Little Grayback Trail

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Today I hiked a trail in Southern Oregon that turned out to be a delightful spring hike.

I parked at the lower trailhead for the Little Grayback Trail on Road 490:

Little Grayback Trail

Mine was the only car on this gorgeous Saturday:

Little Grayback Trail

Off I go:

Little Grayback Trail

Right away I noticed the abundant poison oak:

Little Grayback Trail

Lots of madrone trees:

Little Grayback Trail

There were plenty of wildflowers along the whole hike. Blue-eyed mary:

Little Grayback Trail

Tarweed:

Little Grayback Trail

Ookow:

Little Grayback Trail

Kellogg’s monkeyflower:

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Pleasant hiking:

Little Grayback Trail

More tarweed:

Little Grayback Trail

Manroot:

Little Grayback Trail

Popcorn flower:

Little Grayback Trail

More madrone:

Little Grayback Trail

Views of the nearby snowy mountains started coming into view:

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Lupine:

Little Grayback Trail

So pretty:

Little Grayback Trail

Wild strawberry:

Little Grayback Trail

A huge ponderosa pine:

Little Grayback Trail

Balsamroot:

Little Grayback Trail

Larkspur:

Little Grayback Trail

There was SO much Oregon grape in bloom:

Little Grayback Trail

There was evidence of recent trail maintenance:

Little Grayback Trail

I saw scarlet fritillary in several places. It’s so brilliant, I couldn’t help but keep photographing it:

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Now that I was higher, the views were even better:

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

That knob at center is Whisky Peak, a former lookout site:

Little Grayback Trail

Traversing one of many meadows:

Little Grayback Trail

Looking back behind me:

Little Grayback Trail

That’s Acorn Woman Peak over there:

Little Grayback Trail

Snow on the north side of Dutchman Butte:

Little Grayback Trail

More big ponderosas:

Little Grayback Trail

This dead ponderosa had been thoroughly enjoyed by woodpeckers:

Little Grayback Trail

Another meadow:

Little Grayback Trail

SO many popcorn flower:

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Looking back:

Little Grayback Trail

More views:

Little Grayback Trail

I passed this huge old Douglas fir tree:

Little Grayback Trail

Miner’s lettuce:

Little Grayback Trail

Fawn lilies:

Little Grayback Trail

Buckbrush:

Little Grayback Trail

Larkspur:

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Little Grayback Trail

Hey there, lizard:

Little Grayback Trail

A different kind of lupine:

Little Grayback Trail

Looking south out over Acorn Woman Lakes:

Little Grayback Trail

Serviceberry:

Little Grayback Trail

Then I reached the upper trailhead on Road 340:

Little Grayback Trail

I stopped here for a break and soon heard, then saw, two ATVs. They drove up, gave me a wave, turned, and drove away:

Little Grayback Trail

After a nice break I headed back down:

Little Grayback Trail

What a lovely spring hike! Lovely meadows, colorful wildflowers, and views of snowy mountains on a gorgeous day. Plus I didn’t see a single other hiker!

Gaia stats: 8.6 miles, 1,550′ elevation gain