Great spring desert hike with lots of varied wildflowers now. Only saw 4 other hikers along the trail this weekday. I made a nice 7.5 mile / 500 foot loop trip, starting from the Ancient & Dusty Lake Trailhead and first heading south to Dusty Lake coulee, then to Dusty Lake and lunch, 3 miles in. Next, head north along lakeshore, traverse about 600 feet of rough boulders and talus to the broad bench north of the lake. Then follow near the talus slope ... you will spot a faint trail headed up to the cliffs. Take it for some great views! It will lead you to a notch that opens to the Ancient Lake area. An interesting trail meanders to Highman's Bluff (see google map), then down to the Ancient Lakes, where you can wander at will then head back to the trailhead.
The combination of fascinating geology, with crystallized columnar basalt cliffs, and lovely lakes, and desert flora make this one of my favorite spring hikes. Overnight might not be great on a weekend, due to sound amplifying amphitheaters and easy access. At any rate, I guess we are not supposed to be overnighting anyway at this time.
No tics, no snakes, just some not-threatening industrious beetles.
See my flickr album below for more pics if interested.
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