Stevens Trail

 May 6

Today I am back on Stevens Trail in Colfax, California. I am meeting up with my Hiking Group , however, have a delayed start and they left the trailhead about 45 minutes before me. My plan, to hike, fast with no stops and try to meet up with them before they get to the bottom of the canyon.

I caught them at just about 3 miles, at 45 minutes into my hike. I rushed down without taking any notes or pictures deciding I would do that on the way up. There are a ton of wildflowers out today and I look forward to getting some great pictures. We stopped right along the river’s edge for lunch. It is very peaceful and very beautiful. I dropped 1130 feet in elevation from my starting point. Today I am hiking with Steve, Dave two, and Susan.

Once we reached the rivers edge, we sat down to eat. My lunch spot had a bunch of butterflies, flying around and landing on the rocks by the river 

The return portion of our hike is all uphill and most of it in exposed sun. I drank my full liter of water and took the opportunity to refill here on the side of the river. I love my filter system with the Cnox bag, filter,  and water bottle All becoming a single unit.

As I head back up the trail, I stop often for pictures of the flowers sitting alongside me. I’ve tried to capture most of their names.

 The trail offers open views of the river that are equally as beautiful.

The flowers continue their colorful displays 

As the aspect of the trail changes a little bit along the hillside, I have a slightly different view of the river. The rapids are just beginning downstream.

More flowers continue showing their colors as I walk along 

I’ve crossed a few small streams, coming down the hillside. This one has enough moisture for large groupings of ferns.

Midway between the trailhead and the river are four points of interest. Since I started my pictures from the river, they will be in reverse order. A large rock outcropping allows wide open views of the river down below

Third in line from the top is a cave dug by minor searching for Gold when this was a gold mine trail

Along the entire length of the trail, there are lizards sunning themselves in the open areas as you come up behind them they run down the trail in front of you for about 20 feet before turning off into the bushes 

As I pass a few more beautiful flowers, I come to the next interest point mid trail and that is a Waterfall created by a stream, running down the hillside

The last of the interest points on this section is a very large rock which provides an overlook down into the valley below and uphill showing the waterfall just pictured

Of course I come by some more flowers as I continue on .

Just before I arrive back to the trailhead and parking lot at come across this tree that I often admire. It has mine like branches, one of which hangs down low and could be used as a swing.

Today’s hike was 7.8 miles with an elevation gain of 1631 feet most of which in the last 4 miles