May 23 - Grandeur Peak

First day of the Memorial Day week-end - yea!! Decided to come to Grandeur Peak for a challenging hike (about 2400 ft ele change in 3.4 miles). And for a rematch, I did this hike last year a week or so earlier, got to the saddle and then got stopped by a huge pile of snow that I refused to go thru -- drop-offs scare me. Today, I'm hoping to make it to the top.

Cloudy morning in mid-60s, a little windy. The trailhead in Millcreek Canyon at the Church Falls picnic area. The gate is open this morning so I try to save some time by driving to the trailhead but all the parking spots are taken so I head back to park along the road -- this adds another 1/4mi and 200ft in ele before I even get to the trailhead.

The creek/waterfalls are flowing still as would expect it still is May.

Solomon's Seal (tons of them) are in bloom as are the Waterleaf.

The worse part of this trail is the beginning (before the switchbacks) - lots of elevation gain here. And I wasn't feeling it this morning. I wanted to turn back several times but kept pushing because I knew it would getting better and I wanted to get to the top.

Finally, the switchbacks are starting -- feel much better now. The trail is still weaving thru a woodland but soon breaks out in the open -- I can see mountains to the east/southeast -- with snow. Lots of flowers: a couple species of Balsamroot, Mt Dandelion, larkspur, ...

I see a Western Tailed Blue.

As I get higher, I can see more of the mountains.

And I can see my destination Grandeur Peak, its a long way away.

Just keep walking.

I hear something moving in the brush ahead of me. I'm looking, I can't see anything. I'm right over it and its still moving but I still see nothing. (And it didn't scare as a chipmunk, squirrel). I don't know what's down there.

I finally make it to the saddle where I stopped last year. The view of the SL valley is pretty clear. I poke around and see Spring Beauties and Glacier Lilies under the unleafed Scrub Oak. There's no snow to block me now so I go higher -- only another 1/4 mile to the peak.

The trail now crosses the valley -- kinda heading east I think. I can see where I have already trekked.

Kinda hiking on a ridge but sometimes a side. The trail is steeper now and rockier. There are purple violets blooming. In fact I stopped to take a photo of the violets (some I can remember them) and I see the prize of my trip -- a Leopard Lily. It so pretty (and the only ones I saw).

I think I'm almost at the top but its just another saddle with another view of the valley. (Guess I didn't make it to "the" saddle last year, only "a" saddle.) I see lots of Sprawling Spring Parsley.

It grows low to the ground and is one of the earliest Spring wildflowers to bloom -- ok "early" is relative above 7000ft. So it more up --- another 1/4mile.

I see a guy coming down I ask if I'm almost there, he says only 10 minutes -- I can do that. I get to the top....and it's yet another saddle. (Ugh!) My destination is still ahead of me --- maybe the "last" 1/4mile. But there's a little hill which I climb and that's my Grandeur Peak for today! (There's rain coming in, my legs are like jelly...) Hey, someone placed a little pile of rocks on top -- it's a peak! :)

So now it's all downhill.

I hear more shuffling in the woods. I see a little black bird with a red breast and has white stripes on his wings. He has a pretty call. There are 2 of them poking thru the leaf litter. (I think they are Spotted Towhees.)

I see some Puccoon which I didn't notice earlier. And some Purple Daisies which are about to bloom.

I get to the bottom of the trail, I see a Painted Lady and a couple of Rocky Mt Duskywings.

On the drive out, I see a deer next to the road.

Well, didn't quite make it to my destination but I came closer. Still a great day.