South Coldwater Trail bested me last week, I only made it 4.5 miles up the trail before being turned around by snow.
South Coldwater Trail bested me again. This time, however, I managed to fight my way up to the 6.5 mile mark.
Wildflowers are just beginning to bloom. Along the lower reaches of the trail I saw oxalis, strawberry, mahonia, one lone castilleja, and the cutest muddy talus slope full of teeny tiny trillium way up high. Not much for wildlife, but I did see a few chipmunks up high – they were very cheeky. Alder and cottonwood is leafed out, the huckleberries are waking up, as is the willow.
The last mile or so required a lot of step-kicking, and I finally reached a steep slope of soft ice I wasn’t willing to attempt – this just past the stone arch the trail passes through, at around 5100′ elev. I turned back for lunch on the shady of of the cliffs at the arch. A trio of young folk were my company for much of the last leg of the hike – they were short on water, and turned back at the Boundary Trail junction, leaving me to attempt that last bit alone.
Much warm and sun, some breeze. I figure the temps were in the 70’s, maybe close to 80. I got a bit sun-burned, but not too bad. I was impressed with the melt-rate. Many inches per day. I figure next weekend, the loop will be passable.
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