First, a view from Hogback towards the north side of the canyon where my other favorite FR-19 resides. Nice clear morning!
Stopped to ride a short road right off Foresthill Rd that was burned over in 2008's Westville fire.
As always, there is a nice view of Snow Mountain.
Seedlings are growing nicely in the burned area.
Not sure how they got away with leaving this huge chip pile. 4 inches below the surface the chips are as wet as if winter stopped last week.
With no trees, there is quite a vista though it was pretty sparse this direction before the fire.
Now on Soda Springs Road, a look across one of the three big craters back towards the river and Sailor Flat/Canyon. The reddish/tan colored scar in the forest about in the middle of the picture is the Sailor Canyon Mine.
The road skims along the crater (there are three of them along the first few miles).
Well along the road and over the little divide where you drop down into the Lost Emigrant Mine area is a view of Snow Mountain beyond Wabena Point.
And now Snow Mountain from Wabena Point. It's breathtaking - pictures can't do it justice. Aside from Yosemite, I can't think of a place where you can see so much of a mountain so close.
Far below, over 2000 feet, is the North Fork American River as it transits Royal Gorge. It's fall after fall into pool after pool. Oh to be able to get down there!
Here's a zoom crop of the same picture.
Tenacity.
The scale of things here is massive.
OK, back to the quad - wow, did I walk that far? (it's up there in the trees)
Flowers on every ride!
Pulled back view of Snow Mountain from the upper basin that feeds Wabena Creek.
The cones from some of the trees have a crystal clear sap oozing out of them. The picture doesn't do it justice, it shines in the light like a Christmas ornament.
Doh! What ride is complete without a log jamming the way? A short walk up showed some roads fanning out on the ridge above.
A fair amount of older, very large trees grow here.
Here's something new - butterflies. There were tons at a marshy spot in the road, so I sat down with the lens on macro and waited for some to move around.
Hey dude, you're in my picture!
Such is life on the upper Foresthill Divide - AGAIN.
