Pinhook Bog

We knew that in addition to the Mt. Baldy summit, there was one other hiking trail that required being guided by a ranger - that was Pinhook Bog. This one only had one option during our time in the park, so we planned our Sunday around this hike.

Start by taking a short little trek through the woods; it was a bit slippery this particular day. Because of the recent rain, the entrance to the bog proper was under water. Our feet got wet, but we've been on longer and deeper water-covered trails, so this was no problem. Once through the gate, we were instructed to stay on the floating boards, so we did. That was actually a fun experience.

Our ranger guide was quite knowledgeable about all the different plants, but the only one I remember is the blueberry. Apparently, they grow quite well in the natural bog ecosystem, so the early settlers planted a lot of blueberry bushes. Because they're technically not native, the park service is slowly removing them. However, there are many other exotic, unique and unusual native plants that people try to steal, hence the locked gate and fence.

 

We went back the way we came. One memory of this particular hike is the wasp sting I received, at about the same time as a young girl started screaming; she was stung also. I didn't see the culprit, but it sure did hurt! It took at least an hour before the pain lessened, and I could still feel it later in the day. I'm grateful I wasn't allergic!