WELCOME BACK TO FRIDAYS ARE FOR MINERAL KING!

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional weekend that Mineral King opens up – gates, campgrounds (only Cold Springs this year), cabins.

1. ROAD OBSERVATIONS: The road was well-pruned on the lower 6.5 miles, thanks to fire crews. The flowers weren’t very good until the mid elevations where the bush poppy, flannel bush, and blazing star showed up (all yellow, all kind of look alike). Drivers coming down were uncommonly courteous, but a couple heading up didn’t know the mountain courtesy custom of pulling over if someone catches up to you. (BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS GOING FASTER THAN YOU, DOOFUS!) 
2. It took 2 axes to tackle the low level of the woodpile. Trail Guy has been up the hill when the weather is cold, and he graciously leaves the splitting to me because he knows I love to do it.
3. I walked the Nature Trail (down the road, up the trail) with my neighbor. We saw a shrub that has always seemed sort of like a currant – turns out it is a Sierra Currant, rather than the Wax Currant that is more common  in our neck of the woods.We also saw yellow violets (called Mountain Violets)and regular violets (called Violets in my book Mineral King Wildflowers)
4. Trail Guy and I walked to the parking lot, where the 2 trees are marked for removal. (Who knows when it will happen?)
5. We also walked to Crystal Creek, which is low and spread out, and then meandered our way back where I found a new-to-me yellow flower. The dandelions were out in large numbers too.