First trip report posted here. Let's see how well I can screw it up...
EDIT1: First screw-up... Changed servers to grab photos from a commercial source, rather than my own.
EDIT2: Second screw-up... Adjusted commercial server settings, so linked shots are 1920x1200.
Saturday looked like a total washout in Vancouver. Had hoped to get out somewhere this weekend, but the forecast for Sunday was gloomy (and wrong, it turns out!) and the rain didn't let up all morning on Saturday. Not long after noon, a break appeared, so I took a look at the radar. Oh wow! I'm outta here!
Beacon Rock SP is only 45 minutes away, so after grabbing some lunch and filling the pack, I was off. Well, that makes it sound like I really flew. Actually, I was on the trail at 3:30. The sky was sort of a blue-to-gray gradient, looking east-to-west.
On the way up the ridge, it appeared that a fire had gone through here somewhat recently? I didn't remember hearing about that...
I'm sure most folks here have done this hike, but I'd never been there before. Hoped to find the wildflowers busting out up top, and wasn't disappointed.
Must stop. Too many flower photos.
Someone said Hamilton Mountain looks tiny from up here. That was my first "warm-up" hike this spring, just six weeks ago. Actually, first in a long time. I'm amazed looking down on it now!
And I think the view of Bonneville Dam is even better up here!?
Mt. Adams was kind enough to poke its head out of the clouds as I was beginning my way back down the ridge.
But I was pretty soaked, having not paid enough attention to the warning about the trail being a bit overgrown, and all the rain that had fallen earlier in the day. Now it was starting to get a bit cold, too, as I could see my breath. Time to change into dries and get back down.
Of course there were lowland flowers out, too. First lupine and foxglove I've actually run into this year.
And a number of Tiger Lilies.
Must stop. Too many flower photos.
I should add, the West Ridge Trail was in fine shape! Seemed to have been recently manicured. No overgrowth there, at all.
Only minor disappointment was not finding the cougar seen up there recently. Did see some bear scat, though. Oh, and a Bald Eagle did a slow-mo fly-by not 30 feet over my head as I crested the ridge!
Well, there ya go. Lemme know what unspoken traditions I ignored with this post.
I'm just so glad I got out!
Hardy Ridge, 23-Jun-2012
Hardy Ridge, 23-Jun-2012
Last edited by kepPNW on August 7th, 2012, 4:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
Re: Hardy Ridge, 23-Jun-2012
Hardy Ridge looks like it's hitting prime time. Your photos really show it up.
Re: Hardy Ridge, 23-Jun-2012
Hey, thanks. Yeah, I think that 3000-4000 level is the place to be, right now. (Silver Star, a week ago, was just starting to pop.)
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
Re: Hardy Ridge, 23-Jun-2012
Great report! Thank you.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…
Re: Hardy Ridge, 23-Jun-2012
WOW! Great photo contrasting the beargrass against the dark cloudy sky! Gorgeous! Good post, too.
Re: Hardy Ridge, 23-Jun-2012
Sure appreciate the kind words on the report and photos!
Trying an experiment here, to see if I can embed the gpsfly track for this trip...
http://gpsfly.org/gps_map.php?gps_id=1630&w=645&h=440
Trying an experiment here, to see if I can embed the gpsfly track for this trip...
http://gpsfly.org/gps_map.php?gps_id=1630&w=645&h=440
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...