Built-in Adventures: Experiencing Fall on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail in Carnation, WA

After a travel adventure in California’s Bay area, yesterday Bergen and I set out on another built-in adventure to pick up our pup, Norman at the boarders.  She takes such good care of Norman, treating him like one of her own, that we are okay with driving out to the country to reunite.  Besides, it gives us a chance to experience the beauty of Snoqualmie Valley.  No matter the season, I treasure the drive out, and I’ve picked up favorite spots to stop and explore along the way.

This visit gave us the perfect opportunity to burn off some energy and take-in all the fall color changes happening here in Western Washington.  While we barely scratched the surface of the 31.5 mile Snoqualmie Valley Trail, we covered enough ground to see plenty of gorgeous autumn leaves, a salmon spawning spot, and even caught a glimpse of the October happenings at one of the region’s most beloved farms.

The trail, stretching from Duvall to Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend,  has several access points.  We entered at Nick Loutsis Park in downtown Carnation, and walked just a half a mile or so (remember we were going at toddler speed) to where the trail crosses over Remlinger Farm.

Stopping at the bridge that took us over the Tolt River provided me with a mix of emotions.  For one, I was terrified that Bergen might slip through the opening between the edge of the bridge & railing, and fall.  Highly unlikely, I know, but for some reason bridges bring on a new fear for me now that I have an active toddler by my side (or often running away from my side).

Then when I studied the water flowing below us a little more closely, I saw one salmon floating there, dead.  When I continued studying the river and it’s banks, I realized there dozens of salmon floating in the water and also stuck along the edges and in between rocks.  I was worried. How completely sad.

We moved on, but I later realized, thanks to some informative signage that this is normal.  It’s peak spawning season for several species of salmon, so they’ve made their journey back and have now died. The natural order of things.

And another remarkable reminder of this season of change.

What seasonal changes are you experiencing in your world? 

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