shows, sample results can bounce around from sample event to sample event but it takes a period of years for significant issues, either good or bad, to emerge.  Lake water temperatures are a good case in point.  We have test data that goes all the way back to 1993 and trends here couldn't be more clear.

Unfortunately, lake water temperature is a variable over which we have least control, but the adverse impacts on our salmon and trout fisheries are also very significant.  Higher temperatures increase plant growth, decreasing dissolved oxygen levels in the water which further adversely impacts trout and salmon.

Secchi is a measure of water clarity.  A disk is lowered into the lake and when it reaches the point where it cannot be seen, that is the data point recorded.  The lower the disk goes, the better it is.  Current data shows continued positive trends.

Total phosphorus is an important indicator of long term lake health.  The greater the level of phosphorus in the lake, the more plant growth we will see, the less dissolved oxygen there will be and over time, this is how lakes die - a process called eutrophication.  This is also the variable over which we have the greatest control, with the principal source of phosphorus being surface water runoff such as stormwater into Rock Creek and Ravensdale Creek, with highway and development runoff into Rock Creek being the principal bad actor here.  

On the positive side of the ledger, stormwater runoff from SR169 is currently untreated discharging directly into Ginder Creek which flows into Rock Creek and represents a significant share of current phosphorus discharge into Rock Creek.  Thanks to the persistence of City staff and with the help of grant funding, we will soon have stormwater treatment capacity in place to mitigate this source.  In addition, Master Plan Developer Oakpointe is required to meet a phosphorus anti-degradation standard from stormwater runoff from the development.  In other words, they can have zero net impact on phosphorus discharge into Lake Sawyer.

On the other hand, there is now significant development in our city around the lake and elsewhere in town outside the MPDs with potential for significant adverse impact on phosphorus concentrations in the lake.  In addition, stormwater runoff from mining and reclamation at the John Henry mine flows into Ginder Creek and on into Lake Sawyer and also posing significant risk (more about the status of the mine in future posts).

Identifying trends for phosphorus can be the most difficult given the variables of precipitation across the 500+ acre Lake Sawyer watershed, the season of the year and depth of water in the lake.  Following are results from samples taken in May of each year at different lake depths.

Sample results in both May and  August show a lot of variability from year to year, but not a clear trend.

King County will publish an annual water quality report for the lake after the first of the year.  Will pass it along when its available.

Footnote 1:  There is currently no stormwater runoff from Oakpointe MPD's flowing into Rock Creek or elsewhere in the Lake Sawyer watershed.  This will change when development moves to other plats within the property that do drain into Rock Creek but not currently.  

Footnote 2:  The recent scare about potential toxic algae in Lake Sawyer is not substantiated by the facts.  Intensive sampling by King County found algae levels in the lake to be very low and in many cases at nondetectable levels.

More Birds of Prey - Some Odd Shots of Owls

What does a baby Great Horned Owl look like when it first ventures out of the nest?  It looks like it had a rough night!

Taken from a very long distance but managed to get focused on this one's eyes.  These two youngsters were moving about very carefully in the crotch of a tree at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.  Both had what looked like a feather "crust" still clinging to them around their head area.  Lots of growing up yet to do for these two.

Fierce predators.  Because most owls are nocturnal and silent hunters of the night, finding and photographing them has for me been very challenging.  Short eared owls in the Skagit Valley have been the easiest to find during the day.

For Burrowing Owls, who also hunt and wander about during the day, Othello is the place to go.  You'll find them burrowed under some old irrigation ditches.

Cute little guys.  Speaking of little guys, try to find a tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl like this one hiding in the bushes at Nisqually trying to get some sleep.  Not much larger than my fist.

This Long-eared Owl was nearly impossible to find and photograph hiding among all the branches.  Finally, it was his eye that blinked open, giving him away.

In Black Diamond, Great Horned Owls seem to be the most common in the forested areas around Lake Sawyer and I have heard reports of a Great Grey Owl.  Though I have heard a lot of them, I have yet to get a decent photo here.  But it's a fun challenge.  Keep your ears open and let me know where you see or hear them.  Thanks

John Henry Mine - The Saga Continues

On April 18, 2018, the Pacific Coast Coal Company (PCCC), based in Seattle, received approval from the Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining (OSMRE), to proceed ahead with surface mining at the John Henry No. 1 mine site located just north of town.  The Washington State Department of Ecology then issued an administrative extension to PCCC's existing NPDES permit, clearing the way for mine reopening.

