Opening pic
Sunday while the Madding Crowds hiked Dog Mountain we drove three miles further East & had the slightly higher Cook Hill all to ourselves.
This 2013 Report gives you all the skinny on where to park & where to go so I wont go over all that again, I'll just share some pics & updates.
Not much to report on the first couple of miles up to the junction over to the lower meadow. The trail is open with very little blow down, poison Oak is present on the lower 1000' of the trail but easy to avoid if you are aware of it.
The lower flower meadow was better than we have ever seen it.
I sat down for a few minutes on the slope and there at my feet was a Camera Lens cover, I picked it up & realized it was mine - I'd lost it here in May 2014!!
One of my favorite parts of this hike is the carpeted forest section after the lower meadow.
After the carpeted woodland there is a climb up through the Upper Meadows to the summit. There were few flowers on the upper meadows this year.
We had three recent birthdays in our group to celebrate & so some extra supplies had been carried on up to the Summit
A Birthday Jump
From here it's a walk over to the Radio Towers along an old logging road that is carpeted in flowering wild strawberries.
The hike back down through the woods on the old road was very pleasant all the blow down of several years ago has now been cleared thanks to some trail angels.
Finishing off back at the grassy hillside where the trail begins.
This hike comes in at just over 8 miles and a touch under 3000' of EG. I didn't take too many photo this time but here is a 4 minute move of the whole loop.
https://youtu.be/Nw5PM5pqNeE
