Blueberry Mountain (52WAV). Aug. 13, 2015

Blueberry Mountain Trail (from Glencliff)
3.4 miles roundtrip, with just over 1000 feet of elevation gain.

It had been a week since I sprained my ankle coming down Glen Boulder Trail.  I had kept off it as best I could...however, as a single mom with two kids, three cats, and a dog, I can't exactly keep my feet up for days on end.  Therefore, I had been walking on my ankle in spite of being told to stay off it...in spite of this, by the time Thursday rolled around, it was feeling fairly stable and pain-free when wrapped.  I therefore decided to get back out there and try a small, easy (by White Mountain standards) trail.  Alex hadn't done Blueberry Mountain before, so we decided to take a slow stroll up this easy 52 With a View peak.

The last time I had been up this way was with Sage when she was 4 years old.  I remembered the trail as being gentle but ledgy, something my ankle could handle...and if it couldn't, then the trail should be easy enough for me to crawl down.

We started at the late (for us) time of 9:40am.  I walked at a pace that was comfortable for my ankle.  Turned out I averaged 1.7 mph, which is much slower than we would usually hike this kind of terrain, but not at all bad considering I was healing from a sprained ankle.

Blueberries on Blueberry Mountain!

The trail to the summit splits off the main trail, and it can be confusing to find it if you aren't looking carefully.  You will reach a section that flattens out, and there will be a rock to your right with a green splotch of paint on it.  That is the entrance to the short trail that leads to the summit.  If you miss this bit and continue onward, you will soon find yourself descending the other side of the mountain.

Heading up...

Summit!

 I propped up my foot and we ate snacks.  My ankle felt tired and weak, but not painful.

The descent was straightforward, but with views!  All of this had previously been at our backs.

Our total time for the hike was three hours, which included the time spent lounging at the top.  My ankle felt decent enough, and I was able to drive home with no problems.  At home, when I unwrapped the foot, I saw that the injured parts had swollen a tiny bit.  Not bad for one week after my injury.  I think my ankle is definitely on the mend, and that I should be 100% in another week or two.

That was our last hike before we head out west to attempt Borah Peak,  I will write another post on that subject soon.