TR: Bayview Trail to Maggie's Peak South (6/22)
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:00 am
(I already posted this in another thread but thought I ought to give it its own.)
I got on the trail at about 5:00pm Sunday, hiked up to Granite Lake, bushwhacked straight up to Maggie's Peak South, found a semi-normal trail back down to Maggie's saddle, and got back to my car at about 7:45. The big news from the trail was that I saw a bear — my first one ever, actually! It was golden-colored and was clawing at a stump and eating bugs about 50 yards below the trail, only about 1/10 of a mile (as the crow flies) east of the trailhead.
Wildflower report: as expected, it's pretty early and awfully dry. Lots of hot pink penstemon ("mountain pride"?) above Granite Lake; small-flowered manzanita and some kind of white ceanothus all over the place; scrubby thimbleberries blooming in slightly damp areas; quite a few bright red snow plants popping up just above the unofficial vista point between the trailhead and the lake. I followed Granite Lake's outlet stream a little ways below the lake and didn't find much (except for mosquitoes): a few cinquefoil, some labrabor tea, and a lot of corn lily that's just getting started. Very little water in the creek.
I got on the trail at about 5:00pm Sunday, hiked up to Granite Lake, bushwhacked straight up to Maggie's Peak South, found a semi-normal trail back down to Maggie's saddle, and got back to my car at about 7:45. The big news from the trail was that I saw a bear — my first one ever, actually! It was golden-colored and was clawing at a stump and eating bugs about 50 yards below the trail, only about 1/10 of a mile (as the crow flies) east of the trailhead.
Wildflower report: as expected, it's pretty early and awfully dry. Lots of hot pink penstemon ("mountain pride"?) above Granite Lake; small-flowered manzanita and some kind of white ceanothus all over the place; scrubby thimbleberries blooming in slightly damp areas; quite a few bright red snow plants popping up just above the unofficial vista point between the trailhead and the lake. I followed Granite Lake's outlet stream a little ways below the lake and didn't find much (except for mosquitoes): a few cinquefoil, some labrabor tea, and a lot of corn lily that's just getting started. Very little water in the creek.