After Rainstorm, Black Canyon has several new canyons

Original publication date 30 November 2015 Methow Valley News

 

Black Canyon Road south of Methow has a new canyon, compliments of last Tuesday’s rainstorm on Nov. 17.

While the upper valley received over a foot and a half of snow, the lower valley received an equal amount of rain, if not more. One foot of snow generally equates to 1 inch of rain. According to Agweb.com, our region recorded between 3-4 inches of rain in November. A look at waterdata.usgs.gov revealed that on Nov. 14, the Methow River near Pateros was flowing at an average of 400 cubic feet of water per second (cfs). On Nov. 18, the day after the storm, the Methow River was flowing at 900 cfs, double the rate.

Along the boundary of the most recent burn in Black Canyon, flow rates of a small stream rose from single-digit cfs to a raging 350 cfs. More than 10,000 to 15,000 cubic yards of rocks, mud, trees, and other debris was displaced, plugging a culvert four-and-a-half miles up Black Canyon and resulting in a deep washout that resembles a small canyon. The road is currently closed one mile from Highway 153, and will reopen next spring after the road is rebuilt.

According to Cathy Dowd, public affairs officer for the U.S. Forest Service Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, it is common practice to remove culverts after a fire to keep the road from washing out.

“The public may have the misconception that we’ve closed a road when we remove a culvert, but it is only temporary,” she said. “When culverts are removed, the water and debris are able to flow over the road and not wash it out.”

As this one culvert was not removed, the damaging result will keep the road closed until repairs can be made next spring.

Black Canyon road is used by many recreationists year-round. In the winter, it is a popular snowmobile route with groomed trails leading to spectacular views of Lake Chelan. In the summer, outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the route to Summer Blossom Trail and onward to Angels Staircase and the Golden Lakes. In September, HawkWatch shuttles groups up Black Canyon to Chelan Ridge to watch the annual hawk migration. Due to recent fire events, summer and fall visitors had to find alternate routes, and this winter, Black Canyon will continue to hold her secrets.

A recent drive along the South Fork of Gold Creek revealed minimal damage to the road, but the results of post-fire mud flows and high winds were apparent. Fallen trees, rocks, and erosion, had impacted the area.

The recent rains and the freeze-thaw cycle resulted in hazardous conditions on national forest roads throughout the region in the Entiat, Wenatchee River, Cle Elum, and Methow Valley ranger districts. Before leaving home, people should contact local ranger stations for current road and trail conditions. Plan for alternate exit routes in case your return route becomes inaccessible or blocked.

Pumpkin Chili with Scones

Original Methow Valley News column, Lower Valley: November 11, 2015

By Joanna Bastian

I had planned a column featuring all autumn quotes, such as this gem from Jack Kerouac: “Swinging on delicate hinges the autumn leaf almost off the stem.”

But then it snowed. Writing about autumn suddenly felt passé, like pumpkin spice latte.

Speaking of pumpkins — we roasted a pumpkin earlier this week and mashed up the softened flesh with a bit of butter, rosemary, sage and sea salt. The sweet and savory combination gave me an idea: pumpkin scones with turkey pumpkin chili.

You’ll need a total of three cups of pureed pumpkin for both recipes. Select a small- to medium-sized pumpkin and slice off the top. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour, or until skin is browned and knife easily inserts into pumpkin. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Scoop out seeds, peel off skin, and mash pumpkin flesh in a bowl.

Photo by Joanna Bastian

Pumpkin rosemary sage scones are an
excellent companion for pumpkin chili.

Pumpkin rosemary
sage scones

1 stick of butter

10 fresh sage leaves

1 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves removed from stem

1 shallot, minced

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup whole milk

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 oz applewood-smoked Gruyere cheese, cut into small cubes

Finely chop the rosemary and sage. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan just until frothy. Stir in the fresh herbs and cook until just crisp and fragrant — about two minutes. Line a bowl with a paper towel and scrape the buttery herbs out of the pan and into the bowl to drain.

Melt another tablespoon of butter in the pan and cook shallot until translucent. Add pumpkin, salt, pepper, and ½ cup of the heavy cream. Stir in the herbs. Cook over low heat until excess liquid evaporates — about 5-10 minutes. Place in refrigerator to chill for one hour.

In large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Using two forks, cut in 4 tablespoons of chilled, cubed butter. When mixture resembles coarse crumbs, add cheese, and toss to coat.

