I was first at the parking lot for Doe Mountain today. I had two hikes planned for this day so needed to get an early start. Doe was first on my agenda and then I would be crossing the road and hiking up Bear Mountain. The trailhead alone, looks so pretty and inviting. Doe should be called a plateau instead of a mountain, just look at the elevation profile below.
The trail to the top was quick with a few switchbacks and a tiny easy scramble up through a rockband to pop out on top. From the top, I could see across to Bear Mountain, wow that thing looks bearish!
My homework told me to complete a loop of this plateau in a clockwise direction but be sure to make note of where I came through the rockbank to make sure I find it on the way back. The plateau is covered with faint trails, lots of bushes and shrubs and polluted with cacti. It was obvious folks enjoyed plateau playing with all the cairns built and little rock sculptures of all sorts.
in bloom
With lots of flat areas here, it was easy to find a spot to do a "leap of love".
Here you can see the next portion of the plateau that I am aiming for. The edges were flat and wide so it was fine to stick to the edge the entire route where all the views were. Once again, that combination of red rock, greenery and blue sky make for such a scene.
Thank goodness I had my GPS up and running and recording a track. I needed it to find my way back to where I came up. I now understand why my homework told me to take note. It was not obvious at all. It was fun to get down through the little rockband. In no time at all I was back at my car. Now it was time to refuel, repack, slap on sunscreen, change footwear and cross the road to the other side. Bear attack time!
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