So what's happened over the last 16 months?

1. NO MINING - After providing notification to all the adjacent residences and property owners of intent to proceed with mining and blasting and with promises that they had buyers for their coal, PCCC has not mined one ounce of coal and now admits to the fact that they have no customers for their coal mined now or in the near future. Remember the sales contract that PCCC presented as "proof" that they had customers for John Henry mined coal?  As several of us commented,  the so called "contract" required the identified "buyer" to buy nothing.  Not even an intent to buy.  But, they say they are still looking for potential customers.
2. NOTICE OF VIOLATION - PCCC received a formal notice from OSMRE that they were in violation of the conditions of the permit issued to them just last year.  Not yet sure about the nature of the violation but am tracking it down.
3. SITE INSPECTIONS - OSMRE is now visiting the site on a monthly basis and DOE on a quarterly basis.  For your reference, I am attaching copies of DOE's last two inspection reports dated March 26, 2019 and June 19, 2019.  It's never a good sign seeing an oil sheen on water draining from the coal washer into Ginder Lake while the inspectors are there.  See the pictures taken by DOE.
4. SOME RECLAMATION HAS BEGUN - Finally.

Based on past experience, I wouldn't get too excited about reclamation having begun.  There are plenty of ways to drag this out.  Reclamation of Stockpile 2 area alone is now estimated to take about two years and there is a lot more to be done in other areas of the property, even excluding the sites to be mined.  Previous estimates were that full reclamation would take just one year following cessation of mining.

DOE was previously planning to have available for public review and input an updated draft NPDES permit for the mine in May of this year.  It now looks like it will take a couple more months and we should have an opportunity to see an updated draft permit in November.

Following are PDF copies of the Inspection Reports:

Download John Henry Mine Inspection Report March 26 2019

Download John Henry Mine inspection report June 19-2019

I will pass along further updates as information becomes available.  Also, for perspective, the last coal mining at the John Henry Mine took place in 1999.   It's now 20 years later - well past when mine reclamation should have been completed.

Lake Sawyer Water Levels - August 2019 Update

As you may have noticed, Lake Sawyer water levels as we near the end of August are about one foot higher than last year at this time and way above the beaver dam days of 2015.    Attached is a recently updated graph prepared by Jack Sperry plotting lake water levels above/below the weir dating back to 1996.  

As you can see, not as steep a drop as we have seen in recent years - at least so far.  Rain in the mountains this time of year is always good.

 

 

Thanks again Jack Sperry and Bob Edelman for keeping us up to date.  For more information about Lake Sawyer weather, follow this link to Bob's website at Lake Sawyer Weather.

Predators

Living in the northwest, we are blessed with nature's bounty.  This includes the cute and cuddly looking bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks that we so love to see, even in our yards, as well as those predators who rely on these same creatures as a staple in their diet.  I didn't think that I'd ever see bears roaming around Lake Sawyer, but so they were this year, even swimming in the lake.  Raccoons are also regular visitors and not to mess with as are river otters and beavers.  We've even seen a weasel in our yard.  But it's birds of prey that we see most often among the predators and their antics can be amazing to watch as they target their dinner of the day.

What's the most amazing bird of prey that we've see while hiking and exploring?  Not eagles and not osprey, though they are so much fun to watch, but I would have to say seeing a peregrine falcon in action was the most exciting.

We saw this peregrine eating dinner after downing it's prey along Shi Shi beach.  Never thought that we would be so close.  Did you know that peregrines are the fastest bird in flight in the world with speeds topping 200 mph.  They literally dive bomb their prey, stunning them with the force of their hits.  They are not big (about the size of a crow) but they sure pack a wallop.  

Eagles, of course, are reining kings of the sky and appear to fear nothing.  Just look at those talons.

For the best form diving, however, it's osprey that win the prize.   And look at the size of the prey they can catch.

This kokanee salmon must weigh 2 or 3 lbs.  A family of osprey take up residency here at Lake Sawyer most of the year, while bald eagles typically head north by mid July or so for summer vacation - and summer salmon runs.  Here's one at Lake Sawyer with a large catfish.  Poor picture but it does show the catfish.

