We got to the trailhead around 9:30am and it was overflowing with cars. I had no idea this was so popular! But this may be attributed to the COVID hiker influx. We squeezed my car into a spot along the side of the road. Be careful that you don't block traffic if you do this; it's a narrow road. We saw some dog poop bags at the outset, which was disappointing. I don't care if you think you're going to pick it up on the way out. It's disrespectful to other hikers' experience to leave it on the side of the trail and, let's be real, you're probably going to forget to pick it up. (steps down off of soap box)
The trail was in pretty good condition. Definitely steeper than I remembered from my visit in September. There is a stream crossing, but the log makes it easy enough to cross without getting feet wet. There were large downed trees which we were able to scramble over and then under fairly easily. The hike is fairly exposed, so be sure to bring sun protection.
Most campsites were taken by the time we got to the meadow, so we ended up in the big site closest to the trail. After setting up camp and having some lunch, my mom, sister, and dog hung out in camp while I went up Bean Peak. The trail up made my legs burn. Luckily, I had a nice view to look at whenever I stopped to catch my breath. Once I got to the rocks, it was pretty easy to find my way up; to be honest, it was hard to pick a route that didn't work. Saw a rather larger, rather loud whistling marmot on the way up. It was windy at the peak, which was to be expected, so I hunkered down in the rocks for a snack. I had considered going out to Volcanic Neck, but didn't think I could make it before my turnaround time. Though, it was snow free.
Going back down the rocks, it was a little harder to pick a nice route. But it was certainly manageable. I did notice a small campsite on the saddle, but I don't know how anyone would sleep there. It would be so cold and SO WINDY, but maybe that's worth it for the views. Once I reached the trail again, I struggled. It was loose rock and dirt and I definitely slipped and fell on my butt a few times. I was wobbly-legged and relieved to find level ground by the time I got to the bottom.
Back at camp, we got some water from the creek, which was flowing well, and made some dinner. When the sun went down, the temperature dropped quickly. I don't think anyone, except my dog, slept well. In the morning, we all wrapped ourselves in our sleeping bags to eat breakfast. We decided not to leave until the sun came up and we could warm up a little. Most of the other campers cleared out before then. We didn't really see anyone on our hike out. But, what I did see were those same poop bags near the trailhead from the previous day (#justsaying).
This was my mom's second and my sister's third backpacking trip. They both loved it! It's a good, relatively easy hike in with a pretty great payoff.
Comments