Wilderness Peak Loop — Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019

Looking for a low elevation hike that would be a good re-entry after a two month hiatus, my hiking buddy and her dog spent the afternoon on this trail.  We timed it to avoid the worst of the rain, and fortunately the forecasts were accurate.  At 11:00am we were the only car in the parking lot.  Porte-Potty was clean with toilet paper. Headed up,up,up and did the Norbu loop to the right.  A little slippery clay just out of the parking lot had us reaching for our hiking poles.  Otherwise the trail was in great shop, with no standing water.  A large tree about 100 yards off-trail came crashing down - and there was no wind at all at the time.  A good reminder to be careful in the woods on windy/wet days. Be sure to grab a trail map at the parking lot kiosk - as it can be a little confusing.  We had lunch at the Whittaker peak summit, then pack-tracked to the signed Shy Bear Trail, which took us down and onto the Whittaker trail.  A little back and forth clocked 5.5 miles and 1230 feet of gain.  We passed three parties heading up on our way back to the parking lot.