senia creek trail spring conditions
I’m still writing about my Memorial Day trail explorations and around here it’s spring until after the 4th of July anyway. So let’s all savor spring in the mountains together, especially when it’s a bluebird day to hike up an exposed hillside.
A view up the canyon from Senia Creek Trail.
Senia Creek Trail tends to be a bit ignored. Overshadowed by the easier stretch of trail it splits off from at the trailhead. The other trail is a straight four miles to a meadow while offering two waterfalls. Family friendly. More likely to run into a moose. All the more appealing aspects for hikers. Senia Creek on the other hand, not only offers sunshine and jaw-dropping views but it’s a great early season calf burner to kick your tail into preparedness for longer, higher altitude gains. Which would you choose?
The three images above are of a sandy trail that look out to mountains sprinkled with snow under brilliant blue skies. Each view is the opposite sides of switchbacks but equally mesmerizing and slightly different.
Trees protect the snow from melting out too quickly and provide much needed moisture before fire season begins.
Although I don’t have much to share or report, I can at least inform you of the decision behind choosing this specific trail. Admittedly, I held hopes of at least making it to the lake but came up about a mile or two short due to deep snowdrifts across the trail once I entered the forest. Ok, and yes. I wanted to train for steeper ascents to come. Also, it was a sunny day and I wished to maximize sun exposure like a sunflower bending to face the ball in the sky throughout a day.
After enjoying the switchbacks (I know I possess a certain kind of madness titled grit), I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to traipse through ankle deep snow. Until I stopped to tilt my head at a snowdrift about chest deep. I may only be 5’2” but still. Thinking creatively, I marched off trail a bit to discern whether I could pass around the drift or if I found an impasse. Without knowing the trail (a first-time experience!) I finally decided to head back down and accept a short four-mile adventure as a win for the day. Then, the views were just as sparkling and special for the descent.
There you have it; my training hike to survey the snow melt off conditions during Memorial Day weekend. A quick hike with a beautiful drive into a canyon with windows down and a sweet breeze. You’ll know when I make it further up and to the lake by the pictures I share and the bragging about making it further up. I’m itching to really get up to all the plateaus in order to explore even more this summer than I was able to last year. What happens to be on your summer bucket list of hikes? Are you ready to meander the straight to waterfall trails or get up higher for some full sun exposure?