Cherry Springs

Eh, some pretty scenery, but not particularly interesting. The most interesting thing was the side trail going straight up a mountainside. I didn't make it all the way to the top, as the trail turned into a rockslide, and then seemed to disappear. There were bits further up that looked like they might be trail, but could equally well have been more rockslides. The rest of the area, except for a side loop leading to the straight-up trail, has an asphalt walkway all the way through it. Though in this area, I'm minded to be more forgiving of that: I saw some unpaved sidetrails that were practically buried in overgrowth and fallen branches. It may be that the only practical way to have a trail near the streams IS to pave it. *shrugs*

Anyway, lots and lots of wild geranium and Fool's Onion up there. Plus a lot of others. Also some spots to fish, should I ever purchase a fishing license and pole. :^D The best part for me was seeing several lizards running around (mostly to hide from me). They were quite cute. Any day when I get to see wild lizards is a good day. It's possibly I may revise that statement if I ever meet up with a rattlesnake... However, note that most snakebites are the result of people trying to "interact" with the snake, whether to pick it up or play or harm. Most of the rest are the result of not watching where you step or place your hands (which is why I'm hesitant about climbing rocks around here, much as I love to scramble up and down; unless I can see the handhold before I reach for it, uh, BAD).

I must protest, however, that I have never seen poison ivy. I've seen pictures. The stuff I thought was poison ivy for years has turned out to be Oregon grape. There was a sign at Cherry Springs specifically warning about poison ivy. So where was it? *sighs* The sign also warned about rattlesnakes and nettle, yet did not warn about rosebushes or another bush with very long thorns (I've got a picture of one of the thorns for later). The nettles aren't too bad, anyway, unless you're barefoot. I tromped through some for a picture of forget-me-not. Ah well.

At any rate, after my not-quite-hike, I decided to drive up to Scout Mountain and see if I could find a trailhead for a future hike. The only oddity was that I had to drive through the picnic area to get there, and the picnic area really looks more like a campground. Each picnic table has its own parking place. But the trailhead it just past the picnic area, so I know I can find it. On the way down, I took a different road, and I THINK I found the road that goes almost to the peak. I would have tried to find out, but there was a rather wide forest service truck blocking the rather narrow dirt road. Turning Jean Luc around there was an interesting exercise. Envision a narrow dirt road with a steep drop off on one side and a hill on the other. *grins* Then I headed back down, and started to wonder if the road I was on really did connect with the paved road I'd come up. It did. Eventually. After a very rough section that had me wondering if I should turn around.

On the way down, I drove past some brilliant red flowers that I'd been seeing along roadways all over the place lately, and there was conveniently a parking area nearby. I had been expecting firecracker penstemon. I'm pretty sure these were NOT penstemon. They were the right brilliant red, but the petals made a pretty 5-pointed star. Further back was another pretty flower I would have liked to capture on film, but the road was quite narrow and had no convenient parking area. Anyway, pictures later.