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So Green in Mineral King

Trail Guy and I took a hike with The Farmer and Hiking Buddy. It was the easiest 8 miles that one can hike in Mineral King, meaning the trail has a good grade and a flat trail bed (not many roots and rocks to trip over). But it felt like a very long distance. (Is this what it means to be in the S’s??)

Where? Good question, thanks for asking. (That’s what most interviewees say these days – have you noticed that?) The junction of Franklin Lake and Farewell Gap trails. We usually choose it for the ease and the wildflowers, which aren’t very profuse this year. There is a good variety, but they are scattered.

Whorled penstemon are a vivid bluish-purple in real life. My camera doesn’t know how to record the correct color, although the green is right.
The sulphur flower was brilliant. Guess you had to be there.
Franklin Falls was perfect, as always. Normal people rock hop across. I wade.
The trail looks a little cliff-hanger-ish in a few places.
But it is worth it, and not terribly scary because the trail bed is flat.
This is the scariest part, and it isn’t really very scary.
The junction of the Farewell Gap and Franklin Lake trails is higher than Timber Gap. Usually the flowers are great there, but this isn’t a banner year for flowers.
There are flowers there, just not as thick in the past several summers. Wait, last summer wasn’t very good either. Next year, perhaps?
The peak on the left is Vandever, the right side of Farewell Gap. The one to the right of that is an unnamed bump.
Ahhh, back to the valley floor. I love this view, especially when it is so very green.
We had some special guests, but I will allow them to remain anonymous because this is the World Wide Web.
Blurry photo of the only iris I have ever seen in MK. Some years I miss it, but not this year! And it isn’t on the trail to Franklin or Farewell – just wanted to show you as a little bonus for reading to the end.

1 Comment

  1. Thank you for taking us on your hike! It looks like it was a perfect weather day!

    Those of us who probably will never travel that trail enjoyed the views vicariously.

    (Cliffs aren’t scary. The multitude of switchbacks is scary!)

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