Saturday, July 27, 2013

Nothing but PRIME

Timing played such a big part today in making this adventure a "Nothing but PRIME" one! 

The hike to North Molar Pass is known to be a spectacle in the Meadow section if you pick the right time to venture into the area.  I forecast today to be that day so put the plan in place.  I was not in charge of the weather forecast which was for isolated showers around 11:00-1:00 and instead of receiving just that, we were dished with rain, sleet, hail, wind, thunder and lightning. This all happened upon us while in the forest so we opted to alter our pace and snack stop to time our exit from the forest as the sky cleared.  

As we exited the forest, the sky turned blue then it warmed up and became "Nothing but PRIME" for the balance of the day.  This was one of the first wide open spectacular views.  The wild flowers were in abundance and appeared as a mosaic carpet in all directions.  My plan was to spend time in Molar Meadow giving it the admiration it deserved.
hiking deep into the Meadow
Middle of Molar Meadow
a PRIME view of sky, mountains, creek, meadow
At the end of Molar Meadow is where you begin the ascent to North Molar Pass.  It is a bit of a steeper climb so I took lots of breaks to catch my breath, turn around and enjoy the view.  This is looking back down into the Meadow where we just were.  The few white puffy clouds stuck around all day and I was so glad for that.  
A view from North Molar Pass
We continued down a very short section on the other side of the Pass to seek shelter from the cool wind and to have a view looking down into the valley below.  A backpackers trail leads down into this area and the Fish Lakes Campground is situated at the far end.  We had a PRIME spot up here for lunch and relaxation.
play time came after lunch
Before leaving the high point at North Molar Pass, I captured my high point shot!
After the rocky descent we headed to the opposite side of Mosquito Creek for the hike back through Molar Meadow.  The views from this side were just as PRIME.  It allowed us the opportunity to be close to the Creek and listen to its soothing sounds.
A late afternoon break spot doesn't get any better than one like this!
We made our way past Mosquito Lake where I got one last photo of the wild flower spectacle and then crossed over to meet up with the main trail which would bring us back to the forest.  We made great time through the forest, safely crossed back over the highway and happily arrived back at the vehicles, finally.  
PRIME time?  Indeed!  
PRIME scenery?  Most definitely!  
PRIME friends?  Absolutely!  
Today was a fabulous birthday hike for me.  
It was more than I had hoped for!
Thank you all for sharing it with me!

4 comments:

  1. Well happy birthday you!!! All those flowers on your special day! Superb!
    More I read of thunderstorms in the Rockies, the more frightening they seem. We are taught here to get into open space as so many people are struck by lightening from sheltering under trees. It appears the reverse for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helen, we are pretty high up when we are hiking and don't want to be on the middle of a mountain in a lightning storm.

      Delete
  2. Alexandra!

    We are taking our girls Hike365 group up this adventure in august, and I just wanted to say thank you for posting such great photographs from your adventure that we can link to for our girls to take a look at when they are looking to register!

    <3 the girls at Hike365

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope your day hiking to North Molar Pass will be as fun and spectacular as our day was! Enjoy!

      Delete

I'm always curious to know what your comment might be!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.