Not quite as glamorous perhaps as peregrine falcons, bald eagles and osprey, we also have quite a few of what I'll call "blue collar" birds of prey of the hawk and owl families that we can see more widely in the Puget sound area.  We even get to see short eared owls in flight during daylight hours.  Very graceful and very powerful.  I wouldn't want to be a rodent with these guys around.

Rough legged hawks are somewhat smaller but fast and also in pursuit of rodents.  Even saw one of these guys hunting at Kelly Butte lookout.

American Kestrels are one of the prettier, though petite, members of the hawk family.  

Kestrel will eat anything from insects (beetles, dragonflies, spiders and butterflies), to rodents, to small birds.  Really really quick.  Too many more to include in this post.  Soooo much fun observing and photographing them all.  One thing they all seem to have in common - so graceful and so determined.

 

 

Lake Sawyer Water Quality Update - May 2019

For those not familiar with water quality testing at Lake Sawyer, in May and August of each year samples are taken to measure three key water quality indicators - Secchi disk, which measures the clarity of water at it's deepest depth, phosphorus which for Lake Sawyer is the key indicator of algae growth and nitrogen which is of lesser importance here.  All three measures are then combined into an overall Trophic State Index.

Following is a chart of phosphorus sample results in May dating back to 2006.

As you can see, samples are taken for phosphorus concentrations at three different depths - 1 meter, 8 meters and 15 meters.  No significant trend during this period either positive or negative (the lower the better).  We have data going all the way back to 1971 where we see much higher phosphorus levels than this during a period when we also had significant and regular problems with algae blooms.  Life is much better today.  We will see sample results again in August.  Because of warmer temperatures and limited flushing of the lake during summer months, we typically see significantly higher phosphorus levels in summer months, particularly at deeper depths.

Measurements taken with the Secchi disk measure water clarity.  The deeper you can see the disk in the water, the clearer and the better.  As you can see, there is a significant positive trend here.  My only concern is how much of this trend is caused by rain patterns which recently have decreased flows into the lake from both Ravensdale Creek and Rock Creek.   

A trophic state index at 40 or below is where we want to be.  The higher the overall index, this means more plant/algae growth and decreased oxygen levels - and fewer fish in the lake.  Phosphorus is a little higher so far this year and lake clarity continuing to improve.  We'll see what August data looks like.  And a reminder - data can bounce around, trends are what we are looking for.

Black Diamond Demographics - Income

How much money do people make who live in Black Diamond?  How does this compare with other communities in the state?  Well, thanks to Bill Kombol who passed along results from a recent study, we now have an answer and it may surprise you.  First, a couple more data points.  The study was conducted in 2017 and ranks the Wealthiest Zip Codes in the Puget Sound Region measured by Median Household Income.  In all, there are 715 zip codes in Washington State and one might expect that the vast majority, if not all of those are located in the Puget Sound Region.  A few wheat farming zip codes in eastern Washington may represent a few outliers, but if you are in the top 10 or even top 100 in the Puget Sound Region, you are more than likely to be in the top 12 or top 120 statewide.

The first surprise from this study was that Black Diamond had the Highest Median Household Income growth, year over year at 23.1%.  Wow, somebody got some extraordinary bonuses or windfall profits from something.  Anybody willing to share with the rest of us?

The second surprise is that overall, Black Diamond ranked 44th among all zip codes with median household incomes exceeding $90,000.  Not exactly Medina but ours is an affluent community to be sure.

Thanks Bill for passing along this interesting data.

Backpacking? Bring Your Bear Canister!

Planning to do some overnight back packing and camping in the mountains this summer?  There are black bears with young cubs in the cascades and even a few grizzly bears in North Cascades National Park.  Bring your ten essentials and add an eleventh - bear canisters to safely store your food and not attract unwanted visitors.  The following photo in Mt. Rainier National Park, with Pinnacle Peak in the background, was taken several decades ago but bears do seem to be as common today as they were in the past, if not more so.

Image courtesy White River Valley Museum, PO-00660, n.d.

Following is a quote from our National Parks: "Proper food storage is essential and required (by law) for the health and safety of humans and animals in North Cascades National Park Complex. Many bears (black bears, but including the occasional grizzly bear) make their home in the North Cascades, and sightings are not uncommon. Bears are opportunistic, omnivorous eaters who will take advantage of easily available food sources, particularly in the fall when they are fattening up for the winter." 

