The newspaper, the hiking guides, my hiking buddies all say – see the larches! They are only going a few weeks of the year and you can only see them in alpine meadows. Hmmmm…is a larch hike similar to a snipe hunt?
After today I know what larches are and why they are popular. I did miss the best days but I got some photos and video that explain the excitement – though I think it is a little overdone. Odd that on this the same trail I missed them 2 years ago on Oct 10 because of heavy snow. But I had more time and a better camera today so it works out.
Regardless, this hike is in absolutely in my top 10. Picasa for more pics
The drive was well over 6 hours there and back. I had time in the car to either get upset (with the blue Honda pilot with east asian driver in front of me going 40 in a 55) – or reflect on the beauty of the hike and how to share. So…videos:
Summary Julie Andrews Visual overload 360 Ridge Explanation of larch attraction
The failed Mt Defiance hike petered out at 4,200 feet. This hike started at over 4,800′ and topped out at 6,960 feet -not easy for someone who lives at an elevation of 91 feet (downstairs — upstairs is over 100 feet!). It was in the mid-20s and icy when I parked. It got colder during the day and was in the low 20’s when I got back to the car. Snow and ice on the trail. This may have been the last weekend this year, even the state highway closes for the winter. This trail is a 6.7mi loop with a nice ridge walk. Rainy, Maple and Heather passes and 6 cirque lakes. All the other hikers had cameras and a couple were pros.
Hackmatack.
I knew what a larch was, but not a tamarack… until i moved to this state. Then i forgot that i’d ever heard the word “larch” because, well, i never heard it here. I say, let’s switch to the word “hackmatack” instead — because it will force everyone else to figure out what it means.
Elsewise, they have finally begun to show themselves in the hills near us. I hope we see them at their brightest.
Yur right. Didn’t know that. Hackmatack sounds like what happens when I swallow a bug. Larch is not a whole lot better – its what I would do if I was not successful getting the bug out of my throat. Tamarack is a nice word.
Wow, beautiful. I keep wanting to say, “take us there when we come visit!” But if I did, we’d have to visit for a year! Thanks for posting. I would have become Julie Andrews . . .