Little O'Malley Peak

I hiked the Little O'Malley Peak Trail with the Valley Wanderers. We went all the way to the official summit, which did include some serious rock scrambling. I had to lift Bella up over one huge boulder before I could climb it. Someone has placed some Buddhist prayer flags on the top. Some people would find them offensive but I still kind of enjoy seeing them. It brought back fond memories of my hikes in Nepal where everything is covered with them. They're so colorful against the snowy backdrop. Some of the group had to turn back for various reasons but a few of us continued on across the area nicknamed the Ballfield. It is now snow-covered but not too deep to negotiate without snowshoes. Microspikes were very helpful though. Bella sometimes fell into deep footprints but managed to climb out on her own. She led the way as usual. We hiked farther along the ballfield than I have done in the past. Chris was up ahead and had climbed up a hill to get the best view of  Williwaw Lake and Black Lake down below. It was well worth the climb to reach his high spot. We settled down there in the sun to eat lunch. A young Dall Sheep wandered over to visit us. He didn't seem concerned about us at all. Bella let out one loud bark but obediently stopped when I gave her a stern NO! We all enjoyed the little visiter and of course, took lots of pictures. We followed our own footprints back to the ridge below Little O'Malley then found that the trail that had been frozen on the way up had now turned to mud. We kept our grippers on until the trail started to flatten out. Bella encountered a few other dogs but was friendly to all of them, instead of the crazy barking lunatic that she becomes when on her leash. As we got close to the parking lot, I put her back on her leash. This was a fabulous 8.4 mile hike with a 2300 elevation gain. The mountains are much more spectacular with the new snow on their tops now. 

Bella on top of Little O'Malley Peak