Elk Bonanza!

Another beautiful morning.  I started up the road to the trailhead well before sunrise and encountered a herd of 20-30 elk with several bulls.  The gravel road is in rough shape – 2WD is fine but you definitely want a high clearance vehicle.  Crept along at about 5mph until I reached the parking lot.  There was a dusting of snow along portions of the trail.  Weather was crisp and clear and calm until I approached the saddle.  It became quite breezy, and I had to pull my fleece back out of my pack after shedding it not long after I started up the trail.  I was concerned that the summit was going to be cold and windy.  But, after I crossed the saddle, it became calm again.  The entrance to the spur up to the peak is well marked with two large cairns.  I lost the spur trail at times but always spotted another cairn and made the summit without difficulty.  I had the trail and mountain to my self until the end of the descent when I was within a couple hundred yards of my truck and encountered a couple taking a leisurely walk up the trail.  I didn’t see any wild horses or burros but saw plenty of fresh sign all over the climb.