Three-Mile-Island (of Lava)

Okay, this is what I thought was a fern. But ferns don't produce flowers, so I now have no clue. Anyway, it's quite pretty, whatever it is.


This is the first post pointing the way to the lava vent. It is also one of the more difficult stretches to traverse. No nice smooth rock pathways here; you have to clamber over rocks that average maybe a meter around, with jagged edges and points. On the bright side, there's a nice, smooth climb down into the valley after you get past all those jagged edges. I chose that nice, smooth ledge as a good place to eat breakfast yesterday.


And here we have the three-mile marker, aka my turn-around-point. Incidentally, the 1-mile marker is illegible (the plywood has warped and rotted), and there are at least three 2-mile markers on different posts. One of the 2-mile markers faces the wrong way, so it may be indicating the distance back to the parking lot. The others are 100-200 feet apart. *shrugs*


A striking juniper.


Here is a Sego lily. These are edible, but their numbers have been greatly reduced due to overgrazing (Edible/Medicinal Plants of the RM). Considering that I see them rather frequently, I suspect they're making quite a good comeback. :^)


Last, a sort of lava valley that resembles a twisted staircase.


There's been a rather odd side effect of my lava treks. I have a very mild aversion to heights. Slightly more aversion than necessary for simple safety (i.e. the kind that can cause problems if not kept under control). I took rock climbing partly to help overcome that. And it did help. So does walking along a path where you have to step across a sheer drop to keep going. It's not a large step (if it's more than two feet, I look for a way around), but it requires steadiness in the feet. There were places yesterday that I just stepped across that, two weeks ago, I went out of my way to avoid. Incidentally, I don't recommend this hike to anyone with a severe problem with heights, or to anyone with a poor sense of balance.