Mount Aire - June 18, 2022

[scatman]

Today's hike found myself and Katie in Millcreek Canyon to meet up with @Ugly for a go at Mount Aire. We met early in the morning at 6:30 am at the Maple Grove Picnic Area, and with the upper Millcreek Canyon being closed until July the 1st, we walked up the road for approximately 1.3 miles until we reached the official trailhead at Elbow Fork. From Elbow Fork, it is only a couple of miles to the summit of Aire, and we made some decent time to the summit considering us stopping to take pictures along the way. Once at the summit, Ugly morphed into a trail runner due to some family commitments, and he headed back to his vehicle. Katie and I stayed up top to take some pictures and eat a snack before heading back down. While on top, the wind really picked up and we found it to be quite chilly for this time of year.


Nothing will get you up a hill more than buckwheat pancakes! Look at that batter. I could almost dive right in and take a swim.


The final product for the hike up Mount Aire.


Millcreek


Arriving at Elbow Fork


Strawberries blooming


Tree down


Glad to have company


Ugly, getting a great shot towards Gobblers Knob and Mount Raymond. The ridge above
him is where I plan to stash a gallon of water for my Millcreek Ridge hike on July the 2nd.


Geraniums were plentiful along the trail


Gobblers Knob and Mount Raymond


Penstemon


Summit shot


Scat blood!


Wide angle view of Wildcat Ridge


View of the western portion of the Millcreek Ridge from Mount Aire to Grandeur Peak


Mount Raymond with Broads Fork Twin Peaks of the Cottonwood Ridge making an appearance


Mount Aire Trail with Mount Olympus in the distance


Another geranium


Cinquefoil


Looking back up at Mount Aire after descending to the saddle


Aspen below the saddle


Mountain Ash


This was interesting. Is it a fungus? Eggs? Parasite of some sort?


More of the same


Hookedspur Violet


Yellows Salsify


Back on the Great Western at the junction with the Lamb's Canyon Trail


Beetle on a geranium


A fitting end back at Millcreek


The End.

 

[Ugly]

I really liked those views back to Raymond and Alexander basin! Motivates me to go and try some other trails.
I dropped like a stone, not really running, but more using gravity and the wind, hahaha. I hit the Mt Aire trailhead in under half an hour and was back at the truck in about 1 hour total. My quads did not like the speed on the road. So I got home in enough time, which made it about the perfect morning hike. It was great so thank you.

I do have a few pics:
Mt Olympus from the road:


Many pretty things in the cool morning air. Some were not being blown by the wind.


The next three give a sense of movement up the trail. So Green still.




I liked this one. A bit of a natural garden with the mahogany.


This one looked nice and dramatic.



Not appearing in this trip report:
The garter snake I almost stepped on.
The rock on a flat part that I almost tripped on.
The incoming wind and dust that made a lot of Saturday unpleasant.

I did not make anything good for Saturday morning, but here was my recovery meal yesterday.
I smoked half a pork rib roast to take to my parents.
This is with a nice apricot glaze and served on a paper plate so that we could avoid dishes. My dad cannot do much salt or heat, so this was overboard on the sweet and vinegar.
My mom had a knee replaced early this morning, which went well and this was also her sendoff/prefasting meal. Hahaha.


It was a certain holiday, so the root beer was fitting.

 

[Rockskipper]

Scatster, If you keep losing blood, we won’t be able to do our blood brother/blood sister thing when we meet. You know, where you poke the end of your finger and rub your blood together and swear to be friends forever? Actually, now that I put it in writing, it sounds like something one would see in a movie in an anthropology class, so maybe never mind.

 

[LarryBoy]

I did the same thing a couple weeks ago, but rather than walking the road, I took the Pipeline tr to the Elbow Fork TH, which was infinitely more pleasant (albeit slower) than pounding asphalt.

 

[scatman]

I really liked those views back to Raymond and Alexander basin! Motivates me to go and try some other trails.
I dropped like a stone, not really running, but more using gravity and the wind, hahaha. I hit the Mt Aire trailhead in under half an hour and was back at the truck in about 1 hour total. My quads did not like the speed on the road. So I got home in enough time, which made it about the perfect morning hike. It was great so thank you.

I do have a few pics:
Mt Olympus from the road:
View attachment 110964

Many pretty things in the cool morning air. Some were not being blown by the wind.
View attachment 110965

The next three give a sense of movement up the trail. So Green still.
View attachment 110966
View attachment 110967
View attachment 110968

I liked this one. A bit of a natural garden with the mahogany.
View attachment 110969

This one looked nice and dramatic.
View attachment 110970


Not appearing in this trip report:
The garter snake I almost stepped on.
The rock on a flat part that I almost tripped on.
The incoming wind and dust that made a lot of Saturday unpleasant.

I did not make anything good for Saturday morning, but here was my recovery meal yesterday.
I smoked half a pork rib roast to take to my parents.
This is with a nice apricot glaze and served on a paper plate so that we could avoid dishes. My dad cannot do much salt or heat, so this was overboard on the sweet and vinegar.
My mom had a knee replaced early this morning, which went well and this was also her sendoff/prefasting meal. Hahaha.
View attachment 110972

It was a certain holiday, so the root beer was fitting.
View attachment 110971

Great shots! And that rib roast ain't half bad either! You may need to wheel that smoker up to the summit next time.

 

[scatman]

I did the same thing a couple weeks ago, but rather than walking the road, I took the Pipeline tr to the Elbow Fork TH, which was infinitely more pleasant (albeit slower) than pounding asphalt.

I've taken that pipeline route before too. You're right, it probably does beat hitting the pavement.

 

[scatman]

Scatster, If you keep losing blood, we won’t be able to do our blood brother/blood sister thing when we meet. You know, where you poke the end of your finger and rub your blood together and swear to be friends forever? Actually, now that I put it in writing, it sounds like something one would see in a movie in an anthropology class, so maybe never mind.

And here I thought we were friends for life anyway. Okay, I'm going to save up just enough blood for the blood brother/blood sister bond when you finally decide to join me on a trip, or a hike for that matter. I keep waiting for somebody on the the trail to give me the BCP greeting, and then I'd know it was you, and then we could get down to the friends forever ritual.

You still have a standing invite to Grizzly Lake in September you know.