I went hiking on the Umtanum Creek canyon trail a few weeks ago (April 28). This is only about 20 miles from our house, but somehow I never managed to swing by on our last WA adventure. Neat easy (level) hike with archetype shrub-steppe vegetation and some scenic rock cliffs. These photos show the Yakima area about as green as it ever gets. With the last couple weeks of incessant sun, the hills around here are already browning up.

Golden currant, Ribes aureum, supposedly makes good jams.

I hiked as far as the last photo. Further on, the canyon was closed for raptor nesting season in the cliffs.