Blueberry Knoll Hike

 It's been snowing in the mountains and wind has been blowing, plus a big storm is coming later today. But it's Friday and I traditionally hike with Pam and our dogs every Friday. It's been a while since we've hiked up the steep Blueberry Knoll Trail, so we decided to give it a try. I have done a couple of traverses that ended with hiking down from the summit of Government Peak, but nothing leading up that trail lately. We were both worried that it would be a muddy mess, like so many of the local trails have been lately. But other than a couple of nasty spots, we found the trail to be in rather good condition. Round trip the hike is only about 3 miles with about 2000 feet of elevation gain. But it's still quite a tough workout negotiating tree roots that try to trip you and slippery steep wet sections of trail. But we made it up and back without any injuries. Our dogs had a wonderful time of course. I love how they run and play together on our hikes. I can tell Bella really enjoys the company of other dogs. If it wasn't completely impractical, I'd consider getting her a doggie companion. Then I'd have double trouble though! 

We could see the dust blowing off the rivers down below but for the most part, we were free of the high winds. That all changed just before we got to the picnic table on the top of Blueberry Knoll. We didn't stay there long. But we still enjoyed the view. There is a cylinder tied to the table that has a screw top. I wondered what might be inside. I expected to find a register logbook. But instead it was full of hand warmers and a few pencils. I suspect there was once a logbook but it has been removed. Hand warmers could come in handy for people hiking up there in winter. It was almost cold enough to need them while we were there. It was 34 degrees when I left home but it was in the low 40's during most of the hike. There were a few traces of snow near the top. Government Peak itself still appears to be clear of snow. Our hike down went quickly in spite of the steepness and slippery sections. It was an awesome choice for our Friday traditional trek.

Bella exploring

Blowing dust down below

On top of the knoll