Grey Rock Wildflowers
Katie and I wanted to get up high in the mountains, but the weather was looking a little windy. So instead we opted for a low-elevation hike to search for wildflowers. I'm not sure why we picked such a difficult hike, but I'm proud that we were able to accomplish summiting Grey Rock in the shape that we're in.
The weather on this hike wasn't perfect but it wasn't too bad either. There was a strong breeze for part of the hike which sometimes was relieving when we were hot doing strenuous elevation gain, and other times, like when we were eating lunch or at the summit, that the wind was chilly. But overall it was what we were expecting and we weren't too uncomfortable.
We saw a lot more wildflowers than we were expecting to. We thought it was maybe just a little too early still to see a lot of wildflowers, but they were flourishing. The wildflowers will certainly be better in this area a month from now, but it was exciting to finally see some wildflowers after seeing dead brown stuff all winter long.
Other than wildflowers and panoramic views, we got to see some mountain sheep. They were on the mountain adjacent to us, and we would have missed them without a friendly hiker pointing them out to us. I didn't have my telephoto lens with me (this isn't an area that typically has any wildlife), but it was neat to see them anyway.
8.29 mi
5.1 hrs
7,822 ft
2,841 ft
Young Spurge
This flower doesn't get a lot more exciting than this. But it's a flower nonetheless.
Sand Lillys
There were a ton of Sand Lilies on the entire hike.
Almost Green
The hillsides were starting to turn green. Not the one in the distance that was burned. That one still has some time to recover.
Tall Peaks in the Distance
The tall snow covered peak in this photo is Stormy Peaks. Left of center at the bottom of this photo is the Hewlett Gulch Trail.
Sticky Cinquefoil
We didn't see many of these flowers; it's probably too early for them.
Pasque Flowers
There were a lot of Pasque Flowers once we got up a little higher where the trail was more exposed. We were hiking and passed this massive bunch of them right off the trail and Katie didn't even notice. Even though it was the first bunch we saw, it was the best one I got a photo of.
Grey Rock Meadow
We decided to take the trail that goes into the meadow to maximize the chance for seeing wildflowers even though it made the hike longer.
Fleabane
We saw a lot of Fleabane alongside the trail.
Trail Junction
At the base of Grey Rock the two trails merge into the one that ascends to the top. There's a bench right where this photo was taken which was a great place for us to eat lunch.
Out of the Snow
There wasn't a lot of snow on this hike, only in the shady areas. But it's always fun to find wildflowers growing out of the snow.
Lake at the Summit
Gray Rock looks like a very pointy mountain but there's a small divot in the top of it where water collects. The water was quite low compared to other times that we've hiked this.
Crazy Person at the Summit
It was quite windy at the summit, so as Katie scrambled over the edge she made some funny faces while getting blown over by the wind.
Summit Views
The Summit of Grey Rock isn't all that impressive since it isn't that tall, but it still has okay views.
Wild Candytuft
I don't think I've seen this wildflower before but I believe it's a Noccaea fendleri, known by a more common name of Wild Candytuft.
Oil Beetle
We found a giant beetle on the trail.
Spring Beauty
As we were hiking up, all the Spring Beauties were closed up. We didn't notice the majority of them until we hiked back.
Creeping Oregon Grapes
We found some more Creeping Oregon Grapes on this hike. We saw some a few weeks prior in Chautauqua.
