Hiking & trail work: Harts, Grasshopper, Cutthroat (pics)

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NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I volunteer with PCTA, doing brush work and reporting on conditions for "my" section of the trail. I went out Saturday for my spring visit.

Harts Pass is a very special place. It's the highest road in the state, and the final road access along the trail before reaching the northern terminus. It is a burnt alpine paradise.

I spent about 6 hours hiking (12 miles) and cleared brush. There isn't much, but now there's almost none. I need to go back in the fall, the thru hikers will start to arrive in late September.

Harts to Grasshopper

Stormy skies.

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Mountains and valleys in every direction.

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A rainbow, after the hail stopped falling and the clouds began to clear up.

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Yours truly. Forgot to close the valve on my hydration pack.

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I'll never get enough of this view.

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Lupines, after the rain.

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More flowers. They were everywhere.

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Cutthroat Meadows

I've driven by this meadow a hundred times or more. Every time, I look over and want to frolic. I kept imagining myself sitting next to the creek, probably by a waterfall, eating lunch, enjoying the sun and view. Part of the reason it took so long is there's no trail, and most people don't like that kind of hiking. I finally made it happen, and mostly stayed away from the water as the ground was saturated nearby. I went up to the top, saw the creek melting from snow fields, and fed the mosquitoes.

Doesn't it look enticing?

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Columbia tiger lily.

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Heather.

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Looking out from the upper meadow.

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Replies

  • smoofinator
    smoofinator Posts: 635 Member
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    Breathtakingly beautiful. You're very lucky (and I'm very jealous)!
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    Those are beautiful photos! Sounds like they were great hikes. It was very kind of you to feed the mosquitos :D
  • cheriej2042
    cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
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    Good thing I don’t live there I would never get anything done!😀
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Thank you!
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,677 Member
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    I expected more snow. It's lovely. I've been there in the fall, not early summer.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    I don’t live in the Pacific Northwest, but thank you for doing trailwork! In the area of CA where I live, no one does trailwork, and many of the National Forest trails are unusable as a result. And I'm sure everyone on the PCT is thankful, too!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    I expected more snow. It's lovely. I've been there in the fall, not early summer.

    Mid June looks like later September did ten years ago. ☹️
  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
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    Love the pics! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,136 Member
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    Awesome pictures, and thank you for sharing. In my next life I would like to be a big flying bird and enjoy the riches of natures from above.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    Amazing pictures! :heart:

    Makes me wish I was already in shape enough to reach places like that.

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