A River Runs Through Me
Actually, I run through the river! This is the perfect time of year to do those hikes you've been avoiding due to their daunting river fords. Right now, most of those fords aren't very daunting at all. September is the perfect time to hit many of those trails that are off limits in early summer. The recent warm dry weather means river flows are low. The only exception to this is where the rivers are fed by torrents of glacial melt-then the warm dry weather is not your friend. But in many of our rivers, non-glacial fed- and a few of the glacial fed ones too-this is the time to ford away.

I recently crossed the Napeequa- knee deep and not too swift.
The North Fork Skykomish is pretty low right now too, as well as the Chiwawa. Over on the Olympics head to the Queets and one of my all time favorites, the West Fork of the Humptulips. Don a pair of old running shoes or sport sandals and let your tootsies feel the cool soothing waters of the Northwest. Hurry though-for it won't be long before those rivers start swelling again and you'll have to wait a long, long time to hit those trails again.

(photo-me having a blast at the West Fork of the Humptulips-Olympic National Forest)