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White Pine Lake, 30 July, 2023
Eight Cache Hikers met on Sunday morning for a hike to White Pine Lake. We carpooled to Tony Grove and then used our "geezer passes" in lieu of payment for parking.
We started up the trail under sunny conditions with temperatures in the low 70's. The wildflowers, while still abundant, were a little past their peak at the lower altitudes of the hike but looked more robust as we climbed.
A short distance up the trail we were joined by Dallin, Mikelle and their dog Lucy. Dallin and Mikelle were familiar with our website and wanted to meet us.
The day warmed quickly and we took advantage of a few shady resting spots. We enjoyed an unexpectedly quiet lunch at the lake. All of the backpacker campsites were empty and there were only a few people wading in the lake. On the return, eight of us opted to loop around to the "staircase" and enjoy a geology lesson from Dave P.
Trip Summary:
- Started with eight hikers, Dave P., Kathy, Jane, Ralph, Gloria, Gary, Brent J., Brent L. (leader), joined by Dallin, Mikelle and Lucy the dog.
- Drove 29
miles to the Tony Grove parking area
- On the trail 9:10 a.m., 11:45-12:30 lunch and lake, 3:00 p.m. back at the cars.
- Sunny and
warm
- Our GPS track indicates about 7.8 miles with 1400 feet of ascent/descent
Thanks
to Brent for the narrative and photos, Jane and
Dave P for photos and Ralph for photos and GPS data.
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| The junction with the Tony Grove Nature Trail at the beginning of the hike | ||||
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| Mount Magog
viewed as we hiked toward White Pine Lake |
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| Wildflower-filled meadows accompanied
our hike |
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| Aspen trees
deformed by snowmobiles damage when they were
smaller |
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| Mount Gog
viewed to the north as we entered White Pine
Canyon |
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| The trail junction near White Pine Lake | ||||
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| Lunch at a
White Pine Lake campsite |
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| White Pine
Lake |
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| The "White
Pine Cutoff" trail added variety to our return
trip, including a view of the quartzite
"staircase" (re. Wikipedia) |
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| Dave's geology lesson |
Vandalized sign at the White Pine
Cutoff trail junction |
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| Death camas, Zygadenus
elegans |
Elephanthead, Pedicularis
groenlandica |
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| Jacob's ladder, Polemonium
foliosissiumum |
Flaxflower, Leptosiphon nuttallii |
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| Silverleaf phacelia, Phacelia
hastata |
Wood's rose, Rosa woodsii |
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| Twinberry, Lonicera involucrata |
Shrubby cinquefoil, Potentilla
fruiticosa |
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| Paintbrush, Castilleja sp. |
Hairy clematis, Clematis
hirsutissima |
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| Fernleaf lovage, Ligusticum
filcinum |
Tall mountain larkspur, Delphinium
occidentale |
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| Horsemint, Agastache urticifolia |
Blue flax, Linum lewisii |
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| Little sunflower, Helianthella
uniflora |
Whorled buckwheat, Eriogonum
heracleoides |
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| Scarlet gilia, Ipomopsis aggregata |
Penstemon sp. |
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Our GPS track shows about 7.8 miles
and 1400 feet of ascent/descent.
You can look at our route using Google
Earth or download our GPS file.
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