Long drive down and back, but wanted to share a really nice trip Jo, Bookah and I did today.
Drove up past the last house on Black Bear rd and jumped in the woods to BKR. Route went right as planned. Instead of coming up on the summit directly, we circled for better woods and came on a birch and fern orchard(no other way to describe it) about 50' below the summit on the north side. In the open meadow we had spectacular views of BLM, D'top, Graham, Big Indian, W'pecker, Millbrook and Cradle Rock Ridge and everything in between. The birches were large, spaced apart and everything else was ferns with a few rocks interspersed.
The woods on BKR were all beech with some birch & cherry thrown in. Just on the open woods alone, BKR is high on my favorites list. The summit glade ranks it as one of my favorites in the entire list of Cat100's I've done so far.
We threaded our way around the other 2 BKR summits, diagonal-ed down to the trail and then up High Falls. While the woods on HF were nice and the top wide open with ferns and screened views, BKR killed it for anything else for the day.
Just an outstanding hike that Jo, Boo and I really enjoyed. Jo is going to post some pictures of the 'orchard' to give you an idea of why should get up there.
If the praise for the orchard seems overly effusive, you'll be amazed if you save your hike there for a nice day. What a great trip in Autumn.
Bookah: 92/102
Drove up past the last house on Black Bear rd and jumped in the woods to BKR. Route went right as planned. Instead of coming up on the summit directly, we circled for better woods and came on a birch and fern orchard(no other way to describe it) about 50' below the summit on the north side. In the open meadow we had spectacular views of BLM, D'top, Graham, Big Indian, W'pecker, Millbrook and Cradle Rock Ridge and everything in between. The birches were large, spaced apart and everything else was ferns with a few rocks interspersed.
The woods on BKR were all beech with some birch & cherry thrown in. Just on the open woods alone, BKR is high on my favorites list. The summit glade ranks it as one of my favorites in the entire list of Cat100's I've done so far.
We threaded our way around the other 2 BKR summits, diagonal-ed down to the trail and then up High Falls. While the woods on HF were nice and the top wide open with ferns and screened views, BKR killed it for anything else for the day.
Just an outstanding hike that Jo, Boo and I really enjoyed. Jo is going to post some pictures of the 'orchard' to give you an idea of why should get up there.
If the praise for the orchard seems overly effusive, you'll be amazed if you save your hike there for a nice day. What a great trip in Autumn.
Bookah: 92/102
