Pettijohn Trail, Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness, July 16, 2023

by Laurie & Don BurkPosted onGet Out!
Saddle destination. D. Burk.
Looking east across the saddle on the North Yolla Bolly ridgetop---the destination of our hike on the Pettijohn Trail, Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. The peak in the center is North Yolla Bolly; and the pink is a carpet of one-seeded pussy-paws, Calyptridium monospermum, in bloom. Note the burn from the 2020 August Complex fires. Photo taken July 16, 2023, by Don Burk.

Finally we found ourselves with a Sunday free from botanical surveys—we were free to choose where to hike, rather than have our Sunday destination dictated by Don’s work schedule. And so, of course, we chose one of our very favorite trails: Pettijohn Trail in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness.

It had been a year since we’d last hiked here. A lot has changed. Primarily, there has been no maintenance since well before the August Complex fires of 2020, which burned the area, especially severely in the upper regions of the trail. Three years later, the trail is littered with fire-killed fallen trees, branches, and other debris; portions of the upper trail are eroding and washing out; and vegetation is encroaching, making navigating the trail a little challenging here and there. This was also the hottest day of the year to date, which added another layer of difficulty to the day’s hike.

Overgrown trail. D. Burk.
Midway to the saddle, the Pettijohn Trail goes through several seeps and meadows. This is a good example of a place where the trail is overgrown. Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness.
Photo taken by Don Burk, on July 16, 2023.

Despite it all, Pettijohn Trail still offers a great hike. This year’s late spring and quick transition to summer meant that we were too late to catch some blooms, and too early for others. (We were especially disappointed that we were too early to catch the spectacular satin lupine display on the ridegetop, which has been jaw-dropping in some years.) Nonetheless, we still counted over 120 species in bloom. The penstemons were probably the highlight—we saw four different species! (See slideshow, end of article.)

View SW from saddle. D. Burk.
Looking southwest from the ridgetop accessed by the Pettijohn Trail. There were many, many blooming species to admire on this open, exposed saddle. Photo taken July 16, 2023, by Don Burk.

Even though the trail has become a little less comfortable to hike, we still highly recommend it. Just take your time—it will be a memorable adventure! It’s about 3 miles to the saddle from Stuart Gap Trailhead, with ~1,500-foot elevation gain (to ~7100 feet). For trail details and directions to the trailhead, please see Pettijohn Trail, Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness, June 21, 2020.

Burned top third of trail. D. Burk.
Just below the saddle on the Pettijohn Trail. Severely burned in the August Complex wildfires of 2020, this forested last third of the trail is just beginning to show some revegetation.
Photo by Don Burk, taken July 16, 2023.

But go now, before the hunters converge! Here’s a little slideshow of just a few of the sights from this year’s hike to inspire you! All photos by Don Burk. Enjoy!
~Laurie & Don Burk