Epic day hike included four volcanoes, a waterfall, wildlife sightings, and a gorgeous sunrise!
Route:
- Johnston Ridge to Loowit Falls via Boundary Trail/Truman Trail/Willow Springs Trail/Loowit Trail
- Then to Windy Ridge viewpoint via Loowit Trail/Windy Trail/Road to Windy Ridge
- Then back across the plain to Johnston Ridge via Truman Trail/Boundary Trail.
Stats according to GPS: 21.4 miles and 3700 feet gain in just under 12 hours.
This was an amazing day hike! The road to Windy Ridge was not yet open which made it extra special because we saw no one for nearly five hours. Also, wildflowers are erupting everywhere. We saw tons of paintbrush and lupine, though there was a variety of others whose names I can't remember. If you are interested in doing this trip, there are a few things I encourage you to do:
- Bring lots of water - I went through over three liters during the trip.
- Suncreen!! Of all things, I only managed to lightly burn the back of my hands...
- Get an early start - We started at 5:20am and the temperatures were only an issue on the uphill from the plains to the Boundary Trail later that day.
As far as trail issues, the only problems were a few small stream crossings. We managed to cross everything without getting our feet wet, though a couple required a few minutes of searching for a good crossing point. There were only tiny, minimal snow patches on the routes we covered, and they'll be gone soon. Windy Ridge, while not accessible via car yet, had open and stocked bathrooms - that was a pleasant surprise!
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