We hit the Hummocks trail head last Saturday around 9:30. The weather was a bit sketchy on the drive down. We hit mist that turned to rain around Toledo. Then as we began the climb towards the mountain fog engulfed the car. However, by the time we hit the trail the sun was shining and the last tendrils of fog were dissipating from the hummocks surrounding us.
Half a mile out on Hummocks we hit Boundary and headed up hill. The trail climbs pretty steadily out of the valley, headed towards Johnston Ridge. Enough to get my blood pumping without making me curse the trail.
We've actually not hiked that portion of Boundary before. On that day we were very happy to not have to share the trail. The entire time we were on-trail I think we ran into a total of a dozen people. Glorious. The views of the mountain were even more glorious. And the wildflowers? Stunning. Breathtaking. Amazing. A blanket of color. Wildflowers on steroids. Penstemon. Paintbrush. Lupine. And the ever-present dandelion.
It was odd dropping off the quiet trail and joining the masses trooping from the parking lot to the visitor's center. We bypassed the interior and settled ourselves on a bench in their small, outdoor amphitheater, where we caught the end of their Junior Ranger program. Kids lined up to their Junior Ranger certificate and badge and it took everything I had not to go stand in line.
Lunch bench is a lot different than our typical lunch rock. We were feeling pretty high class as we ate our lunch and stared at the mountain. After a nice rest we packed it in and headed back down the hill.
Back at the car we stripped off our dusty boots and socks, then drove across the way to Coldwater Lake and parked ourselves on a log in the shade and enjoyed a frosty beverage. High five, good day.
Comments
I was trying to decide where to go this Sunday, weekends not being my favorite hiking time due to lack of solitude. I believe I'll try this hike. Thanks, LaNae!
Posted by:
VentureBold on Jul 07, 2017 07:31 AM