Summer was too intense for us, so Sean and I vowed to get out more in the fall to enjoy the weather and changing leaves.  I'm really proud that we've been pushing ourselves more and checking out new trails when we can.

On a recent beautiful and dry day, we headed out to Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge for the first time to see what it was like!  We had a lovely walk with gorgeous views.  I was so excited about all the amazing bird sightings, including Bald eagles, American kestrels, a Great Blue Heron, and a Great Egret!! 

Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located east of Washougal, Washington, and is at the western end of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.  It was established in 1987 to offset lowland habitat loss caused by construction at the Bonneville dam.  There are a few connecting trails, most of which are fairly flat, wide, and easy to walk on.  A few benches can be found here and there to sit upon and admire the view.  The trail along the river, Refuge River Trail, is the only trail that allows things like bikes, horses, jogging, and dogs on leashes.  (There is a different entrance to this particular trail about a mile or so away.)  I saw four dogs on this trail, three of which were not on a leash, which, by nature of it being a wildlife refuge, seemed like a pretty dumb idea.  There is a massive NO DOGS ALLOWED sign at the main entrance where we walked in, so it was very confusing.

We walked about four miles of the trail on this day.  The weather was gorgeous, though it was incredibly cold and windy.  I was wearing five layers up top and two pants and managed okay.  We started at the Main Entrance parking lot and walked the Mountain View Trail, part of the Refuge River Trail, and the open part of the Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail.  (There is a gated section that is closed from  October to April.) 

My most exciting moment came when we saw the heron fly in toward where we were walking, landing somewhere just out of eyesight.  I had the "good camera" out already, so Sean sent me up ahead to see what I could see.  I slowly inched forward over the slight hill in the path and saw the Great Blue Heron.  

Majestic doesn't even do him justice.  He was at least four feet tall, graceful, and wise.  He was not bothered by my presence and continued his food search, strolling down the path.  I was so in awe to be that close to him.  He felt special and mythical and magical.  There was a moment when I thought that maybe he was a shape-shifting wizard leading me on a quest.  That's how cool he was!  

I continued taking photos, just flabbergasted he was even still there with me, until an older couple came down the trail the other way and spooked him a bit.  He took off in a flurry of massive wings and we watched him glide through the air as he continued his journey.

It was pretty spectacular.

If you like bird-watching, pretty scenery, and need a new place to take a walk, Steigerwald is a lovely area!

(Also, I am aware that I didn't have the big zoom lens to get sharper images, but I'm working on not being a perfectionist so that I can actually share instead of the crippling self-doubt that comes from a lifetime of being told you are never good enough.  I figure fuzzy photos are better than nothing sometimes.)