Walks with Moss: Mount Rose

Camprobber birds on the summit of Mount Rose with Lake Cushman 3,400 feet below.

Lake Cushman is low this time of year. The dry creek trail (last weeks hike) and drainage can be clearly seen from the summit of Rose. Last year's fired burned the stongest near the summit.

Mushrooms sprouting up in the burned areas

Burned trunks of live trees

Coral Mushroom

Pigs Ears

Today I gave my sore knee the ultimate test. The climb up Mount Rose entails 3,400 feet elevation gain (and loss!) in just 3 miles. My knee feels great! Yeah, I'm so relieved, it was just a mild injury and now it's healed.

I took the clock-wise route today and I had the trail all to myself except at the summit. Another hiker who took the counter clock wise route reached the summit just as I did. But at least I did not have to share the summit with half of Olypmia. I had thought of doing Mount Ellinor today but I did not want to share the trail with throngs of Olympians. I'll save Mount Ellinor for this winter.

I found some nice mushrooms but I did not find any of the mushroom I was really hoping to find. I made the mistake of not picking every mushroom as I passed it and someone came and picked some of the mushrooms near the trail head while I was up on the summit. Oh well, I'm still not going to carry mushrooms to the summit of Mount Rose! Maybe I should have picked them and then stashed them near the trail to pick up on the way down.

I have a lot of energy tonight so I must still be in good hiking condition. Mount Rose is my personal fitness meter. If I can do Mount Rose without aching for the next three days I know I'm in good shape. I might be a bit stiff in the morning though.

This is the first time I've taken the clock-wise route up Rose and it was a nice change of perspective. Also the prettiest spot this time was the same spot where I kept losing the trail in the snow last spring. Of course there is no snow now but the spot is nice and moist and bursting with mushrooms. On the elevation profile this is the relativly level part before the summit.

My college course is keeping me very busy and I never feel caught up but I have decided that I am going to hike every week no matter what. I need to hike to keep my sanity. As intense as my class is I need all the sanity that I can muster..:)

Once again it was nice to just be in the woods and not have to measure rotten logs.