SINLAHEIKEN WILDLIFE AREA

OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS

LOOMIS, WASHINGTON

Activity: Day Hike

Date: December 10, 2020

Just 10 miles from the Canadian Boarder in the Okanogan Region lies the Sinlahekin Valley and this wild area.  The Sinlahekin Natural Area is 14,000 acres that supports a diverse population of birds including grouse and pheasant and it’s several small lakes are teeming with water fowl and rainbow trout.  The area also is home to deer and other animals.  

Those visiting Sinlahekin Natural Area can enjoy wooded areas with Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, as well as various deciduous trees, rolling hills of grassland, surrounded by the steep hills and mountainsides.  There are 8 miles of trail, the Dave Brittell Memorial Trail.   

In the summer this place would have blue skies reflecting on it’s lakes with steep hills and mountains as a back drop.  In the spring it would be green and  flowering.  Fall would be delightful with many deciduous trees bringing color to the landscape, and in winter it would be a wonderland.

I walked 8 miles of this area in between seasons.  Not Autumn, as all the leaves had fallen leaving a earthy scent of damp soil and decaying leaves hanging in the air. Not winter per se, as there was only a few patches of crisp snow here and there.  The low level clouds hung over the valley fogging the appearance of all but the nearest hills or mountain sides at their foot.  

So my venture was a quiet walk through a dormant land, void of all sound other than the Sinlahekin Creek.  No animals, the lakes were frozen so no jumping fish, or flocks of geese.  I did see a bald eagle investigating a small open water section that was not frozen, obviously searching for his next meal.  Mine was a nice hike in the country, and a time for reflection, a silent time for ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure’.

One thing that is great about nature is how it whispers to you while ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. On quiet frozen days like this everything seems asleep and at peace, and the experience really sets you at ease which is exactly what the doctor ordered to bring balance from the stress of our real lives, with do this -do that, be here- be there, rush around, work work work. It is nice to have nature heal us with a quiet walk through a dormant land. For more healing through nature and profound experiences of adventure please: COMMENT, LIKE, SHARE and FOLLOW. Please support this site by supporting yourself with a shirt, hat or a beanie that carries the important message for you and all lovers of nature: ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure’ at SHOP APPAREL. To help you find a special place to find that inner peace checkout the menu to see all the many locations that PBTA ventures to. Keep in mind that each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure