Day 5: Yankee Boy Basin and More...

Yankee Boy Basin is the most famous wildflower destination in the San Juan Mountains, and with very good reason.  Yesterday we noted that conditions were drier than we'd seen here before, and it looked like the season was a week or two earlier than last year – so we were quite unsure what we'd run into in terms of flowers.  Almost all the snow in the San Juans is already melted.  On our last visit here, two years ago, it was just the opposite – it was unusually wet, streams were running high, and there was still lots of snow at altitude.

On the way up to Yankee Boy, we met a man who was just coming down.  His visage was one of pure happiness.  We talked briefly, and then he said something I was very happy to hear: “The wildflowers are the best in the past ten years!”

Woo hoo!

I can't speak for the past ten years, as this is only my second visit in that period.  But I can tell you that the wildflowers are spectacular this year, right now, from the bottom of Yankee Boy to its very top (well over 12,000 feet).  There was even a pond for the dogs to swim in.  I spent a lot of time just wandering slowly through the fields of flowers, taking pictures here and there.  Poor Debbie – her knee still prevents her from walking on uneven ground, and there's nothing level in Yankee Boy.  But for me...it was pure wildflower heaven!

Here are a few photos :)