Trailhead January Activity
BY: Lang
The Group met on January 12th at the Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary.
It was a nice surprise to find amongst the industrial hustle and bustle out by Boeing. The 50 acre wetland is a natural drainage site that plays host to a variety of plants and animals. Winding through Narbeck you can find a system of well maintained trails and boardwalks that make up the inner and outer loop trails. Starting the inner trail there is a structure that was built to resemble a beaver's lodge. Inside the structure are windows that give you a view of the main pond. The only disappointment here was the graffiti flung upon the walls. I expect that that will be taken care of by the Friends of Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary (www.narbeck.org ). Along the 0.5 mile inner loop you will find a well packed gravel path mixed with a system of boardwalks. Also along this trail are a series of interpretive signs providing information about the wetlands and its inhabitants. Keep a watchful eye as there are signs of beavers everywhere, and you never know when an animal sighting might happen. Midway through you will find steps that lead you to the outer loop trail. I recommend staying on the inner loop and continuing to another set of steps that take you to a nice meadow overlooking a large section of pond with large boulders for seating. On a nice day this spot would be ideal for a snack break or any other break that you may need. Just a little further and you return to the start of the trail and the beaver's lodge.
Continue out and behind the building to begin the outer loop trail. From behind the building walk to the sidewalk and continue along Seaway Blvd heading east. Before you get to the stoplight you will see a sign on your left showing you the way. The trail continues on a bit before coming out on another street but only for a bit then it goes back to a gravel path again. The path then slopes down a bit and you are back in the wetlands with lots of trees and ferns. The outer loop is approximately 1 mile. The whole hike, 1.5 miles, took us 45 minutes at a casual pace. Plan on doing this hike in the spring or summer when everything is in bloom, and take with you someone who knows about the local plant life.
And a special thanks to John, Brian, Paul S, Robert and Jim for showing up and had a good time, ask them it was.
February's hike will be at River Meadows Park 20416 Jordan Rd. Arlington. Meet there at 11:00a.m. This is by the Stillaguamish River with 6 miles of trails to explore and it should be fun. Check the calendar for the exact date. Dress for the weather, and maybe bring a cup of hot coco. Hope to see you there.