TRAILS -- Trails through the sage-steppe scablands of Eastern Washington are among the first to welcome hikers and mountain bikers in March.

Sunday was a perfect day to bike the single-track and double track through along the basalt-rimmed canyon and blooming buttercups of the Odessa-Pacific Lake Trail.  More flowers will be blooming by the end of the month.

The 13-mile route is described in detail in the guidebook Day Hiking Eastern Washington.

Notes:

• Deep-well irrigation has lowered the water table dramatically in this area. Pacific Lake is just one of the victims. Bobs Lakes, in the basin ahead of the biker, are history. But one big surprise: Bobs Lakes spring is still flowing.
• Haven't detected any ticks yet, but will hold off on official word since they have a way of showing up on my wife's pillow a day or two later.