​The gate on the way up to Little St. Joe Trailhead (aka Bass Creek Overlook) is closing today as it does every year, so I was hoping to get in one last hike up there this week. But the weather just didn't allow it. Jamie and I were planning to go even with the rain and snow and cold, but the extreme wind held us back for safety reasons. Steady winds in the 40's and gusts in the 60's is just not a good combination with so many standing dead trees around.

​So we took a drive up to the trailhead to get a glimpse of the Bass Creek Crags with fresh snow before the gate shuts us out again. You can still walk the road and then hike the trail, but it adds quite a bit of mileage to the trip. So my next planned trip up Little Joe will be next year after the gate reopens. 

It was getting dark and quite windy when we got up to our view of the crags. The snowy crags against the dark stormy sky was awesome, and the fresh snow made them look extra big and close in person, like we could almost reach out and touch them.

Today's mountain trip was extra exciting when we came across a bear along the way. We got a chance to watch and photograph him for a bit, as he would repeatedly stop and look at us and then meander up away from us some. At one point he was smelling our scent in the air. And when we saw him a second time further up the road, he stood up on his hind legs and looked at us before wandering back into the trees again. 

​We had the overlook to ourselves for about an hour to hang out on the rocks with a beautiful view of the Bass Creek Crags. We had a mix of sunshine and wind. We also enjoyed watching a raven and a turkey vulture soaring above and below at times.

​A partial view of the upper portion of Little St. Joe. You can't quite see the top from this viewpoint, but you can see the snow is melting. We need to take a trek up there again one of these days. It's a steep hike, but the views from the top are definitely worth it! :)

Lots of flowing water this time of year. And lots of green. A perfect combination. :)
​

​With a mix of hiking, hanging out at an overlook with views, and seeing a bear...
we had an awesome time on the mountain!

We never know what we might see.
We just get out and go and keep our eyes open for the unexpected.

I'll end this post with a little video clip my daughter took of the bear.
​It's not the steadiest video, but it does show him meandering along. :)

If you enjoyed this post, leave me a comment and a thumbs up.
And be sure to check back for our next mountain adventure.
See you soon! :)