Black Mountain
Whaleback Area
November 28, 2009

While driving down Hwy. 22 we had a bad feeling about this trip. Everywhere were trucks parked alongside the road, signaling the last weekend of the hunting season. Even the trailhead was crowded with trucks.

Nonetheless, we struck out for Black Mountain, an uninspiring treed mountain east of Whaleback Ridge. We hiked up the road that is typically used to reach the Whaleback. However, instead of dropping over the pass at the south end of Black Mountain we hiked up the south ridge.

The summit was treed but further on, the ridge was open and grassy. After reaching it we decided to drop down the east slope. Gunshots behind dissuaded us from returning the way we came. We found a trail which led to a road. But the road was a mixed blessing for not only did it take us back to the trailhead, it also passed through a herd of cattle. (See land access.)

Although I didn't have high expectations for Black Mountain, I had hoped we would see some wildlife. But we saw none, likely because hunters had already explored the area, leaving their footprints in the snow.

In retrospect, we should have