When you stop by the Park Service at Mt. Rainier, North Cascades or Olympic National Park for your backcountry permit, be sure to bring you bear canister.  Hard sided canisters are now required at a number of sites depending on where you are hiking (though they do have a few canisters to lend for use and return for those who forget or were unaware).  You must be able to hang your food out of reach at all back country sites.

With recent reports and sightings of a mother bear and cub here at Lake Sawyer and elsewhere around the community, including one swimming across the lake, keeping food in the house makes sense everywhere in our community too.

 

Lake Sawyer Fishing - Looking Good

Judging from all the boats on the lake this weekend, fishing at Lake Sawyer is pretty good right now.  It may not be quite as good as it was in days past, but that would be tough to beat.

Photo courtesy Tacoma Public Library, Fleming-269, circa 1905

This one was definitely worth being on a postcard!

Black Diamond - 1936 to 2017

What has been happening in Black Diamond looking back over the period 1936 to 2017?  What did our community look like then and how does that compare with the here and now?  King County's iMap Interactive Mapping Tool provides some great points of comparative reference.  Following is an aerial image taken in 1936 spanning from 288th Street in the north to Jones Lake in the south and Lake 12 to the east and Horseshoe Lake to the west.  Not all of this area is within current city limits but the map provides a reasonable framework for visualizing what changes have occurred in our community over the years.  Here's what an aerial view of our community looked like in 1936.

Adding a few photos of well known locations from this time period, 1936 looks like this:

The Lawson coal mine closed in 1910 following the explosion that killed 11 miners and the Black Diamond mines were on their last legs, if not closed, by 1930.  The railroad depot closed in 1925 for passenger service but rail service continued for hauling coal until about 1931.  The mid 1930's and the great depression served to end what I'll call the "resort" era at Lake 12 and Lake Sawyer, but what an era it was. You could even rent bathing suits back then. The Lake Sawyer Mill Company sawmill and logging operations closed the doors in 1934.  Click on the above picture to enlarge and get a better view of these photos and their locations.

Fast forward to 1998 and as one might expect over 60 years, a whole lot of change occurred during this period.

Mining came back to town with Palmer Coking Coal's aggregate mining operation, the Reserve Silica mining operation of silica sand (now closed and in process of reclamation) and of course the John Henry No. 1 Mine which ceased operations in 1999.

Dredging of area lakes seemed to be the order of the day, particularly at Lake Sawyer, with significant parts of the lake dredged to make it more "development friendly".  But the big news was all of the residential development that occurred in our community beginning in the 1950's. The Lake Sawyer area alone added over 600 residential lots as the Neukirchen family (owners of the Lake Sawyer Mill Co.) and other land owners subdivided their land into residential lots.  Our cabin/home was built was built in 1954.  Significant waterfront areas surrounding Lake 12 and Horseshoe Lake were also developed during this period.  In addition, with the development of Morgan Creek, Lawson Hills Estates, Eagle Creek and Diamond Glen, historic Black Diamond also saw significant residential growth.

In 1975, the Black Diamond School District was dissolved and absorbed into the Enumclaw School District.  Grade school age children went to school in Black Diamond with middle school and high school students bussed to Enumclaw (as it is today).  Sawyer Woods Elementary (part of the Kent School District) was built to support the residential growth on the west side of Lake Sawyer, followed by Kentlake High School, which opened in September 1997.

By 2007, King County aerial photographs were now in color.

By 2007, new schools had attracted more residential development in the designated King County urban growth area west of Lake Sawyer.  In this case, land use regulations intended to protect land from development in unincorporated King County didn't quite work.  Lots of homes were built.  The John Henry No. 1 Mine ceased operating in 1999.  No mine reclamation occurred during the 2000 - 2017 period and we can see a big deep lake and spoils piles now on the site.   A significant area of timberlands in the Lake Sawyer watershed were also clear cut during this period.

A decade later in 2017, we can see the beginnings of the 10 Trails Master Planned Development.

