April 25 – McIntrye Bluff

We just couldn’t do it. The McIntyre Bluffs trail about a 1/2 hour drive north of us and is 5 km one way and an elevation change of 240 m or about 750 feet. We made it in about 3.5 km and about 160 m up but then we got to a spot where you dropped down 30 m into a valley and then had to climb another 90m in the last 1.5 km. By then it was lunch time and we knew that if we continued it would not be a fun trip back.

Here is a screen shot from the trailfork.com website with out turnaround spot.

This trail also starts from a private estate. Covert Farms allows you to park on their property and cross their fields for the first part of the hike. You start at their visitors center and then climb up over a small hill to look out on their massive vineyard.

The path of the hike is something like this. The spot we got to is somewhere behind that bump in the middle.

At the corner in the above picture we exit a gate through another electrified fence but this time we had to walk along very close to it.

This picture is from the way back but you get the idea. I held Jennie’s hiking pole that would have been close to the fence. We actually don’t think it was turned on because there is usually a humming sound and there is also no reason for the bears to try and get into the field as there is nothing to eat. BUT we weren’t going to test that theory.

We finally made the turn and headed up.

This picture shows about 1/6 of their vineyard.

This photosphere gives you a better idea.

The climb was mostly gentle with only a few steep spots.

A photosphere always does a better job of conveying being there.

Lots of tiny wildflowers.

We passed by Rattlesnake Lake. It would have been a great reflection if the lake was calm.

At first we though this was a stump but it is solid rock.

Just before we turned around there was a seriously steep climb. That and looking down into the valley and seeing how far away the bluff seemed, meant that it was lunch time.

And the photosphere.

Heading back down.

That is the bluff ahead of us. Oh well!

Still smiling!

Someone at the visitor’s center was checking out the bouncy pillow. I wonder if that is some sort of water slide in the upper right.

They have this great old truck that they use for tours.

We consoled ourselves with Dairy Queen on the way home.