|
Frozen Head's North Bird Mountain Not for Rookies I've
been hiking along Frozen Head state park trails for several years and had come to believe that "strenuous" trail ratings didn't really apply to any trail in that
park.
I was wrong.
Some 27 years ago the North Bird Mountain
trail in Frozen Head state park closed to hikers until just this winter when it was reopened. I hiked this trail for the first time on Wednesday, 4/16/2008. If other trails like Chimney Tops
are worthy of a "strenuous" rating then North Bird Mountain would need to be rated "extremely strenuous." First you
must hike nearly to the top of 3,142' Bird Mountain. Then you join North Bird Mtn trail and hike nearly to the bottom.
Then you hike back up via many, many switchbacks until you are atop Jury Ridge--almost at the top again. Then you go
back down. Then back up. Then back down. Finally, after you are wondering if the up/down cycle will ever
end, you are at last atop Bird Mtn for the final time and go gladly down the hill to your car.
But difficulty is not the only area where normal
ratings fall short.
North Bird Mountain trail offers
drop dead gorgeous displays of wildflowers. There were so many wildflowers along this trail that I couldn't
help but step on some of them that were growing in the path of the trail (hey, for 27 years this wasn't a trail).
Trilliums, Dutchman's Breeches, large-flowered bellwort plus all kinds of violets and phlox were abundant.
In many areas the ground was carpeted with wildflowers and ramp (wild leek). Lots of plants were just beginning to put on bloom stalks so there is no telling what all
will be on display here by the end of April.
Photographing wildflowers here presented a new challenge: How does one photograph
a species of wildflowers without including two or three other species in the same shot! Yep, there were so many flowers
packed together that many of my photos had three and four different species in the same picture.
I recommend you check it out. Better eat
your Wheaties because this trail is tough. Hiking the 10+ mile loop made up of Tower trail, North Bird Mtn trail and
Bird Mtn trail is probably easiest if hiked counter-clockwise. Be prepared for steep slopes, poor footing, unbridged
creek crossings plus scrambling up and over a few new windfalls.
Take your camera and extra memory cards too.
Allow all day to hike this loop. I figured that 7 hours would be more than enough
time to traverse the 10 mile loop. It just barely was.
Select from this list to see photos from my hikes at Frozen Head:
Al Smith
|
