Above the stream crossing, the hoaryleaf, whitethorn and hairy ceanothus were in full lush bloom. I pruned my way through the whitethorn ceanothus from just above the stream crossing to the end of this patch 0.2 miles later. Near the top of the second ridge, at about mile 5, the lovely Grinnell's penstemon was beginning to bloom, even as manzanita was ending. However, their origin is difficult for me to deduce eleven years after they were burned in the 1989 fire. Someone had previously cut out the portions of the tree trunks that had blocked the trail, and I pruned the worst of the chaparral off the trail.
More work needs to be done here.
Apparently, both the growth of the whitethorn and falling giant manzanita trunks are yearly problems for the trail. On the way back, the black flies began to be a bit troublesome, making a rest stop somewhat unpleasant. I met a non-rattlesnake with its head down a hole along the trail that didn't budge as I passed by. All in all, a simply stunning hike. I wanted to try to get in one last hike before the season ended, especially to check out the uppermost section of the trail.