We watched the forecast for western Washington - rain predicted - so drove over to eastern Washington, where temps were in the low 80's, with sunshine and scattered clouds. It couldn't have been more beautiful for the Labor Day weekend. Perfect for hiking, canoeing, cooking...and star-gazing. The Milky Way was mesmerizing, the sky so clear. Hundreds of twinkling stars! We set up camp at Coffeepot Lake, a game reserve on BLM land. It is only a few miles from Twin Lakes, where we did a 9.5 mile hike the following day. Our 3-day trip was blessed with solitude - very few fishermen or campers this time of year (although we did awake one morning to the sound of Russian speaking fishermen, and a Spanish speaking family the next day.)
More than 900 acres bordering Coffeepot Lake are managed for wildlife habitat. We saw flocks of geese and cormorants; hawks soaring over the canyon, sandpipers flitting along the shoreline, marsh wrens grasping tule reeds, grouse and snake along the road, and we heard an owl calling from the tree near our tent at night.
We took a two hour paddle around the lake early Sunday morning, right after coffee. We wanted to check out the end of the lake, where wetlands and sand extended down to another reach of lake. 
We beached the canoe and hiked up on bluffs, startling a herd of mule deer. I could have spent an entire day there, exploring and soaking up the vista.We paddled along the shoreline, noticing all the nests made by cliff swallows. River otters swam ahead of us, checking us out - about six of them, poking their heads up and hissing, then diving under the water. A flock of pelicans favored the rocky shoreline at the eastern end of the lake where herons stood like statues waiting and listening. As we approached, they squawked, and slowly flapped their huge wings when they flew away.
The next morning we crossed over the lake to explore an old abandoned cabin used for duck hunting or fishing - I think of it often, wondering who built it. What was the area like when blanketed in snow, with winter winds blowing across the lake, and not a soul around? 
I used a front pack for the 5-hour Twin Lakes hike, carrying only my sandwich and one bottle of water. The day-pack was perfect for holding just a few shirts, too. George carried a full pack. We didn't have a map for hiking at Twin Lakes. (They are provided at the campground, but not at the trailhead, where we parked our car.) However, we had a feel for the hike's general directions - 9.5 miles of old roadbed, through shrub-steppe uplands and wetlands, along basalt bluffs, and out onto an expansive stretch of farmland.
There was an abandoned ranch in Lake Creek Canyon.
I'll have to admit, by the 8th mile I was becoming a little worried - it was almost 5:00 p.m., with no familiar terrain in sight. Trail markers, placed at every turn of the road, were of little consolation. I felt a few sprinkles of rain from a passing cloud, and noticed that George was limping a little. His boots were not holding up. No blisters, just tenderness and pressure - we'd hiked for 4 1/2 hours without sitting down for a rest break. 
He was sure relieved when we noticed a familiar gravel road leading back down to the Twin Lakes campground and the trail-head.
We hope to do this hike again next spring, and check out some of the other adjoining lakes. George will bring an extra pair of shoes to give his feet a break.
