It snowed in December, then the weather turned mild and snow in the lower parts of the valley began to melt.    On a mid-December morning I chose to hike single track trails from the Uplands Drive (Barnhartvale) trailhead.    The access route follows a pipeline track, then breaks off onto single tracks that bear west, then branch onto the sagebrush – grasslands benchlands, or up into the douglas fir forests.   On this day I followed tracks I know well, winding down ridges above the gullies, avoiding the steep drops down and back up, completing a 4.6 km hike.

The route started on snow, ice, and mud in the forest, but cleared up more on the benchland trails.

The trails wind through an open area below the rocky hills which continue up to Sunrise and Sunset Mountains, east of Juniper Ridge and west of Barnhartvale.

The single tracks wind out to silt bluffs overlooking the South Thompson River Valley.     By following a series of trails, we can enjoy a number of fine views in each direction.

The Uplands Trails offer hiking routes for a few days of hiking each year.