As usual it was a wonderful get away. We had almost perfect weather (a bit windy and Tuesday was quite warm) with no significant clouds until the last of us were due to leave on Friday morning. The company was congenial, the food much more than adequate and the flowers outstanding.
Sunday
The trip up rates two albums. First the Mormon Emigrant Trail section with all the wonderful washingtonia lilies for which Lee had been kind enough to provide mileage locations; then a stop at the big Leek Springs meadow.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/tc8n9v
We met Nick and Jeanne at Red's Lake for a gentle acclimatization hike up the old Hwy 88 grade and also made a visit to the pioneer monuments at the top of the grade.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/LDeys3
Monday
We were lucky to have a sufficient number of high clearance vehicles this year so took advantage of that to drive in to Schenider's Cow Camp and hike from there to the ridge. Part of the group continued on toward Little Round Top (Chuck went all the way). The flowers were dense and spectacular!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/6Z255y
Tuesday
Almost all of us headed to Winnemucca starting from Woods Lake; Ron and Sylvia opted to do the hike to Meiss Col instead. Lee, Chuck, Judy and Donita made the circle up to Round Top Lake and back to Woods via the Lost Cabin Mine Tr. but the rest of us turned it into an "up and back"
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/E94LW7
Wednesday
Most folks headed off after breakfast. Only six of us were left: Donita, Ellen and Jane in cabin 2 and Judy, Ulla and I in the lodge. We all made the hike up to Meiss Col but once past the pond separated, with the cabin 2 folks returning to their car and heading down to Blue Lake; Judy and Ulla going as far as the Meiss cabin; and Karen snooping about on the plateau. We saw more calochortus this time than ever before and Lee and Chuck had seen the peony and gave us clear instructions on finding it.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/To163C
Thursday
Just the lodge trio was left for a last day of hiking. We went up to the "Two Sentinels" starting from the Thunder Mountain trail head. It was very dry and dusty, but the views were spectacular.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/1DA526
Misc at the Lake
A few miscellaneous pictures (postcard type <g>)
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/g9C796
Friday
Judy left first as she needed to be to to Rossmoor by lunch time and wanted another shot at the lilies. Ulla and Karen were off by 8 and enjoyed exploring a dirt road we had spotted above the Leek Springs meadow. The Delphiniums we found were worth it, and we stopped for more lily pictures as well.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/momcat_ksw/46W8fj
