Coyote Loop

trip in the near future (assuming the heavy rains in December didn't completely destroy the trail…), and I wanted him to start getting some hikes prior to the trip. Coyote loop seemed like a good one to start on, especially with the puppy joining us.

There were a decent amount of cars at the trailhead for a Friday in early spring. When I first moved to Chelan and the first of the Chelan River Gorge trails, 'Reach 1, had just been completed, it seemed like there were rarely more than a couple of cars at the trailhead, even during the summer. Now it's not uncommon to see the lot almost full, which is actually a good thing, as it means people are out enjoying the trails. And given the number of trails accessible from the trailhead, it has never felt crowded.

We proceeded down Reach 1 Trail, with Summit, my puppy on the leash. He's still learning that not everyone is as enthusiastic as he is about greeting each other on the trail. We didn't run into anyone and once we were on the Eagle Trail, I took him off leash.

Summit and Winter on the start of the Eagle Trail

The wildflowers were starting to really bloom. I had done the Cutthroat Loop Trail a couple of days prior, and while there wasn't a huge difference, there were more Arrowleaf Balsamroot, the Phlox was really coming out and the Dark-throated Shooting Star was starting to show.

Dark-throated Shooting Star

We reached the Cutthroat Loop trail, and noticed a small group coming up behind us. We decided to pull over and have some water and let them pass and get ahead of us. Once we began hiking again my son was nervous our dog would run after them, but he stayed close to us as we worked our way up to the Coyote Loop.

Chelan Penstemon

Once on the Coyote Loop Trail, we headed clockwise as we were ready to take a lunch and water break, and there is a nice view point on the edge of the bluff a couple hundred yards up the trail. We had one person pass us by while snacking on some food, but the rest of the hike we had the trail to ourselves until the very end of the hike on Reach 1.

My son and dog on Coyote Loop Trail

After eating our lunch, we continued along Coyote Loop Trail and then back on the Eagle Trail to begin the small descent down off the small bluff. The temperatures weren't too hot, however my dog was definitely feeling the heat a little bit. We had an appointment scheduled the following week for the groomers, and hopefully that will help keep him cool once the temperatures really heat up.

On the way back

It was nice to get out for a hike with my son and puppy, and the Chelan River Gorge is always a good spot to get out, with it being one of the best areas for wildflowers around Chelan in the early spring.