{"id":3979,"date":"2021-08-22T02:40:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-22T02:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/?p=3979"},"modified":"2021-08-22T02:40:18","modified_gmt":"2021-08-22T02:40:18","slug":"grand-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/2021\/08\/22\/grand-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday, July 31, 2021<\/p>\n<p>Today we decided to do the Grand Valley loop hike. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>This was the disappointing view from Hurricane Ridge when we arrived:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370600920_dcd1fe6fcd_c.jpg\" alt=\"Hurricane Ridge\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The forecast called for a 30% chance of showers before 11am and mostly cloudy, so we decided to go for it and headed out to Obstruction Point. On the drive we saw a marmot in the road, who quickly skedaddled:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51369597301_541f033fd3_c.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Obstruction Point Road\"><\/p>\n<p>The view from the trailhead was quite a bit different today than yesterday (when it had been sunny):<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51369602741_4e8867e8d9_c.jpg\" alt=\"Obstruction Point Trailhead\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We set off up the Grand Pass Trail, which had some grand views:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370606380_7cd9987d59_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51369601281_e4cb7a1acc_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The trail traversed big sprawling meadows above the tree line:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370337409_782d842141_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371714340_26420066f7_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We saw lots of partridgefoot:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371723935_ba0c77d81c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We saw a grouse:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51369959602_95c1759e73_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371448644_c6f033080c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking down the valley of Grand Creek:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370952358_b0c2797fc1_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking back at Grand Ridge, which we hiked the day before:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370722041_b162e33fe8_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Getting ready to do a lot of descending:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370951513_0ea5d774a2_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371829958_e74cd19274_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking down into Grand Valley:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51372621040_52fd1fddda_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The trail lost a lot of elevation as it descended down into the valley:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51372620200_7cc8a04261_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370853707_cf43b198d4_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51372346569_4312a5bf2b_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51370867812_4408e15e05_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Finally Grand Lake came into view below us:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373700180_b3de3484b3_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We reached the trail junction after 3.6 miles and headed right towards Moose Lake:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371936002_cfef692fd6_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Just before Moose Lake we took a short side trail hoping to see the waterfall, but we only got a tiny glimpse of it:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51372698096_7ed2302601_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Moose Lake:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373433879_d3f6e2ef71_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371942392_9ccc250867_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371949502_2a8ccdd61f_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"460\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This would be a beautiful place to camp, but climbing out of this valley with an overnight pack would not be fun:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373439174_cb7069fc6c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The outhouse sign had a clever &#8220;open \/ in use&#8221; indicator:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51372937178_8f2fe82d46_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We found a spot by the lake to sit and take and take a break. As soon as we got settled in it started to pour. We grabbed our gear and retreated back along the trail to the so-called &#8220;ranger station&#8221;:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373712870_3102ef3d78_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It is nothing more than a wooden platform and a covered gear bin:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373439684_9907cca203_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51371948592_b9daaf2a7f_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373439999_335ecbd162_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We took a short break in the protection of the trees by the wooden platform then headed towards Grand Lake in the rain:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373714075_09cbe164c9_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51372711471_c87edb6bdd_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Due to the weather we really didn&#8217;t stop to take a look at Grand Lake. A few quick pictures from the trail and we continued on. The Badger Valley Trail was rather rough in spots:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374728961_432be07820_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374969708_5eaa7df2ee_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We crossed a creek, dumped our packs, put on bug spray (the bugs were BAD). Then marched on. About a mile from Grand Lake we crossed another creek:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375472294_a43a487c29_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373979737_362f4192dc_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A welcome stretch of easy walking!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375474629_198f47deb2_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Another creek crossing. What a lovely spot:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374971488_a88c64d494_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374742456_94233356f0_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then the trail climbed very steeply. It was pretty humid and a little miserable. We broke out of the trees and crossed this meadow:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375480179_2154695b2c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375479714_31ca5066b3_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375754020_fe2f5002b1_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking back:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374976768_25fbe3c4a3_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then we got high enough that we reached the wildflower zone:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374977698_0fda873119_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374976263_9a9f65303b_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373985967_4f10778648_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That was the last I saw of Greg for a few hours. He stayed behind to document all the flowers and I continued on, passing the junction with the Elk Mountain Trail that connects up to the trail on Grand Ridge we did yesterday:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51373985557_eded69bc25_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I spotted an Olympic Marmot:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51376519925_e03f1e763a_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Two marmots!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51374747487_09f71d1254_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51376517150_4a65fa5329_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51376243629_615d3c746b_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I continued on, passing wildflowers and lovely gurgling alpine streams:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375512571_faf811fdb0_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375743273_5c09a2c59b_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375742958_399820d5c4_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375750778_fd74c88f2a_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s hard to see here, but the trail climbs up that slope ahead:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375511456_c668d80d07_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I stopped taking pictures at that point, although I kept turning around to see if Greg was coming (he wasn&#8217;t). I spent at least 15 minutes stopping and watching for him, but finally gave up and continued on to the car, which I reached at 5:35. A beautiful deer showed up at the trailhead and hung around for awhile:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375519146_ed893b0aaa_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51375749858_e646acf82c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Valley Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Greg finally arrived at 6:20. We had planned to eat out tonight, but town was an hour&#8217;s drive away. Instead we cooked up a quick hot dog dinner behind the car before heading back to the campground and collapsing into bed exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>Gaia stats: 10.5 miles, 2,530&#8242; elevation gain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday, July 31, 2021 Today we decided to do the Grand Valley loop hike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[216,161],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3979"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3979"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4010,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3979\/revisions\/4010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}