6/12, Friday. We are to meet the WNPS group at the P&R by Hwy2+Hwy97 at 8am on Saturday. So we drove out Friday after work.
Found a place to camp on Hwy97 (I couldn't find the location we camped last time).
After setting up the tent, walked around, checked out the Old Stamp Mill nearby.
There's also a historical marker with description and photos of the long disappeared mining town, right here.
6/13, Saturday. The sun-baked Big Y P&R is rather large. Total 12 people. All more knowledgable about plants than I am. We piled into 3 Subarus. Drove the 3.8 mile Five Mile Rd to the north trail head of Tronsen Ridge. Quite some roses at the parking area.
This year, flowers are disappointing, due to a very dry spring.
Still we saw lots of phacilia, some last few balsomroot.
Quite a number of tweedies.
There are Olympic Larkspurs here too.
Collomia with little white flower.
Northern Buckwheat with tall flower stalk.
The last few flowering bitterroot (but with lovely bright color).
Many mariposa lilies.
Alpine Twinpod is a funny one.
Where we stopped for lunch has a large population of Prairie Smoke.
The ridge itself is scenic, dry. The best view is to the west: Enchantment Lakes area.
Today, with clear hot weather, we saw Adams, Rainier and Baker.
One guy in the group was a hunter. He's been to many places with or without trails.
Another guy carried a saw, and cut away some branches for easier passage.
There are quite a number of blowdowns.
According to Ted, who came here during the study weekend, the south trailhead had so many more down trees, that he moved today's hike.
Overall, this is an easy outing, good view, and learned a lot. We drove back on I-90, spent another night at Snoqualmie Pass. Stayed high, anticipating a hot day on Sunday.