Add the rest of the heavy cream, milk, and chilled pumpkin mixture. Stir until just combined. Turn dough out onto floured surface and with floured hands, pat evenly into a 1-inch thick disc. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut scone dough into wedges and place on baking sheet. Melt the last two tablespoons of butter and brush over the top of the scones. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

These flaky lightweight scones go well with a hearty stew like turkey pumpkin chili. Warm two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a deep-sided pot over medium high heat. Add one red onion, one green bell pepper, and four cloves of garlic, all roughly chopped. When onion is translucent, crumble one pound of ground turkey into the pan and cook until brown. Add two cups of pureed pumpkin, a cup of frozen corn kernels, and 8 ounces of fire-roasted tomatoes. Season with a generous handful of chili powder, and a dash of salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, until extra liquid from pumpkin has evaporated.   

I don’t know how many calories are in the savory pumpkin scones. I’m a writer, not a mathematician. But there is an entire stick of butter and a respectable amount of cheese. Just run a turkey trot marathon after eating a batch and you’ll be fine.

Stuffed Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the only time of year that I can eat pumpkin cookies.
The rest of the year, it tastes sacrilegious.
But now, is the perfect time of year to enjoy the autumn holidays on the tastebuds. Celebrate the season with these very colorful, warm spice, cookies.

• 1/2 cup shortening (do not substitute, shortening makes them "so fluffy I can't stand it!")
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cup pumpkin
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
• Add-ins 
• 1/3 craisens
• 1/3 white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup crushed walnuts 

Preheat oven to 350° F. 
In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and mix to form a smooth batter. Stir in the add-ins. Drop by rounded spoonful on cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes. 
Drop batter onto ungreased baking sheets by rounded teaspoonful. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Fragility

It was a mistake to come to the writing cave today
I sit by the fire, a cup of tea in hand
Steam drifts above my pursed lips
Curling as I breathe out, and breathe in

My thoughts are not where they should be
Far away from this stack of paper in my lap
Editing notes in the margins
Inky arrows, slashes, circles and numbers

Creating clarity on the page
When I have no clarity of thought

Yesterday morning at this time
The hillsides and trees shrouded by fog
Mist formed droplets of lazy rain
A bag of seed hung from my arm

Spreading seed is a restorative act
For the land and the soul
Holding my hand above burnt soil
Seeds softly filter by slight of hand

Falling to the ground, they lie in slumber
The snow blankets their bed of soil
Spring sun awakens the seed
Grasses take root, the land restored

Not far from where I meditate with seeds
A nightmare unfolded just months ago
Three firefighters lost their lives, a fourth his youth
Unlike the land, life is too fragile to restore

The phone rings. Her voice is resigned.
Mammogram. Biopsy. Mastectomy. Treatment.
She needs her friends near to plant seeds of hope
To restore some zen, love, and support

In the evening I sit at the right hand of another friend
Strains of classical guitar fill the air
Her face is flushed with anticipation
She is on a date with the handsome man to her left

A wire extends from the curve of her breast
To a recording device clipped to her hip
Her irregular heartbeats under scrutiny
Not by her date, but by a team of doctors

Onstage, the guitarist furrows his brow
Eyes closed, lips pursed in concentration
Fingers dance across the wires
Delicate notes interplay with complex melodies

Life is fragile.
Hope and joy can be restored.

Garden Minestrone

Sometimes, you just want to put your entire garden into a pot, let it simmer, then fill your belly with all the fruits of your summer labors. 

This soup is easy to make, freezes well, and is the perfect soul-warmer for those rainy, snowy days.
In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute for 5 minutes:

•     5 T butter
•     1/2 C olive oil
•     2 cloves garlic, minced
•     2 small yellow onions, diced
•     1 C diced celery
•     1 C diced carrots

Then, add the following ingredients and bring to a boil:

•     1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
•     2 qt broth (chicken, beef, vegetable - whatever)
•     1/2 qt water
•     1/2 t ground sage
•     1/2 C chopped basil
•     1 C shredded cabbage
•     2 C frozen spinach (chopped)
•     2 C zuchinni, sliced
•     1 C cooked beans (recommend kidney, black, red, or navy)
•     16 oz diced plum tomatoes

After soup has come to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Then, add 1 cup dry small shell pasta. Hard cheeses go well with this soup: romano, parmesan, asiago.

