In mid-February on a cool and very rainy weekend day, I hiked the 14-mile trail (1,450 feet of cumulative elevation gain) around Henry Hagg Lake on the eastern slopes of the Coastal Mountains.

Or, I would have hiked 14 miles if I hadn’t returned to the upper road after sliding around in the mud for nine miles. So, instead of 14 miles it became a little over 12 miles.

Five creeks flow into the 2 1/2 mile long reservoir, providing great habitat for song birds, waterfowl, wildflowers, deer and elk.

But, on the day I visited, there were few highlights to be spotted due to the dense cloud cover and persistent rain. Needless to say, it was not a target-rich environment for a photographer.

A lesson one learns from living in the Portland area is, if you’re afraid to hike in the rain, you don’t do much hiking.

As I have mentioned before, one of the keys to comfortably hike in the rain is to remember to stay warm. It’s fairly difficult, if not impossible, to keep from getting wet.