Hiking Ridgeline and Spencer Butte for the equinox sunrise in dense wet fog as the woods turn toward spring – just spectacular. Birds were everywhere, the cooler temperatures and wet fog kept most but the dedicated out of the woods, and spring was everywhere in the air. (so different than hiking in ice and snow)
Equinox photo slider (7 photos)
The kestrel in the last photo was in the same meadow as a couple of weeks ago – either same, or its mate. This bird, too, was highly focused hunting the meadow and ignored me.
The hiking route (recorded track)
Started early at Spring Blv th (a neighborhood couple was walking up the trail but quickly turned around leaving the walk up Baldy to myself) to Spencer Butte top; down to S. Willamette th and back to Spencer top; down to Blanton Ridge th and back to the top. Then for a bit extra down to S. Willamette again, but back up only to the Ridgeline connector and back down to Spring. 19.2 miles, 4,000 ft elevation gain.
Trail conditions were perfect – all the mud from last week was gone, but the trail still cushion-soft. I ran into the trail crew folks inspecting for needed work and complimented them on their work maintaining the trail – they seemed intent on maintaining it in top condition!