Important parts of Black Diamond's history remain with some freshened faces.  Still a wonderful view of Mt. Rainier from the Black Diamond Bakery.  The old railroad station has been remodeled and "reclaimed" into a top notch History Museum befitting our community's coal mining history.  What a great new coal miner statue. Even the historic cemetery received a freshening.  Wonderful library and a brand spanking new elementary school.  Trails for mountain bikers and hikers abound and so do the views from Lake Sawyer.  Fortunately, our community's gift of wonderful wildlife remains including those cute otters, elite osprey fishermen and kings of the sky bald eagles.  4th of July traditions with Uncle Sam at Lake Sawyer and Labor Day festivities also remain.  

It will be interesting to see what this map looks like in 2027.  Fortunately, we have some important measures now in place that hold real promise for our future.  For one, new parks and natural areas are strategically located to protect the Ravensdale Creek sub-watershed and Lake Sawyer water quality.

Forest lands previously logged have recently been acquired by King County and add even more buffer protection.  Much to be thankful for and much to look forward to, including plenty of challenges too.  From where I sit, though, my glass is well over half full.

 

Lake Sawyer Circa 1936

It's seldom that we have an opportunity to see aerial images of our communities as they were dating all the way back to 1936.  Thanks to King County's Interactive Mapping Tool, iMap for short, we get to see what our entire community looked like as it was then and now, with the latest aerial photos taken in 2017.  That's nearly 80 years of our history.  What did Lake Sawyer look like back then and compared to now?  

Here's what Lake Sawyer looked like in 1936.  I've taken the liberty of including images of 4 our lake's iconic sites of the time, including the Lake Sawyer Mill to the northwest, the log dump near the islands on the west side, the Grove resort just south of the islands and Lake Sawyer Paradise resort at the far southwest end of the lake next to what is now Lake Sawyer Regional Park.

There was no dredging in what is often referred to today as the Boot or Cove in the northwest corner, Frog Pond as it was known at the time was dry much of the year, there was no outlet weir and there sure weren't many homes.  The Lake Sawyer Mill company operated until 1937 and we can see how large of a footprint in the northeast part of the lake that it had at the time.  A log dump can also be seen up there too.

Fast forward to 2017 and as expected we can see that a whole lot has changed since 1936 - mostly homes and dredging both north and south.  I should add photos of all the paddleboarders and wakeboarders to this one.

Each time I look at comparisons such as the one above, I find more and more surprises.  For example, the amount of growth to the west of the lake in unincorporated King County and Covington is far greater than I ever thought.  Other obvious changes too as we look south.  Will share more historical images and comparisons in future posts.

Friends of Lake Sawyer - On Vacation or Moving Away?

In the nearly 40 years that we have lived at Lake Sawyer, we could always count on visits from lots of regular friends.  Though I expect that they are still around, it's been awhile since we have seen a few of them.  Maybe I should put up some MOST WANTED posters.  First on my MOST WANTED list are the family of river otters that seemed to visit so regularly during fall and winter months.  They are so fun to watch and a great indicator of healthy water quality.  But, it's been a few years since we have seen them making the rounds.

At one time we had kokanee spawning in Ravensdale Creek - a  fisherman's delight to be sure for both man and otter but kokanee haven't been seen here for 20 years or more and are no longer planted in the lake.  But, trout and bass fishing do seem to be reasonably good, judging from all the cormorants, osprey and fishing boats we regularly see.  So let's hope that our otter friends are just vacationing elsewhere for a little while, letting osprey guard their territory.

A couple of winters ago, a storm wreaked havoc with the eagles nest at the south end of Lake Sawyer next to Frog Lake.  Alas, too much damage done and the eagles haven't been seen nesting here since then.  Though we do still occasionally see them patrolling around the lake, it sure would be great if we could find where they might be nesting now.  Close I hope.

Here's a view of a 3 or 4 month old eaglet taking some practice flights between branches, about ready to leave the nest.  Where else have you seen this before and within walking distance of your home?

Next on my MOST WANTED list are the winter Coho salmon that have historically spawned up Ravensdale Creek.  Four or five years ago, Judy and I were able to find them spawning near the "slatted" bridge.  Quite the spectacle to witness.

The good news - a substantially modernized salmon hatchery downstream at Big Soos Creek is now nearly completed.  Let's hope that increasing water temperatures and more development along Covington Creek don't ruin this important habitat.

So, if you spot any of these "friends" on our MOST WANTED list, please let me know.  It's very important that we keep the welcome mat out - through our actions to protect lake water quality and to maintain the vital wildlife habitat that we now have.

