6/12. Sunday. Overcast to partly sunny. Hiked with Friends of the Gorge from Bonneville TH, on PCT north to Greenleaf Overlook and back. Total 15 people, including the lead and sweep. Eli Boschetto, hiking guide and author of Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon.
The trail is filled with little rocks, hard on ankles. The later part is better trail. The view is so so, quite a bit of clear cut and powerline. Saw two lakes. There're surprising amount of poison oak. The trail also crossed road twice. This photo was taken on a road. You can see Table Mountain behind in the clouds. The trail next to this lake has many campsites, because there's a creek (Greenleaf Creek?) between the trail and the lake. One lake shore spot was full of garbage: a dog collar, a sleeping bag, multiple empty coke cans and such.
Here's where we had lunch, our turn-around spot. Today's sweep, Linda. She and I went 5 minutes further to look for another baldy outcrop. We didn't find what she was looking for, as we had promised to return in 10 minutes, but saw some paintbrush. I like Linda. She likes to ID flowers, and uses the same app as I do. She happens to have hiked Milford Track with her husband this past winter (in Feb). She did in a pampered way: guided. Hot shower every day, all meals and snacks, beer and wine after dinner! I still prefer mine. Her 3rd day was rainy, so she missed the best view of the hike. Lots of twin flowers, miner's letters, candy flower, a bit paintbrush further from the lookout, and lots of daisy in the cut/disturbed area. Some nice tiger lily, columbine,
orange honeysuckle,
prunella vulgaris, blue
gilia capitata. Another interesting participant is a geologist who did his doctoral dissertation on the mud flow of the area. He also showed a few of us his
Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine: the needles turn golden in winter, and return to green in June.
In the afternoon, I went to downtown waterfront, hoping to see the floats used in yesterday's grand parade. I guess I was too late, didn't see any. There was a long line in front of the USS navy ships (fenced in for security). I was too late for that too, but I got on to HMCS Brandon from Victoria, BC. There were about 4-5 officers in spiffy all white uniforms showing people around.
After that, I went to the trailer that housed some VR computer gaming stations promoting US Navy. Pretty primitive.
TOUR TIMES
US NAVY
Friday – Bunker Hill: 9:30 a.m. to noon
Jackson: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday – Both ships: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday – Both ships: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
US COAST GUARD
Thursday – All ships 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday – All Ships 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday – Alert: CLOSED (Special Event)
All Other Ships: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday – Underway
USCG T/V Ironwood: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
CANADIAN
Thursday – All Ships: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday – All Ships: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday – All Ships: CLOSED (Special Event)
Sunday – All Ships: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The trail is filled with little rocks, hard on ankles. The later part is better trail. The view is so so, quite a bit of clear cut and powerline. Saw two lakes. There're surprising amount of poison oak. The trail also crossed road twice. This photo was taken on a road. You can see Table Mountain behind in the clouds. The trail next to this lake has many campsites, because there's a creek (Greenleaf Creek?) between the trail and the lake. One lake shore spot was full of garbage: a dog collar, a sleeping bag, multiple empty coke cans and such. 
Here's where we had lunch, our turn-around spot. Today's sweep, Linda. She and I went 5 minutes further to look for another baldy outcrop. We didn't find what she was looking for, as we had promised to return in 10 minutes, but saw some paintbrush. I like Linda. She likes to ID flowers, and uses the same app as I do. She happens to have hiked Milford Track with her husband this past winter (in Feb). She did in a pampered way: guided. Hot shower every day, all meals and snacks, beer and wine after dinner! I still prefer mine. Her 3rd day was rainy, so she missed the best view of the hike. Lots of twin flowers, miner's letters, candy flower, a bit paintbrush further from the lookout, and lots of daisy in the cut/disturbed area. Some nice tiger lily, columbine, orange honeysuckle, prunella vulgaris, blue gilia capitata. Another interesting participant is a geologist who did his doctoral dissertation on the mud flow of the area. He also showed a few of us his Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine: the needles turn golden in winter, and return to green in June.
In the afternoon, I went to downtown waterfront, hoping to see the floats used in yesterday's grand parade. I guess I was too late, didn't see any. There was a long line in front of the USS navy ships (fenced in for security). I was too late for that too, but I got on to HMCS Brandon from Victoria, BC. There were about 4-5 officers in spiffy all white uniforms showing people around. 
After that, I went to the trailer that housed some VR computer gaming stations promoting US Navy. Pretty primitive. 
