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posted: August 1st, 2017 |
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This page begins with July 5th and an 8.7 mile climb/hike on the Angel Rocks to Chena Hot Springs Trail. That takes us through Row 13. Rows 14 and 15 show photos which were taken on July 6th in the Granite Tors Campground, where we camped out in our canopy on the night of July 5th, and that ends Page 1. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin July 5th |
If you did not read the header, please do so now. On the way to the Angel Rocks Trailhead we spotted this young moose about to cross the Chena River and Kazuya managed to get a photo of it. The second shot shows the trailhead, we'll be hiking the entire 8.7 miles. For a 2 page PDF Brochure and Map of this trail, which is suitable for printing CLICK HERE. The third shot shows that on this date and at this time (8:54 AM) there were some low clouds or fog hanging at certain levels.
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The first two shots in this row show that there were also some low clouds or fog right here in amongst the Angel Rocks. The third shot is a nice one of Aconitum delphiniifolium - one of the Monkshoods.
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Here is a cropped out portion of the previous photo of Aconitum delphiniifolium - one of the Monkshoods. The second shot is the entire plant. The third shot was taken at the top of the Angel Rocks Loop Trail - the place where the branch takes off to Chena Hot Springs. If you did not look at the map linked in Row 1, you might want to look now.
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The first two shots in this row were taken looking down on Angel Rocks! The third shot shows a Castilleja hyperborea - Northern Indian Paintbrush.
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In first position in this row is another shot of Castilleja hyperborea - Northern Indian Paintbrush and then two shots of Marmota caligata, the Hoary Marmot. These are two different animals and, from their size, they appear to be young ones.
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The first shot here shows two Marmota caligata (Hoary Marmots). They "kissed" very briefly, but neither of us were able to catch it with our cameras. The second and third shots show a marker that has a "3" carved into it, so it must be a 3-mile marker. These photos ere taken from different enough angles so that I am showing both of them.
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Here is another shot of Castilleja hyperborea - Northern Indian Paintbrush and then two shots showing what we see out ahead of us from up on the ridge. I found information somewhere on the internet that states that the highest elevation of this trail is 2,800 feet (853 m), so we are about at that elevation here.
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In first position here is a shot which is looking back towards where we came from. Can you see the 3 mile marker back there? It's inside of the outlined area, which shows in the next photo. The third photo shows a cluster of Arnica griscomii ssp. frigida with a nice background.
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In the first photo in this row are several Minuartia macrocarpa plants and flowers. The second photo shows Arnica griscomii ssp. frigida and the third shot is a 190° iPhone Panorama showing both back and ahead.
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Kazuya spotted this amazingly copper-colored mushroom and we took several photos if it. The third image is a 2-shot panorama looking out into the vastness.
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The first two shots here were taking while looking back at where we had come from. This spot is about maybe a half-mile before the Angel Rocks Trail Shelter on that map you can see linked in Row 1. The third shot shows an interesting rock-outcropping at the end of that 2,500 foot ridge (on the map).
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Here is the backside of that rock-outcropping shown in the previous photo. Of course the yellow flower is Arnica griscomii ssp. frigida. The second shot was taken while looking back at the rock-outcropping shown just previous. The third shot is, of course, the Angel Rocks Trail Shelter.
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The first shot in this row shows the final sign - the one on the Lower Trail (see map). Then it started to rain, so there are no more photos because our cameras were in plastic bags in our backpacks. It was not a hard rain, but enough so that we got a little wet. After we finished the hike at Chena Hot Springs, we sat under their huge umbrella at a picnic table and finished eating the lunch we had brought with us and then we went into the restaurant and had an ice-cold beer and some ice-water. The weather was so hot on this day that a dip in the hot springs (considering the price) did not sound attractive. After finishing our beer we went out to the parking lot and waited for somebody to leave. When we saw a person coming to their car we went and asked if we could get a ride with them, back to the Angel Rocks Trailhead. The very first person who we asked for a ride, kindly obliged us. Thank you, nice friendly couple from Illinois. So, we got back to the Angel Rocks Trailhead parking lot, got our rig and then drove back to the Granite Tors Campground and camped there in our pickup-truck canopy. The Immature Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) shown in the second shot, came and perched in a tree right beside our campsite for the evening.
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| End July 5th, Begin July 6th |
The following morning after we got up, prepared coffee and breakfast, ate and got all set to depart, we took a walk into a large gravel pit which is behind the Granite Tors Campground. From here one is able to look up the valley and into a large beaver pond, but something special this morning was this adult Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) which was flying around and finally landed on a broken off tree snag at the top of the cliff from which they obtained rock to crush for making gravel. The first shot shows an extremely zoomed-in shot of this amazing bird trying to look as large as possible. The second shot is a little less "puffed up". The third shot is an overview shot - the Falcon is on the small broken off tree snag inside of the outlined area.
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The first two shots in this row show the beaver pond spoken about in the previous row. You can also see the beaver lodge. The third shot is a scenery shot from the gravel pit.
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| End July 6, End Page 1 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this month's adventures. |
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