Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area — Wednesday, Apr. 9, 2025

Some new butterflies for me and cacti with flower buds, no blooms yet. Since I was traveling through a nearby area I decided to swing by and check this place out. I read previous trip reports regarding different trailhead options and decided to go with the Corrals, and actually saw someone show up with a horse after I arrived midday. Saw no one else for the next four hours. I got a mile into the hike and realized I didn’t put my Discover Pass up even after reading the big info sign that included that requirement. So was stress running back to the car, put it up, and back onto the trail/dirt road again. That mistake made the outing 9 miles with 1400ft elevation gain (about 7 mi 1k ft without). I plan to come back before the dirt road opens in May to ATVs in hopes of catching the cacti and other flowers in full bloom. This is not my normal hiking environment and was happy it wasn’t a hot summer day. Very comfortable with 50 degree weather. Kept my eye out for snakes and ticks, especially since hiking with a dog.