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It's strange, last week I got beat by
snow at under 4000', Saturday we hang
around 6000' to 7000' and never see a
hint of the stuff.
Not that I'm complaining, of course.
This hike stayed on the PCT, a
marvelously level sojourn through the
ample meadows surrounding Mt. Ashland
while stepping side for marathoners
who were racing on the PCT. We
settled for just walking 6 miles or
so, but we looked happier than some of
the racers we saw. As an aside, I
now burn with desire to backpack this
section of the PCT.
Predictably, flowers abounded. Top
performer awards go to paintbrush,
penstemon, bog orchid, broadleaf
lupine, valerian, bistort, and
certainly not least: skyrocket (or
scarlet gillia).
What was interesting were some of the
lesser-known species. I found a thick
and exstensive patch of broomrape, a
small chlorophyll-less plant that is a
funny brown-purple color with no
leaves. Had I not been focusing on an
orchid, I'd have never noticed. I
also got to see a Siskiyou monardella,
endemic to the
Siskiyou Mountains.
There were large mats of Ashland
lupine, a miniature lupine that
reaches an inch in height, but only if
it stands on its tippy-toes. The only
place this plant grows is on Mt
Ashland, so it was kind of thrilling
to see it.
The open rocky slopes were covered
with alpine buckwheat, a pussy-toe
that also is known by the name, and I
kid you not: dirty socks. One whiff
of the thick "perfume" alongside the
trail and it becomes readily apparent
why it's called dirty socks.
Unpreturbed, bees and butterflies flit
from dirty sock to dirty sock.
Nothing quite like it on a hot smoky
day.
Speaking of smoke, it wasn't too bad
but due south above Yreka it was
horrible.
Mt Shasta was hidden completely
from view.
After a perfunctory ramble to the
Grouse Gap Shelter where we repasted,
some of us continued on the PCT to a
saddle between Mt. Ashland and Siskyou
Peak. The views were great in spite
of the smoke. Ray found a cooler with
beverages that a trail angel had left
for long distance hikers. Our hiker's
morality prevented us from helping
ourselves.
Near the end of the hike, there was a
large "nest" made of branches and some
silliness was involved as Gaoying,
Mimi, and Lois provided the
entertainment posing in the nest.
Another great hike and for the rest of
the pictures, see:
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