I hiked Ridgeline and Spencer Butte about 1 week after this winter’s big storm. Based on that hike, I thought it would be months before the trails were clear. Yesterday, I walked end to end Spring Blvd to Blanton and back. Ridgeline and the Butte trails are all clear! It was a herculean effort by the park’s grounds crew to make that happen – hats off to them! New bridges, big trees cleared, and everything on the trail is back to normal. All that work in ~6 weeks … just tremendous effort.
Crew work / effort
Trail conditions were perfect! No mud, a bit of cushion, and not 1 obstacle to walk around or over. Again, what a job by park crew!
Sunrise
Starting at Spring Blvd put me atop Baldy right around sunrise (no headlamp). There were several other hiking groups watching sunrise – it was well worth it!
A typical valley fog morning but the artistry never ceases to amaze me.
Spring on the way!
The earliest flowers were just popping out from forest floor, and some trees just budding (so small / thin that camera couldn’t capture in the sunlight)
Snow on the mountains
Looking both directions (east / west) and the mountains are covered in snow – even the coastal range had a solid cover.
The route
Started around 7:00 at Spring Blvd, from there to Spencer Butte top, then to Blanton Blvd, turned around back to Spencer Butte top, then back to car at Spring. Lots of humans and dogs; no MTBs, but tracks from yesterday.
[…] the weather and a quick breakfast, started off around 8:30. Trail conditions were muddier than last hike, but mostly around the recent construction after the ice […]