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| Hiking | 10.40 Miles |
4,043 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.40 Miles | 7 Hrs | | 1.49 mph |
| 4,043 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I had never set foot in the Mt. Wrightson Wilderness and decided to check it off my list by visiting the namesake summit. With temperatures rising, I figured now is the time for this higher elevation hike.
Just FYI, there is a self-pay fee of $8.00 at this trailhead (I only had a $10 bill, but oh well, not a big deal).
It was a little warm starting out, but not too bad. I was fortunate that some clouds were blocking the sun for about 70% of the hike.
Just after the wilderness boundary, two small deer were munching the vegetation next to the trail. They were not the least bit alarmed by my presence.
The pipe at Bellows Spring was flowing, and I splashed its cool water on my face and arms. A cool wind picked up a short time later, and it was like stepping into an air conditioned area. From then on, the weather was absolute perfection for the rest of the hike.
The trail steadily goes up the entire way, with sections of switchbacks. Nothing too steep. At Baldy Saddle, I took the Crest Trail on up to the summit. When I reached the top, one woman was there, sitting on the stone remains of a lookout tower wall. Two men arrived shortly afterwards. Turns out that this was the first time any of us had hiked up here. I probably saw about 25 people all day, but only six above Josephine Saddle.
I looked at all of the magnificent views and had a snack before heading back down the same way. With less than a half mile to go, I was surprised to see the same deer again.
There were several wildflowers that I've never seen before. After getting back home, I spent some time online trying to identify them. Canada Violet, Bigelow's Bristlehead, Field Chickweed, and a few others. I also saw some favorites like the Claret Cup cactus.
I loved seeing several large and small lizards scurrying about in the rocky areas. Some had beautiful blue markings.
I really enjoyed this hike! |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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