Deer Ridge — Sunday, May. 19, 2024

Deer Ridge has a special place in my heart as Deer Park is one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve camped at Deer Park all of the decades of my life – with my parents who are long gone now, on my own in college with friends, and I’ve taken my kids as well. Glad I can still make it up this trail in my 60s! it is all the better right now before the road opens and the campground fills.
The road into Slab Camp is in decent condition, with intermittent deep potholes from time to time which are challenging to navigate. We saw low clearance vehicles parked at the trailhead, so I think most any vehicle could make it. The forecast was for 20% chance of precipitation,but it spit rain often on the ascent and even hailed a little bit. There was fresh snow visible both on and off the trail in patches, nothing too significant. I hadn’t brought spikes with me, nor did I need them. The rhododendrons near the trailhead are still a few weeks out, but there are lots of wildflower varieties blooming up at Deer Park. We saw about 10 other people today. Slab camp parking lot was not full. Be sure to take a waterproof shell, and extra layers up to Deer Park – even in mid May, it was mighty chilly in the clouds up there. Not a big view day today, but still a gorgeous place to visit.