Turns out the key to the perfect hike is doing it first thing on a Monday morning!
I made it up the dirt road carefully in my Corolla. No problem parking, but I could see this being a madhouse on the weekends. The outhouse was on its last tp roll, so be prepared. Officially started my hike at 6:42am, getting some beautiful alpenglow on Baker as I make my way up the trail. No other people until my way down!
8.02miles total, 2,578ft of elevation gain, 4hrs moving time.
Once you get up the steep initial switchbacks from the parking area, the trail becomes more moderate. The section after the Tomyhoi/Yellow Aster trails diverge is actually quite leisurely--you get some flat ground and amazing views of Baker.
If you are anything like me, you will need to conquer some fear of heights once you get to the summit push though. I was nervous enough scrambling up to the "false" summit (you still get panoramic views from here, so no complaints), I did not want to venture to the true summit. Things are steep and I did not want risk it! I did the hike without poles, but maybe they would have been helpful here specifically.
Fall colors are popping, views are unbeatable, the variety in landscape was also amazing.
Comments