Capitol State Forest - Capitol Peak — Wednesday, Jul. 10, 2024

My last several reports about Capitol Peak have been a bit bleak, but I had an uplifting experience yesterday thanks largely to the vibrant coat of colors provided by wildflowers. They cloaked the scars of the clearcut so well, it was as if they were transformed into mountain meadows. I feel I should make amends and credit nature with her ability to bring balance and stability.
At a lower elevation, the trail crosses Sherman Creek on a small bridge, and clear, cool water is still running. Even lower down, I got stung by ground nesting-wasps while taking my usual shortcut though the woods. Maybe better to stay on the trail if you go here. I always park on C-Line Road where the Waddell Basin trail crosses it (Coordinates: 46.96333, -123.11187). That gives me a 6.5 miles hike with about 1700 feet of elevation gain.