A Little Beauty to Brighten Your World – Baldy

At times, it can seem like these are dark times for those noble spirits endeavoring to work for peace and justice against the forces of greed, intolerance, ignorance and hate. It’s important to fill your cup on a regular basis, and drink from the fountain of life. In that spirit, I offer you these images from a July 1 hike up Baldy Mountain in the traditional Twana territory of the Coast Salish tribes. Yes – this is a steep trail, gaining 4500 feet from the Dungeness River trailhead to the top of Baldy (elevation 6800 feet). For the truly energized alpinist, another hour or two will take you to the top of Grey Wolf Ridge (elevation 7200 feet).

This trail goes straight up for much of its length, without switch backs. It also requires a careful read of the guidebook directions (see link above), both in how to get to the trailhead, and the various trail forks one needs to make along the way. I saved the description of the hike to my phone so that I could refer to it several times.

Carry plenty of water. Hiking poles for balance and easing the impact on your knees on the descent. 4 hours up, 30 minutes on top, 2.5 hours down. Only one other couple the entire way.

Lower Maynard Burn Trail
After about 900 feet of vertical gained, one reaches the grassy road. Turn left and continue up the road.
Delicate forest flowers beneath the towering firs at lower elevation.
After crossing several boggy areas, you will reach a wide open spot – don’t continue on the road (which fizzles to nothing), go back to the place where the trail emerged into the clearing, and notice that the trail goes off to the left. Follow the trail.
Bear left again where the boot path goes up bare hillside. Now the fun really begins!
Up Pup!
Traversing up and across the bowl. The pass (6200 feet) is visible at top.
wildflowers
and more wildflowers

False summit (6500 feet) in foreground. Baldy (6800 feet) at upper right.
Baldy summit with Grey Wolf in the distance.
Looking back towards the San Juan Islands above the clouds.
Gray Wolf and peaks to the west.

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