Foggy Hike
The weather hasn't been cooperative with all the rain, and this weekend was no different. But Sunday morning and early afternoon had a low probability of rain so we decided to take a chance and go hiking. Because of the forecast, we decided to do something lower in elevation in case it rained so that we wouldn't be as exposed. We chose Button Rock Mountain because we both had good memories of hiking it back in 2020 and knew it would give a great panoramic view at the summit.
We did get a panoramic view at the summit, but because of the fog, we couldn't see very much. The whole hike was setting up for a summit disappointment (from a view perspective), because of the thick fog that we were hiking in and out of. By the time we summited, we weren't too surprised that we couldn't see anything. The weather has ruined hikes for us in the past, but this time was different in a positive way. Not only did the fog keep it much cooler than a typical sunny June day, but the fog also added a cool layer of depth to the hike that we're not used to. It might have been different if this was our first time hiking Button Rock Mountain, but we weren't upset with the lack of visibility or sun. The fog ended up adding peacefulness during the hike, especially at the summit. There's something quieting about standing on top of a summit where you should be able to see the tall peaks in the distance but all you see is fog.
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Bee in a Skullcap
I caught a bee in a Skullcap wildflower.
Wild Iris
I've only found wild Iris two time now, the first time being in this same area when we did this hike 3 years ago. Because of the fog, everything was damp, which allowed for the water droplets to not evaporate off from the last rain.
Break in the Trees
There were several places where the trees broke to give gorgeous views of the mountains we were hiking. However, the fog decided not to let us see them.
Western Wallflower
There were Yellow and vibrant orange Western Wallflowers throughout the hike.
Shooting Star
These flowers are Darkthroat Shooting Stars. They point downward instead of pointing up which is weird for a flower.
Foggy
The fog was all around us for the entire hike. After we summited some of the fog had lifted.
Foggy Summit
We couldn't see very far in the distance from the summit, including not being able to see the trail we came up on.
A View of Longs and Meeker
If there was no fog, you'd be able to see Longs and Meeker from here. Almost 3 years ago I took a panorama from the same spot which shows how much the fog hides.
Geologic Survey
I've found a few of these now, but I haven't thought much about them until doing some research after finding what I believed was a blank marker. This marker's identifying name is "SIX 1955", and it's in the best condition that I've ever seen one of these. I have no idea why it's named Six or what it means, but I reported it in good condition to the NGS since I found it.
Kiss In the Abyss
We couldn't see the mountains, but we could see each other, and that's all that matters.
Lifting Fog
On our way back the fog was starting to break. This view shows Button Rock Mountain that we summited on the left. This part of the trail was covered in fog when we were at the summit.
Aspens
There were a lot of gorgeous aspen groves on this hike. I'm sure this area is stunning in the fall.