It was great weather for hiking! Eleven of us left the Tri-Cities at 7:00 a.m. to meet three other hikers at the Deep Creek Loop trailhead in Riverside State Park. Our goal was to hike the Trail 25 Loop. Luckily, Jane and I had both uploaded the trail map using AllTrails Pro or we would have taken more wrong turns than we did had we relied on trail signage. It was a fun challenge to stay on course! Although the day started out cloudy, the sun broke through in the early afternoon. Our hike took us up and down through numerous Ponderosa pines, along Deep Creek Canyon (with a stunning overlook), and finally along the Spokane River Centennial Trail. There was one trail spur which was closed, and the detour added another .5 miles to the hike for a total distance of approximately 6.5 miles.
After the hike, part of our group drove home while others of us headed to Bowl and Pitcher. We hiked along the roaring Spokane River- next to huge basalt columns – and crossed an impressive suspension bridge. A short two-mile hike but well worth it.