Highwood Baldy, flowers and green

A fairy slipper treat

I love the Highwoods in the spring.  They're so green and the flowers are everywhere.
I also like to see how I came through the winter and test my conditioning as soon as I can on Highwood Baldy, the highest peak in this island range at 7,620 feet.
The peak's size is deceptive.  It's a robust 3,200 feet from bottom to top.
There is still plenty of snow on top, which meant some post-holing and kicking steps --- and boot skiing.
That melting snow is fueling pretty good runoff and Highwood Creek was mighty cold to cross the requisite three times to reach the Deer Creek trailhead.
It also fueled some gorgeous cascades in the forks of the creek.

Cascade on a fork of Deer Creek in the Highwoods

I'm not crazy about the top of this peak.  There's a road coming up from the south side and it is used by various communications companies for their relays, repeaters, etc. It appears as though a new shed has been constructed in the past year to add to the Bresnan building.
Yet, the climb is worth if, if for no other reason than the views from the top are amazing in every direction.
I was gratified that I hit the top in about 2 hours and 25 minutes from where I parked the car at the Thane Creek turnoff and having to wade the wide, high, cold creek three times!

My route