It was beautiful In the mountains. High filtered light with a cool breeze. Ninety degrees in town. Twenty degrees cooler in the mountains.

My friend Dan and I hiked above Squilchuck State Park on bicycle trails. We went 5.5 miles with 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

The park has mountains wrapped around it like a "U."

After doing the shady east side, we crossed over to the west side. Trails were steeper and more open, with dangerous dropoffs. In the sun, it was cool with high trees filtering the light.

It was magical.

"Someday there will be a bicycle race here, and this beautiful place will be discovered and swarmed with mountain bicycles," Dan said.

"No!" I replied, saddened. "This is our go-to hike close to town. It's wonderful for snowshoeing in the winter."

Left to right: Asters, Valerian, running sap on a pine tree, and the view of Mission Ridge Ski Area last April.

What made the tree sap run down? Perhaps woodpeckers piercing the bark.