Boulder and White-cap Peaks

From the top of Scattered Bones Peak I announced to Bob that "I want to go there".  "There" was White Cap Peak.  As luck would have it Paul organized a Boulder and White Cap Peaks hike loop less than a month later.  How did he know?  He wasn't on our Scattered Bones adventure.

White Cap

Our happy hiking crew.  Photo courtesy of Paul Decker.

Amazing labeled panorama.  Photo courtesy of Paul Decker.

This is a pleasant hike up a draw and then across a ridge top.  Not very much up and down.  We got lucky on the weather as well, sunny, and a bit cold with a slight breeze.  Nothing like the wind event we had the previous two days.

More of Paul's amazing panorama work can be seen at:  https://www.panoramapaul.com/.

Our up for the day.

Lunch

The actual white in white cap

Bob M. and Shawn summit the sketchy top.  Yes, I instigated it, and then chickened out.

Rachel is showing us her great balance.

Lichen

Vanna White has nothing on Deann and Rachel

Shawn at a house circle.

Interesting bottle collection.

One of many large marble shaped stones.

Rodecker Peak

I headed out to fill an ebird gap.  I have a very nice five mile route with hardly any elevation gain, that was my plan.  As I got out of my car Bill F. pulled up and asked if I would like to climb Rodecker Peak.  I said sure, then I asked what is Rodecker Peak?  He said jump in the jeep I'll show you.  And we were off for a fun filled day of adventure. 

Rodecker Peak

We climbed Rodecker Peak, and had lovely views of Owen's Peak, Sawtooth Peak, Boulder Peak, Spanish Needle Peak, and Brown Peak. 

Spanish Needle Peak with I believe Lamont Point on the far right of the photo.

Spanish Needle with Rodecker Flats below.

Brown Peak is on Bill's right shoulder, the higher peak has no name.

Owen's Peak

Boulder Peak

Bill makes the summit

Next up, a look at some township survey markers while we searched for the contents of Bill's pack lost two days earlier.  Yes, we found them.  We also found five shed deer antlers during the day.

This is a township survey boundary marker.

And to top it off, an new arch, Elephant Trunk Arch.  I had no idea that this even existed.  What a glorious day.  Thanks Bill.

The view from the arch.  Yes, it really is that steep.

Elephant trunk arch is up near the top

Sand Dunes

Our friends, Chris and Rosie, asked if we would like to explore some sand dunes.  We thought what a glorious way to spend a sunny winter day.  We headed out.  We climbed all over the dunes, we looked at them from this side, and that side, we tried to slide down them, big fail there, and got stuck in the sand, we ate our lunch looking at them, we watched fighter jets zoom over them, we looked at kangaroo rat burrows and tracks, in short we had a glorious day.  Then we went home with memories of sand dunes stuck in our shoes.