We went for a 4.5 mile hike this Sunday at Cougar Mountain. This time we started at a trail head that we hadn't been to before. It wasn't labeled very well, so it took us some time to find it and figure out where to park. There was a lady working in her garden nearby as we were parking and she asked us if we were lost.

We were the only people parked at that trail head, so our hike along the Licorice Fern Trail was pretty quiet even though the trail came pretty close to some houses. We also passed a few people that had come from another trail head in the Cougar Mountain trail system. The trail was narrow and went along a ravine near a creek. Despite the lack of rain lately we were surrounded by moss and other greenery. At the end of the trail there is normally a waterfall, but with the lack of rain and the snow having already been melted, there was no water. We also walked up hill to a supposed viewpoint, but we couldn't see much.

Our pace on the way back was quicker since it was downhill and we wanted to leave and get water. When we got back to the car, the lady was still working in her garden and she offered us some pears since she had a really good crop. So, now we have a bag of pears sitting in the kitchen.

It was an enjoyable hike and I'm looking forward to going back maybe in the springtime so we can see the waterfall, regardless of whether we get more fruit next time.