Dayton Peak

Isothecium moss hangs from a small cedar tree branch

Another walk close to home during the covid-19 emergency.  I am getting so anxious and spending so much time at home just eating.  With two weeks worth of food in my house, full on anxiety and no work to do,  I am in danger of gaining a lot of weight.  Hiking is the cure.

This is not a pretty hike but it is close to home and I don't have to stop at crosswalks or dodge cars or try to avoid all the crazies on the street when I hike here.

Shelton sidewalks are empty now other than the poor folks who are experiencing homelessness.  Many of them are too mentally challenged to obey social distancing.

With no job and so much anxiety on my plate and so little money for gas,  I will be doing a lot of hikes close to home.

For this hike up I decided to try a new route that starts on Little Egypt Road.  But my planned route was a no go I was stopped by a sign that claimed the road I was on was a private driveway.  Well Google Earth shows the road going past a house and then on up the peak, but I took heed of the sign anyway and turned around and started at a different gate.

I was not sure if I would make it up to the peak from my new starting point, Google Earth did not show any roads that went through.  But I did find a way thanks to a little surprise trail that connected two roads together. 

There were a lot of people in the tree farm today, I saw people riding motorcycles and I saw several people harvesting wood.  One of the people actually did see me since Sage blew my cover.

My route was longer than I had prepared for, but it was all good.

8 miles with 800 feet elevation gain.

13k with 245m elevation gain

Witches Butter Fungi glows

View on the way up

Surprise bridge on the surprising trail 

You need a Greed Diamond tree farm pass to hike here