With some of my walking lately, I figured that I would be able to walk to Bald Mountain on Top Spur trail #785 with just patchy snow. I was wrong. Still quite a bit of snow, but with GPS and some awareness you can get to the southern portion of trail which is dry and leads you to the early wild flowers of the season.
Before you get there you will find that it is going to be a fantastic Beargrass year. Depending on which book you read you will find that Beargrass blooms every other year to 7 years apart, so seeing a flower load of this beautiful plant is well worth getting outside! The leaves of this plant are super strong and used for making baskets, clothing, hats, and I am sure a lot of other useful tools. The flower itself is like smelling your own feet, a little stinky but you can stand it!
I thought I would be able to drive all the way to the trailhead without hitting snow, but once again I was wrong. I am fortunate enough that my hiking boots are able to handle unplanned obstacles and walk a long way. With no shovel and solid snow, I parked and walked close to a half mile to the trailhead. Hoping that it would be patchy snow, bare trail, patchy snow, then the views I was after. Not a lot of parking at the snow at the snow line on the road, so if the one parking spot is already taken, your road walk to the trailhead may be longer. I would say two weeks from now will be primetime flower time and the road will be for sure melted out. Most likely still some snow on the trail in two weeks, but patchy.
Still up to 3 and a half feet in places. Maybe saw bare trail three times before we got far enough south that it was completely melted out. Ther are blazes (and my footprints) on the trees for the short Top Spur portion, but once you reach Timberline Trail #600, you are on your own. The best thing about getting out early is that the buttes are already in bloom and if you wait until the trail is completely melted out, so are the flowers! By all means, 10 essentials, being prepared and aware, and experienced if you are going to head out into the wilderness when the trail is not completely visible, or anytime for that matter. Be sure and be safe!
Larkspur, Paintbrush, Trillium, Wild Strawberry, and much more is out and about. Get on out there before the bees do. It is nice now, but one week it will be breathtaking.
This is one of my favorite views of the Mountain, and looking across to Yocum Ridge, my absolute favorite place on the Mountain! Maybe I will see you up there, but hopefully not! You can see the trail ends up bare by the time you make it out to the south so pack up your lunch and get the out of the city!!
Before you get there you will find that it is going to be a fantastic Beargrass year. Depending on which book you read you will find that Beargrass blooms every other year to 7 years apart, so seeing a flower load of this beautiful plant is well worth getting outside! The leaves of this plant are super strong and used for making baskets, clothing, hats, and I am sure a lot of other useful tools. The flower itself is like smelling your own feet, a little stinky but you can stand it!
I thought I would be able to drive all the way to the trailhead without hitting snow, but once again I was wrong. I am fortunate enough that my hiking boots are able to handle unplanned obstacles and walk a long way. With no shovel and solid snow, I parked and walked close to a half mile to the trailhead. Hoping that it would be patchy snow, bare trail, patchy snow, then the views I was after. Not a lot of parking at the snow at the snow line on the road, so if the one parking spot is already taken, your road walk to the trailhead may be longer. I would say two weeks from now will be primetime flower time and the road will be for sure melted out. Most likely still some snow on the trail in two weeks, but patchy.
Still up to 3 and a half feet in places. Maybe saw bare trail three times before we got far enough south that it was completely melted out. Ther are blazes (and my footprints) on the trees for the short Top Spur portion, but once you reach Timberline Trail #600, you are on your own. The best thing about getting out early is that the buttes are already in bloom and if you wait until the trail is completely melted out, so are the flowers! By all means, 10 essentials, being prepared and aware, and experienced if you are going to head out into the wilderness when the trail is not completely visible, or anytime for that matter. Be sure and be safe!
Larkspur, Paintbrush, Trillium, Wild Strawberry, and much more is out and about. Get on out there before the bees do. It is nice now, but one week it will be breathtaking.
This is one of my favorite views of the Mountain, and looking across to Yocum Ridge, my absolute favorite place on the Mountain! Maybe I will see you up there, but hopefully not! You can see the trail ends up bare by the time you make it out to the south so pack up your lunch and get the out of the city!!
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