Manastash Ridge - Boy Scout Trail — Sunday, May. 26, 2024

Ethan & I hiked up the Boy Scout Trail on this cool, cloudy, perfect-weather-for-hiking day.  There are no facilities at the trailhead, but there is a kiosk with a nice map of the trail system and descriptions of the trails.  Between a slow pace and photo & rest stops, it took us a little over 2.5 hours to reach the junction with the Westburg Trail.  We decided that we'd had enough climbing (1300') and made our way over to the shoulder of the ridge to a spot amongst a field of wildflowers with a magnificent view even though the Stuart Range was clouded in.  We probably stayed more than our usual hour or so before heading back down the way we had come up.  We had wildflowers virtually every step of the way.  The larkspur, arnica, and prairie star were especially profuse in the forest followed closely by showy phlox.  On top, the thyme-leaf desert buckwheat and antelope-bitterbrush were also profuse.  We heard lots of birds which Ethan was able to identify with Merlin app.  The most showy ones that he managed to see with his binoculars were a Yellow Breasted Chat, a Lazuli Bunting, and a Varied Thrush.  The only other wildlife we saw was a squirrel - no ticks and no snakes.  There were others on the trails, but it never seemed crowded.