With the old Black Diamond sewer plant no longer discharging into the lake beginning about 1991, with the John Henry No. 1 mine shut down beginning in 1999 and now we have an "anti-degradation" phosphorus discharge limit in place and enforceable with the MPD developer, we have a good shot at protecting the lake.  But, it will take the continued work and vigilance of us all to make that happen. We do have challenges ahead.

John Henry Mine Update April 8, 2019

Update April 8, 2019

Today, I received an update from Gerald Shervey, Industrial Unit Supervisor with Washington State Department of Ecology, regarding schedule for release of a new NPDES permit for the John Henry Mine.  Their current target time frame for having a new draft permit available for public review and input is May.  That's pretty soon.  Good News!

Update April 3, 2019

Last week, the Voice of the Valley published a Public Notice of Pacific Coast Coal Company's (PCCC) planned Blasting Schedule for reopening the John Henry No. 1 Coal Mine here in Black Diamond.  This was a surprise to many of us who having been following mine events, since we were expecting to have an opportunity to provide public input regarding a new NPDES permit that was to be drafted by the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE).  As a reminder, here is the mine site as it currently sits with spoils piles and surface water monitoring locations shown.  

The area at the bottom left is within Black Diamond city limits and the remainder within King County.  Total site area is 480 acres.  Confused as to what is happening, I contacted Glenn Waugh with the Office of Surface Mining (OSMRE).  OSMRE is the federal agency who issues both the Blasting Permit and Mining Permit.  He explained that the Blasting Permit is required when mining resumes.  In addition to forewarning people of the noise, it provides those homeowners within a certain distance of the mine's blasting operations to have their sites surveyed and documented in the event later cracks or crevices in the ground appear as a result of blasting operations. Each of these homeowners received a letter of notification directly addressed to them.

As to why a Blasting Permit is proceeding ahead with no NPDES permit yet issued by DOE, he explained that the NPDES permit issued for the mine dating back to 2013 remains valid today and until such time as a new permit is issued.  This is Washington State law, not federal law, and is confirmed by a letter from DOE to PCCC dated May 16, 2018.   So, once PCCC received final approval from OSMRE to proceed with mining, which they now have, they can operate under the old NPDES permit until such time as a new NPDES permit was forthcoming from DOE.  

I then contacted DOE, but have yet to hear back.  Will keep you apprised as I learn more.

Lake Sawyer Grove Circa 1930

The "resort season" will soon be here.  Have you been to the Lake Sawyer Grove lately?  Guaranteed to have a wonderful time.

Image courtesy Washington State Historical Society, 2002.56.2, circa 1930

The Grove was one of two resorts at Lake Sawyer in the 1920's and 1930's and is currently home to Rebecca and Ron Olness.  

Photo from my personal collection, taken by Asahel Curtis, June 1925

About time to get those paddle boards out.

A Walk in the Park - March Update

Though Judy and i experienced snow week one in February, we missed the 3 or so snow weeks since then until returning last weekend.  My oh my, what an impact recent snows have wrought on Lake Sawyer Park.  In February, I heard redwing blackbirds chirping away and beginning to nest at Frog Lake.  Trees and trails were in great shape, even after the first snow.  It's a whole different story today.  Trees and limbs are down everywhere.  Though city staff has cleared the trail allowing access from the parking lot to the lake, other trails that we regularly use are virtually impassable.  Forget trying to hike around Frog Lake or along the trail paralleling Ravensdale Creek.  I almost got lost today, trying to forge my way through.  Dozens and dozens of trees down and branches strewn everywhere.  And for now, at least, forget trying to listen for redwing blackbirds.  They apparently got smart and headed south for a while looking for warmer climes.  Only the hard core stayed, led by the army of coots that I would just as soon see heading north.  And of course, those noisy and hardy Steller's Jays continue to make their presence known with their screeching voices.

Other than a couple of Buffleheads, a pair of Mergansers, several year round resident grebes, a few solitary bachelor ducks and some red robins, there wasn't much to see today as the sun began to shine.

Thanks to city staff for keeping the park accessible. 

Cleanup is going to take a while.

 

Snowbirds

A combination of people and warmer winter climate seem to have resulted in more wild birds wintering over in the northwest rather than migrate further south.  When we do have a period of winter weather, it's interesting to see how these birds cope in the snow.  Following are a few pictures of our feathered friends dealing with the snow and cold of early February.

