The Heat is on!

Looks like many a community in western Washington will end up with a record high today. Forecasts are for Seattle to hit 101! Hotter than a Rolex in a Newark Market! Its a little cooler up here in Skagit-we should hit 95-molto caldo! But while we may see triple digits here for the first time, in many parts of the eastern half of Evergreen State it is pretty common, where ironically it is cooler right now in than in much of the western half. And just what is the state's all time high temperature? It's 118-set on August 5, 1961 at (ironically) the Ice Harbor Dam near Pasco. I imagine the lizards were cooking that day-just like we will be in a few more hours. Brace yourself folks-I wonder how many air conditioning systems are being sold around Seattle this week? There's money to be made in climate change! How many snow blowers were sold this winter with our near record snowfall? It's beginning to feel a lot more like New England out here-and meanwhile back in my old stomping grounds they had record colds and rainfall most of the spring and early summer-has the Northeast and Northwest been juxtaposed? If Mount Rainier gets record wind speeds anytime soon, the answer may very well be yes-. In the meantime, I wish I were in Dixie right now where Birmingham Alabama isn't expected to exceed 85 today!

(photo-Juniper Dunes Wilderness near Pasco, WA, a sizzling place indeed!)

Washington's hottest wilderness

-literally!

Last month I had the opportunity (finally) to hike in the Juniper Dunes Wilderness. Other than the Washington Islands and San Juan Islands Wildernesses-all this leaves for me to visit for Washington wildernesses now-is the tiny trailless Wonder Mountain Wilderness. In essence, Juniper Dunes is trailless too-just hike willy-nilly over an amazing dune system-the last intact protected interior dunes in the state. The wilderness is small, 7,100 acres-surrounded by agriculture and ORV-thrill parks. The Dunes too were once molested by ORVs and 4x4 scars still exist in this harsh yet fragile environment. Rainfall is scarce here-only 7 to 8 inches a year. This is the closest thing to a desert ecosystem that we have here in Washington. And with that said-now is not the time to visit. Being just outside of Pasco, the Dunes lie within the hottest part of the state-not unusual to have over 100 degree F days here throughout July and August. Visit in the fall or spring-definitely, spring when you can access the wilderness through the north easier-too-get-to trailhead and enjoy the amazing flowers. This place is hot! But, go check it out when it isn't!