NORTH PALM BEACH LIFE
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avalanche peak

By JOE CARTWRIGHT
Special to North Palm Beach Life
Photos by Joe Cartwright


​This trail is also best done as a ranger-led hike. When I did this one in early summer, the snows were still very heavy all along this trail. Avalanche Peak is a very strenuous hike; it is only 2.1 miles but the trail climbs over 1,000 feet in elevation per mile. Spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valleys wait for those who stagger to the top. Heavy snows can persist well into July along this trail. A different concern awaits those who take the trail late in the summer: The ground cover is stocked with edible berries and a hiker could well be cutting through bear feeding grounds.

The trail begins on the road to the East Entrance and one reason that this is best done with a ranger is that the trail can be difficult to find. A Sierra Club work crew has worked on improving the trail, but going with the ranger-led group solves all that problem. The trail climbs steeply for about a mile in a forest then comes out above timberline for the remainder of the trail. This is not a trail for anyone with any physical problems: Cardiac, respiratory, mobility, or anything else.

The one time I took the trail, a ranger was even more necessary since the entire trail was deep in snow. No trace of a trail was visible. With the ranger leading, we got to the top of the peak, then had fun galloping and sliding down the snow fields below the peak. Even the ranger enjoyed this frolicking.
Picture
Snow-covered peaks and valleys.
Picture
A small lake, still half-frozen in early summer.
Left: The group walks across a snow field on a mountain saddle; Snow and mountains (center)
and d
uring one break in the hike, the Ranger talks about the area
Picture
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Picture
  • Home
    • Weather >
      • Hurricane Readiness
  • Cruise/Travel
    • Cruise Reviews and Stories
    • Victory I Great Lakes Cruise
  • Gigi in the 561
    • Gigi's Wine Shelf
    • Gigi in the 561 Interviews
    • Cora
    • My Father's Tales >
      • My Father's Tales - Photo Album
    • Travel Bistro
  • Blogs
    • Gerry Pronounced Gary
    • Rock and Roll Rewind
    • Susan Goldfein -- Blog >
      • Susan Goldfein
  • Video
  • Explore
    • October Odyssey >
      • Cartagena, Columbia
      • Panama Canal
      • Antigua, Guatemala
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Birds and Bees Speakeasy in Los Angeles
      • We Love LA
      • Coast Starlight
      • Napa Wine Tour
      • California Zephyr
      • California Zephyr Part Two
      • Chicago
      • Amtrak Capitol Limited
      • Washington DC
    • Pam - Traveling in Style
    • Road Trip! >
      • Road Trip! -- Tucumcari, New Mexico
      • Road Trip! -- The Painted Desert
      • Road Trip! - Sedona, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - Sedona Wineries
      • Road Trip! Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
      • Road Trip! - Mogollon Rim
      • Road Trip! - Verde Canyon Railroad
      • Road Trip! - Jerome, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - California
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Celebrity Tour
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
      • Road Trip! - Festival in Palm Springs
      • Road Trip! - Willcox, Arizona and Apple Annie's Orchard
      • Road Trip! Willcox Wineries
      • Road Trip! Chiricahua National Monument
      • Road Trip! Tombstone, Arizona
      • Tombstone, Part Two
      • Road Trip! - Epilogue
    • Traveling With Joe >
      • Beartooth Highway
      • North Cascades National Park
      • A Visit to the Philippines
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Glacier National Park
      • Yellowstone National Park
      • Hiking in Bear Country
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
      • The Kerrville Folk Festival
      • Building Hope in the Rio Grande Valley
      • Yellowstone Camping Tales
    • Unknown Yellowstone >
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Heart Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Summit Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Shoshone Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Grizzly Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Riddle Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Pelican Cone
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Mt. Washburn
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Specimen Ridge
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Avalanche Peak
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Divide Creek
  • Contact
    • Media Kit
    • Pamela Barker - Author
    • The Story of StarText
  • Search