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Esmeralda Basin, Teanaway Road


This was my second time on this trail, the last time was a couple of years ago on a very warm and dry day, with lots of other folks heading up and down the trail. I really enjoyed it this time better than the last, not sure if it was because it was still a little bit early, which meant a little less traffic, or just because I knew what to expect. The flowers were blooming every where, the shooting stars are just unreal. There is so many of them, I have never saw so many on any other hike. It was fairly over cast the whole time, just a few sprinkles here and there. Pretty pleasant hike till we started up to Fortune Cookie Pass, then it was cold cold cold. The wind was blowing hard, and it was a mixture of rain and snow. We didn't spend much time at the top, made our way part way back down and found a log a little ways off the trail to enjoy the views looking down the valley, and eat our lunch. The Western Pasque Flower was fascinating, mostly small blooms but so pretty, found a few pink colored ones here and there. They tend to grow in the dryer area on this trail, and at a higher elevation. This is a great trail to see lots flowers. The Teanaway Road can be a little rough in spots, and feels so long. When we reached the trail head that morning there wasn't a lot of cars, but by the time we headed out it was the place to be. We made plans to return to this area and hike the other trails, but July happened and things went up in smoke, changed some of our hiking plans. My nephew did get to try his new pack out that he was going to use the 4th of July weekend. A very pleasant hike, a little bit of drive from where we live, but worth it.
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