Sauk Mountain — Friday, Aug. 2, 2024

Road: typical forest road with navigable potholes. I’d say only the last quarter mile is where it got dicey but I managed in my CR-V. On the way down I noticed a sedan had pulled off instead of going all the way to the lot.

Bugs: were awful as soon as we got out of the car. I wished I had already put on my boots and sunscreen because having to do that while being swarmed was almost unbearable. Was better once we got moving.

Bathroom: pit toilet in an A frame right by the trailhead. There were signs posted recommending not to use it since it is not maintained but I thought it was fine, I’ve used much worse trailhead bathrooms. No TP though so pack your own.

Trail: wildflowers in full bloom right now, along the entire trail. Most of the gain is made on the switchbacks in the first mile, then the trail starts to gently meander to the other side of the mountain. Sun exposure the entire way. I clocked only 3.6 miles for this hike on my garmin.