The eleven of us couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to enjoy Upper Table Rock. Our day shone with blue skies, temperatures warming from the upper 50s to the 70s, and a great variety of wildflowers to admire throughout the hike.
The trails and pumice road were dry and in great condition. Our initial ascent began with a display of blooming camas and scarlet fritillary, and before reaching the mesa, we crossed paths with a couple of BLM employees and a volunteer, who greeted us warmly. They were passing out trail information and sharing their story of recent trail work and guide experience. As part of their guide program, they introduced us to a pair of intertwined madrone trees reaching over the trail, which they have fondly named “The Friendship Tree.”
Once we reached the mesa, the trail wandered through meadow grasses colored with waves of goldfields and accented by the blues, white and pinks of the other wildflowers. Due to the dry weather, there wasn’t a vernal pool to be found. As the trail transitioned from a meadow path onto a gravel road, we passed the white FAA VHF-VOR beacon and arrived at the Frog Pond.
Since it was before noon on such a beautiful day, everyone voted to take lunch farther up the road, where we could sit with a view over the valley and Lower Table Rock.
After our Annie lunch, our return to the trailhead seemed to take on a leisurely pace for a Wednesday hike. I think such a beautiful day became a balm for all of us.
Nanci
