I did part of this hike a few weeks ago on July 17 and there is an gallery in here recording that hike. But I got dehydrated that day and was unable to do what I wanted, which was the Newton-Clark Ridge, this hike, which I felt was spectacularly successful. The July 17 hike is titled, "Newton Creek Trail," if anyone wants to compare the pictures.

There's so much to write about this amazing hike I'll have to really put on the breaks to keep the verbage down. First of all, the road that provides access to the trail that provides access to the ridge was closed, due to recent paving with asphalt rocks, and I had to walk a half-mile to the trailhead. The road smelled like gasoline! Horrible. But it kept all other hikers out, who usually crawl all over the access trail to the Newton Creek Trail, which provides access to the ridge. Even the Newton Creek Trail normally has some hikers on it. But I didn't meet a single hiker all day.

It's a good thing the hoards were kept out, but not for the sake of my solitude. It rained buckets all week and the popular destination (Elk Meadows) requires a ford of Newton Creek, which was a jaw-dropping, raging torrent and anyone attempting to cross it would surely have been swept away to his death. I, on the other hand, safely left the trail before the creek!

Usually it is sunny all summer long, but sunny days have been rare this summer. This day was one of those rare days, and it was coupled with mild winds. The strongest gust I experienced was 2,500 feet above the trailhead at 6,600 feet, and it was only about 15 mph. This is in contrast with the gale-force winds I encountered on my two previous hikes, also recorded here. The temperature was also in the low 60's, so I could not have asked for better weather.

Enough said! Let's look at the pictures!