Saddle Mountain East, White Bluffs - South Slope — Friday, Apr. 26, 2013

Central Washington > Tri-Cities

I went over to the Saddle Mts today and hiked some of the Saddle Mts East hike in the Best Desert Hikes book. I got a late start and wasn't hiking until about 1:30. After climbing to the first high point above the notch, I walked around to Pt 1795, then around to the head of the next easterly canyon, then back to the first high point, then down into the notch and up to my truck. There were nice flowers, but it was probably better a week ago. It was still pretty green, but the cheat grass is on the verge of drying out. The views of the Hanford Reach on the south & the Crab Creek area on the north are panoramic. It was mostly sunny & quite warm, but breezy much of the time. Later in the evening I went over to the viewpoint at the trailhead to the White Bluffs South. They have taken up all the old, potholed blacktop along this road & it is now a nice, smooth gravel road. There was lots of nice phlox here. I discovered, however, that the sun is now too far north at sunset for good colored light on the bluffs themselves.