Golden Lakes

Oh look, a column. They appear like magic. I hoped somebody reads this trail tale. I hiked all the way uphill just get this story.

Published in the Methow Valley News , October 28, 2015

Larch trees blend in with other conifers most of the year, but when autumn arrives, they reveal their true colors. Deciduous needles change from dark green to brilliant yellow. The Golden Lakes Loop trails on Gold Creek are  — to continue a literary theme — pure gold.

To get there, take Gold Creek Loop to Gold Creek Road. Follow the main fork of Gold Creek for about 6 miles before coming to a marked fork in the road. Turn left onto forest service road 4340-300. Arrive 4-1/2 miles later at the trailhead parking lot at the end of the road. Both the turnoff and the trailhead are marked, but there are no destination signs. Someone keeps taking the signs, including the trail register. The trailhead is primarily referred to by two different names in trail books: Eagle Lakes, and Golden Lakes Loop.

There are usually several cars parked at the trailhead, as this is a popular trail with stunning views. A meadow campground with picnic tables, grills and an outhouse is perfect for overnight camping at the trailhead, for an early start in the morning. Interconnecting trails lead to multiple high-alpine lakes, surrounded by brilliant larches, heather, bearberry, salmon berries, willows, dogwoods and aspens — all showing their stunning fall colors; truly, a hikers paradise.

Most hikers come from miles away to hike the ever-popular Golden Lakes Loop, which includes Martin Lakes, Cooney Lake and Eagle Lakes. If you have two or three days for an overnight hike, or feel like a long bike ride, this 23-mile loop is well worth the time.

For a quieter, less-traveled hike, Crater Lake is a wonderful option. Just 4-1/4 miles from the trailhead, a round-trip day hike is challenging, yet rewarding, with a steady elevation gain of 2,350 feet from the trailhead to the lake, which is located at 6,969 feet. Rugged beauty surrounds the jagged cirque of Crater Lake, where calm waters reflect the warm hues of the changing larches.

Start from the Eagle Lakes Trail, which gently climbs the Crater Creek drainage through open forest with fir and aspen. At a quarter-mile, the trail dramatically opens with views of both Crater and Martin Creek drainages as the path curves along a rocky ledge. At thr .07-mile point, an impressive bridge crosses Crater Creek and the trail enters a shady spruce grove. Here, the options begin: Martin Lakes, Cooney Lake and Eagle Lake trails are to the left, while Crater Lake Trail veers to the right. The trails are clearly marked.

Crater Lake trail is steep, but there are many rock outcroppings that provide perfect photo ops to capture long views of the Methow Valley floor, expertly framed by tree-covered slopes.

Lower Crater Lake is at the4-mile mark, in a deep basin surrounded by 8,000-foot rocky crags. Upper Crater Lake is just .03 miles further.

For a longer day hike, Martin Lakes are a 12-mile round trip, as are the Eagle Lakes. Cooney Lake is a little farther, at 7 miles in. All are within a 14-mile round trip. Happy hiking!

 

Easy Focaccia

I used to think I could not bake bread. Mission impossible. Something always went wrong and the product of my failure usually was inedible. But then...I don't know what happened. Something just clicked. Or, I just found a bread recipe that was easy to follow, and easy to get creative with.

Now I make bread all the time. It tastes good, it smells good, and above all...it's easy. Which is a good thing, because I'm fanatically successful at failure in so many other avenues of life, it's nice to come across a nice bread recipe that looks and tastes successful with not much effort.

First, whisk these three ingredients together and set aside in a warm place for five minutes so the yeast will 'proof' - as in, poof up:

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon yeast

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Have the olive oil handy.

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

Suggested add ins:

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons red onion, minced

1 tablespoon dried, mixed italian herbs

Stir in the oil and yeast mixture. If using add ins, stir these ingredients into the mixture. Stir until combined, then using oiled hands, knead the mixture in the bowl until all ingredients are incorporated. Turn dough into large oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and set in a warm place.

Let rise for one hour. Dough will double in size.

Toppings:

Pizza sauce

Red onion, thinly sliced

Tomato, thinly sliced

Grated Parmesan cheese

Turn dough out onto cooking stone or baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Press with oiled hands to spread evenly on baking surface - dough should be 2 inches thick. Brush with sauce, if using. Top with thinly sliced vegetables. Brush with olive oil. Top with sea salt or grated cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes before slicing.