So what do to on a nice Sunny Sunday with just a few clouds in the sky and a little bit of fog lingering on the higher elevation of the Columbia Gorge?
With 2yr old in tow, I had planned on perhaps tackling a little bit of the Syncline or heading on up to Catherine Creek Trail to check things out. Enroute I decided on a change of plans - we kept heading east on Highway 14 until we got to the Balfour Klickitat Trailhead just outside of Lyle, WA.
I had heard a number of great things about Balfour Klickitat, but had not had the chance to check it out for myself, and with weather cooperating, I decided to go for it. With the paved section of the trail at about 3/4 of a mile in length, this was perfect for my daughter's short little legs and current endurance. It was a little colder - probably due to the trail being located on the confluence of the Klickitat and Columbia River and the resulting air drafts of both valleys meeting.
We started off down the trail and were greeted by a man and his two dogs - my daughter immediately seizing upon the opportunity to introduce herself to them. Following was a quick retracing of our footsteps to get her coat we forgot in the truck (it was sunny, but there was still some winter chill left in the air). This time we started back up on the Northbound section of the trailhead towards the wildlife viewing area.
I had earlier hyped up the trip with the promise of seeing some bald eagles and so once again I recited this mantra and my daughter launched up the trail eager to spot one. On up the trail a little way we came to a crossroads and decided to veer to the left up the unpaved part of the trail following a wooden sign indicating a wildlife viewing area. After a short while up this trail we came to a bench and a great viewing area vantage point of a pond-like area below. Based on what I had read and seen in photos, this was an area where bald eagles often roost and fly about in the winter. Unfortunately, we did not see any eagles, but we did spot numerous geese and possibly a hawk of some sort or another.
On the way back down we rejoined the paved trail and continued south along the Klickitat - following the trail around until we finally made it back to our vehicle. This is definitely a great hike for families with small kids and is a great hike even if only for the exercise or the chance to do some birdwatching. Had patience been a stronger virtue with my daughter we would've probably taken more time, but I can assure you we will be back very soon as I am sure there will be many wildflowers coming on in the next couple months.
