Short Showers
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Sunday was rainy and cool, so S hauled himself up to the hills, hoping for reduced crowds, due to the weather. More clouds, fewer crowds. As it turns out, many people had parked at the winter lot and were walking up the road, thus avoiding the entry fee. The upper lots were likely full, but S parked at the small lot on the west side of Brainard, for a walk up to Long Lake. Someone had built a campfire, and the whole area smelled of wood smoke.
Despite the inclement conditions, there was no lightning—just gray skies and soft rain. Many hikers seemed to have been caught off-guard, wearing makeshift rain-gear (clear plastic ponchos) at best. Many had soaked t-shirts, which looked a bit chilly in the 55º temperatures.
Plenty of wildflowers: yarrow, Indian paintbrush, mountain harebell, clover, daisies, etc. S walked the short loop, grabbing some photos along the way, and headed back down.