The colors of this male House Finch really stand out in contrast to the snow.  They also look a little larger than normal as they puff out their chest to help protect from the cold.  

I can't remember seeing so many Varied Thrushes like the one above hopping across our deck.  Following is one in flight.

Robins really stand out in the snow too and boy do they puff out their chest.

The "thugs" of this winter, and very noisy ones too, have been the Stellar Jays and Northern Flickers.  This flicker should be arrested for attempted "breaking and entering".

We did find a couple of casualties in the aftermath.  One was a humming bird, though I'm not sure why since we kept them supplied with unfrozen sugar water, and a Towhee. Here's one of the towhees that stayed close to the bird feeders.

Gotta love the Chickadees.  

Hopefully, it's time to say "until next year".

Snow Hike to the Slatted Bridge

Another local hike that you can take in most any weather condition is the trail from Lake Sawyer Park along the west side of Ravensdale Creek to what I call the "slatted bridge".  Measured from the parking lot to the bridge, it's about a 4 mile round trip through second growth forests on easy trail that provide some nicest views of the creek as it meanders it's way to Lake Sawyer.  Cross the bridge to the east side and follow the trails further north all the way to 288th and circle back around to the west side of the creek and you can another mile or two.

These are trails first established and maintained by a community of mountain bikers that provide some of the best mountain biking in King County.  I call it the slatted bridge because of the type of bridge shown above.  It's not the smoothest ride across but it sure is sturdy.  This is also a location where we have seen coho salmon spawning in the past.  The above view is looking east.  On this day, we even found some color.

Berries from weed holly trees stand out in the snow.  Other areas along the creek that can look a bit drab in the winter, really dress up in the snow.

It doesn't take a lot of sun to brighten the day.

What a winter wonderland we have here.

Snow Buddies

One might think that snow and cold weather would bring levels of outdoor activity to a halt.  Nope, it's been quite the opposite.  We've had visitors stop by that we haven't seen in some time knocking on our door.  Regulars take us a bit for granted, like our hummingbird friends who stare at us through the window if we are late in thawing the sugar water in their feeders.  Or the tribe of Dark-eyed Juncos who invited all their friends over.  I must say, they are fun to watch as the snow falls.  They stay so "puffed up" in the snow.

I still haven't been able to figure out which Juncos are females and which are males, though love is certainly now in the air.  They also invited their friends the Towies over for lunch.

The Wigeon family have been the biggest party crashers and made themselves at home in our yard and under our deck.  We haven't seen them all year.

Two females scouting the territory, followed by the boys.

The army of Coots stayed in the water (only about 100 or so of them), which is just fine by me.  Mallards, of course, acted as if they owned the place, waddling along right up on our deck.  We never feed them, but they sure looked like they expected a hand-out.

Mallards are truly the "Rodney Dangerfield" of the duck family but they really are a pretty bird.

And, of course, the squirrel family joined the party, cleaning up after the others.

Quite a menagerie on a snowy day.

Time to go for a hike in the snow.  Enjoy!

A Walk in the Park

What to do on snow days?  Stay close to home and if you live in Black Diamond, take a walk in Lake Sawyer Park.  After the snow falls, we often have clear skies and bright sun, creating a fantasy land, like this sunset at Ravensdale Creek.

Or, you might like it better in the morning.

Fortunately, city staff was quick to clear the park access road and only a few inches of snow fell, making it easy going on the trails.  It's an excellent opportunity to catch some sunbursts as the sun shines through the trees.

See if you can find some hoarfrost close to the lake.  With cold temperatures and high moisture levels in the air from fog rising on the lake, you can often find fields of hoarfrost, some even growing on the snow.

We found it everywhere.  If you have a micro lens for your camera (I don't), you can get some really neat shots of individual snow flakes.  I used my 300 mm long lens to capture this closeup while standing a long ways away.  Always looking for interesting shapes and lighting, like this view of Ravensdale Creek looking upstream.

And downstream.

A tip if you like to take pictures.  You will find Ravensdale Creek to be a great spot for sunset photos over the next couple of months.  Soon the sun will be setting right down the chute.  It's still setting a few degrees south as you saw from the first photo, but it should be even better in a week or so.  Usually, lots of color even now.

Are we all fortunate to live in the northwest or what?