Hiking Above Wolf Gap

Emma and Zephyr sampling the awesomeness of my hammock

Lovely, long weekend full of good weather, few chores, no homework...  It's like all the star aligned for us to all get out as a family on a nice hike.  There's a place that I've been wanting to check out for a few months now.  It's above the designated Sterling Mine Ditch Trail system that the BLM has.  I looked at some air photos and found a place that looked way neater.

We drove to Wolf Gap, parked, and hiked about 800 vertical feet up through a ponderosa pine forest and oak savannah.  There was a faint dirt bike trail for us to follow.  Amazingly no ticks and hardly any poison oak!

 Anderson Butte

 Dutchman Peak

 Little Applegate Valley

  Little Applegate Valley

  Little Applegate Valley

Divide between Little Applegate River (to the left) and Sterling Creek (to the right)

The views above tree line were amazing.  The unnamed peak we climbed was about 4,200 feet and on the divide between the Little Applegate River to the south and Sterling Creek to the north.  We even caught glimpses of Dutchman Peak far to the south with some snow still on it.

Zoë started out as the slow hiker, but finished ahead of Zephyr who had to take multiple breaks where he complained and eventually even convinced Dohnele and me that he needed a ride up the last hundred feet or so.

However, on the hike down, it was Zephyr who was pulling us and Zoë was the one who got "piggy ride" from me.  Emma did great both ways.  She did so well that I even relented and let her pick a small bouquet of wildflowers which I normally prohibit.  Shoot, the day went so well I even bought everyone smoothies on the drive home!