** June 25, 2008 "Over-the-Hill Trail' and Elizabeth Pass - Stunning views and Wildflowers

We dragged ourselves up from the depths of sleep after a full night’s rest.  Breakfast was complete and very filling.

We headed out at about 9:30 on a scenic loop which combined the High Sierra Trail with a portion of the Elizabeth Pass Trail with the Over the Hill Trail.  I was somewhat more bushed than I was the day before and was moving quite slowly indeed. 

It is a good thing we were starting this trail fresh in the morning because it began with a grueling 500 foot struggle uphill through the forest. 

Coming out of the forest on Over the Hill Trail

As Diana noted in her blog, it “broke out on top to spectacular mountain views, then went down a stony, granite-gravelly bowl crossed by the most spectacularly flower-fringed streams of the trip.  The flowers were all colours of the rainbow.  It was 2.1 miles to Lone Pine Creek, which flowed rapidly over broad white rocks.”

Mountain Bluebells

Unknown

Unknown

?Pink Stickseed?

?Paintbrush and Blue Eyed Mary?

?Torrey's Blue Eyed Mary?

Unknown

Orange fungus (?orange cup fairy fungus?)

The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the views. 

Views towards Elizabeth Pass

The path not taken

Diana midst the wildflowers

Wildflowers on either side of the trail

 We had a leisurely stop for lunch and then made our way a short distance into the meadow in the lea of Elizabeth Pass where there were the most beautiful wildflowers.  We wandered around for a lot of the afternoon, just marveling at the views, the flowers and the fresh mountain air.  Photos, why yes, I did take some, a few, no … many. 

Wildflowers

Pink penstemon and purple lupin

Bleeding hearts

Unknown

?some type of daisy?

Unknown

Paintbrush and ?

We did not go a lot further into the meadow or up towards Elizabeth Pass because there was a very zig-zaggy, switch-backy trail heading further up towards the amazing ridges and mountains.  

Views towards Elizabeth Pass

Proof I made it this far

Views

Views

Wildflowers and views

Views - Lone Pine Creek

Great Western Divide views

Views

I was so tired from the uphill hike, I could have fallen asleep in the meadow like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz poppy fields.

Wildflower Meadows

Wildflower Meadow

Elizabeth Pass

Diana’s blog and wonderful descriptions remind me that “The flowers were really out in force, mostly profuse flags of pink penstemon, interspersed with dark purple lupines; we were both happy campers. … The views, flowers and geology were quite different.  Huge chunks of granite mountains, talus slopes at their base, Z shaped valleys through which the trail we were on led, streams cascading down open granite faces, stunning granite spires, perfect U shaped valleys carved out by the immense forces of glaciers thousands of years ago, granite mountain tops flattened into benches and falling into mountainsides peeling off the mountains themselves like pieces of onion.  And looking up, up, up to the very peaks themselves.  Wow.  Stunning.”  Thank you, Diana for letting me refer to part of your blog.

Wildflowers and trail

Shooting Star

We struggled back to Bearpaw (Diana – knee; me – hip) and our delightful hot showers. Another delicious dinner of (thank you, Diana for noting this in your blog) lasagna, salad, and butterflied charcoaled chicken breasts, followed by cream puffs.  

There was no campfire that night; however, we lazily photographed marmots, and watched deer. Again we sat out on the porch and watched the alpenglow of the setting sun tone down into the blue, blue blackness and stars of the night.  A beautiful trip.