Easy morning

The heat dome that brought us days of toasty temperatures finally gave us a break this Tuesday. The morning temperature was just below 60°F, and the forecast promised a pleasant, even cool, day ahead. In fact, the overnight low was well below average and even set a record low for the date. It was a welcome change, even if it would last only a couple of days. And I knew the perfect place to spend a few hours outdoors - wandering along the creek at Lair O' the Bear Park.

 

This is one of those parks you can reach without a long drive. In less than an hour, you can be breathing fresh mountain air and listening to a rushing creek. So I left my car in the parking lot and started along the trail that winds beside the water. One of the things I like most about this park is that the trails stay pleasantly shaded, while the creek adds an extra touch of coolness to the air. It didn't take long before the rocky canyon walls closed in around the stream. This trail is anything but boring.

Another reason people love this park is the birds. Dozens of them accompany you along the trail, and many are surprisingly tolerant of people. This beautiful Yellow Warbler wasn't shy at all and even posed for me. ;)

With the low snowpack and the lack of rain, the creek is much lower than usual. In many places you can clearly see the creek bed while walking alongside it. These hazy mountain views would look even better with a lively stream in the foreground, but what can we do? Let's just pretend we came here for the mountains. ;)

A little farther along, I passed a large hop vine and met another beautiful resident - a Cedar Waxwing, a medium-sized bird famous for its silky plumage and distinctive black facial mask.

It hopped from branch to branch looking for ripe berries. The moment it found one...

...it swallowed it whole.

Just like that, the black berry disappeared without leaving the slightest trace. Very impressive!

By now the creek was flowing beneath a dense canopy of tall trees, providing even more shade. That's one of the biggest reasons people come here when the summer sun is roasting everything down in the city.

A little later I came across a Spotted Towhee - a handsome New World sparrow that spends much of its time foraging on the ground and among dense shrubs, searching for seeds, insects, and berries. What a pleasant encounter.

Around the next bend I found an even shadier stretch of the trail, where I stopped for a while simply to enjoy the cooler air and the soothing sound of water rushing between the boulders.

Eventually I decided it was time to turn around. After crossing the bridge, I started making my way back toward the parking lot.

Then I spotted an American Dipper, a slate-gray bird famous for its remarkable ability to walk underwater while searching streambeds for aquatic insects.

This one didn't actually disappear beneath the surface, but it repeatedly dipped its head underwater while searching for food. It was fascinating to watch.

I still had plenty of energy, so instead of heading straight back, I took another trail to make a small loop before returning home. Along the way I passed patches of prickly poppies and stopped several times to admire the mountain ridges rising above the valley.

By now the trail wandered through the forest, and the shade was especially welcome as the sun climbed higher into the sky.

Here and there I paused to watch the creek tumbling over the rocks or simply to admire the mountains surrounding the valley.

I've always liked flowers that can grow almost anywhere... especially those that somehow manage to find a foothold on bare rock.

As I was nearing the parking lot, I finally spotted what I had been hoping for - a Red-tailed Hawk soaring high overhead. I had been wondering when a raptor would finally appear. And there it was... a perfect way to end the hike.

A leisurely four-mile hike with roughly 1,000 feet of elevation gain, yet it hardly felt strenuous at all. In fact, it felt more like walking through shady woods than hiking in the mountains. No complaints, though. It was simply a wonderful morning spent walking beside a mountain creek, enjoying the scenery, and meeting a few interesting feathered neighbors.

Photos taken on August 04, 2026.