Dome Rock
After hiking to two waterfalls at Mountain Home State Forest we drove down one mountain then back up another one even higher into the Sierras. It was a long and winding ascent until we reached the auspiciously named Western Divide Highway with elevations over 7,000'.
It was getting late in the day but not too late to keep adventuring. We left these hikes for last because we weren't sure what the snow conditions would be like in the 7-8,000' range. Many years it's still several feet deep at this range. But not this year. Dry winter.
We drove a dirt road out to the trailhead for Dome Rock, a granite bald that rises above a high valley.
The hike up from the parking area is short and not so taxing, aside from the difficulty of breathing thin air at 7,200' (2,195m). The hike down the other side is... also short, but not in a good way. There isn't an edge, per se, but as the smooth rock surface curves down beneath your feet it gets incredibly steep and you don't want to walk any further out.
Meanwhile, while I'm up here, rock climbers are on the nearly vertical ascent from below.
There are expansive views in most directions from atop Dome Rock. Here's the view to the north, showing another granite outcropping known as The Needles in the distance:
We thought about hiking the trail to the top of The Needles but it's 6 miles round trip; too much for today with the sun already beginning to set. Maybe tomorrow?
Update: While there's not enough time for a long hike, there's plenty of time for a shorter one at Nobe Young Falls.
Update 2: They say an elephant never forgets. Neither do I. I remembered wanting to hike The Needles and went there four years later.
It was getting late in the day but not too late to keep adventuring. We left these hikes for last because we weren't sure what the snow conditions would be like in the 7-8,000' range. Many years it's still several feet deep at this range. But not this year. Dry winter.
We drove a dirt road out to the trailhead for Dome Rock, a granite bald that rises above a high valley.
The hike up from the parking area is short and not so taxing, aside from the difficulty of breathing thin air at 7,200' (2,195m). The hike down the other side is... also short, but not in a good way. There isn't an edge, per se, but as the smooth rock surface curves down beneath your feet it gets incredibly steep and you don't want to walk any further out.
Meanwhile, while I'm up here, rock climbers are on the nearly vertical ascent from below.
There are expansive views in most directions from atop Dome Rock. Here's the view to the north, showing another granite outcropping known as The Needles in the distance:
We thought about hiking the trail to the top of The Needles but it's 6 miles round trip; too much for today with the sun already beginning to set. Maybe tomorrow?
Update: While there's not enough time for a long hike, there's plenty of time for a shorter one at Nobe Young Falls.
Update 2: They say an elephant never forgets. Neither do I. I remembered wanting to hike The Needles and went there four years later.