Hoping for Housetop, settling for Baldy Knoll

Yesterday I wanted to finally hike to Housetop Mountain, on the southeast side of Fox Creek Canyon in Wyoming, not far from our home in Teton Valley, Idaho.

I followed an old logging road that is mostly grown over and that I've lost track of before when hiking on it. The snow made it worse, but maybe also better as I followed animal trails sometimes. I frequently lost and re-found the old road, and it was a tough slog through fallen trees, slippery slush-covered rocks, thorny plants, and fairly wet snow:

Once I got out onto open fields with some views, it felt more worth it. On the way up near Baldy Knoll I had frequent stunning views like this one east (with Housetop Mountain on the right / south):

And this was the view from Baldy Knoll northwest over Chapin, Bates, and Driggs toward Ashton:

I would love to have some of these pines with the clusters of needles in our yard:

The signs marking the beginning of the wildnerness area plan for much more snow than is currently on the ground:

It was a beautiful day, and even though I only made it maybe halfway to Housetop, it was well worth the work.