Our motto when hiking is “Don’t be a Meadow Stomper”. Meadow stopping is a VERY big deal because recent scientific studies have shown that as few as fifteen people walking the same route through a subalpine meadow can cause noticeable damage to soils and vegetation. The subalpine areas are especially vulnerable during late spring and early summer when hidden shoots of young plants are starting to grow under the thinning snow. When these young plants first appear along a snowbank's retreating edge or through a thin place in the snowpack, the plants are vulnerable to many a careless hiker's boot and can be crushed before being seen. We have witnessed this horrible crime and although we do not yell and scream at such criminals (like one lady we came across) we always wear our buttons to show support for our poor little young plants everywhere.On a lighter note we have seen far more wildlife as of late and Rattlesnake Ridge has been no exception. We saw several frogs, blue jays and sparrows which are all rarities for us there.
