A walk in the woods

There’s a path through the greenway near my home. It’s a well worn path, a tenth of a mile of packed dirt, with stabilizing ties across that form steps down some 300 feet into the old growth of trees.

The path is lined with a railing that started to rot the moment it was installed. The environment is evergreen, wet, and full. No place for dead wood to remain whole, but most of the railings are intact and functional.

At the bottom of the ravine there’s a wider thoroughfare that cuts through the trees. It ends after about a mile near the the waters of Commencement Bay. The ravine is fed by the constant rains, which muddy the path before flowing into the salmon-bearing stream nearby.

It’s a peaceful, unhurried place. Foot traffic is mostly joggers heading down to the bay, but occasionally you’ll nod at another person out for a stroll with their camera.

Not a bad way to spend an hour on a sunny afternoon!