High Ridge Trail

Boulder Mountains, ID

Wednesday 14 August 2024 75 °F

I have made it back to Sun Valley, ID for my fourteenth summer out here! Despite fighting an 8-hour jet lag and a cold, I have been having a wonderful time.

Yesterday, Tuesday, August 13, my dad, Parker, and I hiked a trail called High Ridge Trail in the Boulder Mountains. Interestingly enough, on the drive there, I discovered that I had hiked this trail exactly nine years ago to this very day with my mom! Read the trip report from that day here:
https://worldbirding.travellerspoint.com/319/

A drive along the scenic (and sheer!) Trail Creek Road was needed in order to make it to the trailhead and I spotted a Moose in the valley below the road, foraging among the willows! Super cool!

A couple eclipse MALLARDS were also there:

Then, closer to the trailhead, I spotted a family group of three SANDHILL CRANES:

Here is the smaller colt, lacking the fully-developed red crown:

As I remembered from 2015, the beginning of the trail requires a crossing of this creek. Dad and I managed to keep our feet dry but Parker was less lucky, unfortunately:

The first bird sighting along the trail that everybody got to see was this beautiful male WESTERN TANAGER:

Female DARK-EYED JUNCO:

Immature CHIPPING SPARROW:

MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES proliferated along the trail with my counts exceeding 40 individuals:

LAZULI BUNTINGS were also around, such as this female-type:

Juvenile WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW:

CASSIN’S FINCH:

PINE SISKIN:

And a juvenile Siskin begging from a female Junco, weird!

Two Siskins:

More great looks at Western Tanagers:

I remembered this beautiful view looking up into an alpine cirque:

It was a gorgeous hike.

After about two hours of hiking, Parker “declared victory” and said that she was not going to go any further. Well, alrighty then. My dad hung back with Parker while I continued on the trail. And then I decided to veer off the trail and scale the north ridge of Park Creek Mountain to see how high I could get. It was a grueling climb finding my way up what was basically a 45-degree angle, but I managed. Getting close to the treeline, I spotted this MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD:

And was rewarded with stunning views of the Pioneer Mountains:

I even spied my dad and Parker one thousand feet below in the meadow — here is my dad looking up at me in the binoculars with Parker asleep under some coats. It was a somewhat chilly hike with temperatures in the 60s.

Then, as you can see, some weather started to really move in. The clouds grew dark and ominous and I could see rain covering some of the surrounding mountain peaks so I decided to abandon my plan to climb to the top of the mountain. I had made it to 9600 feet in elevation anyway (a 1900 foot gain from the trailhead) and had seen some beautiful sights so was satisfied with doing the more prudent thing.

Just as I had finished the gnarliest part of the descent down, it started to hail a bit so I was glad that I made the choice I did and was not up on exposed terrain in that weather. The forecast had not predicted this, which just goes to show how quickly the weather can change in the mountains. Anyway, the three of us then enjoyed lunch in a subalpine meadow and snapped this quick selfie in the wet weather:

And as soon as it started, the day became beautiful (but still chilly) again:

I had been hearing OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS calling throughout the hike and was relieved to finally see this one:

And it led me to a family group of four, the most I have ever seen in one place!! This must be a second brood of the summer, super cool!

A bit further down the trail in the woods, we ran into a mixed flock of passerines including RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH:

Female Western Tanager:

And male:

As well as an uncooperative TOWNSEND’S and this extremely photogenic NASHVILLE WARBLER, super cool! Both species are somewhat on the edge of their ranges here so I was thrilled to have these sightings.

As well as, of course, common YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS:

And RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET:

We decided to do the barefoot method on the second river crossing of the day:

And, if you read the post from nine years ago, you would see that I had RED CROSSBILLS in the parking lot, which I had again yesterday!!! I wonder of these are the descendants of those birds…

And a fun ride in the back of our rental truck on the way out. This truck was super helpful on the road to the trailhead which was gnarly. It was a good time!

Bird-of-the-day to the cooperative Nashville Warbler with runners-up to the Olive-sided Flycatchers and Red Crossbills. Good stuff and an extremely enjoyable hike, despite not making it to the end.

Stay tuned for more Idahoan adventures!

Happy birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1304 Species

Posted by skwclar 19:01 Archived in USA