Mount Wire - January 1, 2022

[scatman]

Well, if you are going to close out the past year with a hike, then I guess you are required to start the new year with a hike. Am I right?

After finishing off my delicious bowl of steel cut oats this morning, I took the kids for a little hike up Wire.

The temperature was 16 degrees at the trailhead when we started off, and it was a balmy 12 at the summit with a nasty wind blowing.

I decided to take my kids with me just in case we had to break any trail to the top. I'd let them do most of the breaking for me. I guess the 2022 Scatman is smarter than the 2021 Scatman. Watch out @Bob, you'll be backpacking with a more intelligent Scatman than you had to put up with last year.

We didn't stay too long up top because I was freezing, and I actually jogged down the first part of the mountain to get some body heat going. I hadn't run down a trail off a summit in years.

Trailhead sign

Break that trail kids! Actually most of the trail was in fine shape - nice and packed until just off the summit

The Living Room above

A lonely leaf

A lonely shadow.

Red Butte Canyon. I had to posthole over to get this shot

Might fine trail breakers!

Frosty mountain mahoganies

Starting to feel a little cold at this point

Looks cold

Snow covered scrub oak

A lone mountain mahogany on the slope just off the summit of Mount Wire

Kids approaching the summit

What do we have here?

A paraglider who took off from the summit

Paraglider above the lone mahogany

Paraglider above me

And off he goes towards the valley

The windswept summit of Mount Wire

A BCP greeting from the old air mail beacon to @Rockskipper. Did it pass muster this time? I want you to
know that I couldn't feel my fingers.

Squall moving in

Burr!

Frozen hair.

I will soon pass these two as I needed to warm up.

Katie, posing with Mount Wire on our way down

Spotted Towhee

Back on the shoreline trail.

The End

 

[The Trout Whisperer]

W O W

 

[Bob]

Aren't barb wire fences to keep people out?. Or in?

 

[Rockskipper]

Scatster, you owe me a cup of hot chocolate and some of those hand and foot warmer thingys for me even reading that. The BCP salute passes muster, considering your fingers were probably frozen solid at that point. Between you and @Bob posting photos of his snow drifts, I think I'm going to book a flight to Hawaii. Please PM me your credit card number. (Really nice photos, BTW.)

After seeing the paraglider, I'm beginning to think Mt. Wire might qualify as an open-air lunatic asylum.

 

[Ugly]

Balmy 12d is right!
The Taco thermometer said 9d this morning and there was this little stiff wind coming from just about every direction over here before the sun came up. I could only talk my son into a little lollipop that topped off at 6400', and you're climbing up Mt Wire and then up frozen steel rungs. Hope you didn't try to lick off the snow.

Lunatic paraglider and your frozen fingers are proof for how cold that was, good on ya! and Happy New Year!

 

[scatman]

Aren't barb wire fences to keep people out?. Or in?

I'm sure back in the day when the beacon was functional they probably wanted people to stay out.

 

[scatman]

Scatster, you owe me a cup of hot chocolate and some of those hand and foot warmer thingys for me even reading that. The BCP salute passes muster, considering your fingers were probably frozen solid at that point. Between you and @Bob posting photos of his snow drifts, I think I'm going to book a flight to Hawaii. Please PM me your credit card number. (Really nice photos, BTW.)

After seeing the paraglider, I'm beginning to think Mt. Wire might qualify as an open-air lunatic asylum.

Lunatic asylum indeed.

 

[scatman]

Balmy 12d is right!
The Taco thermometer said 9d this morning and there was this little stiff wind coming from just about every direction over here before the sun came up. I could only talk my son into a little lollipop that topped off at 6400', and you're climbing up Mt Wire and then up frozen steel rungs. Hope you didn't try to lick off the snow.

Lunatic paraglider and your frozen fingers are proof for how cold that was, good on ya! and Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you! I had to soak in a warm bath to warm up my core when I got home.

 

[Kmatjhwy]

Scatman, Congrats for you doing that hike in the snow and cold. Those pics sure do show the cold. Brrrrr! Best to you! Loved the trip report!