We couldn’t have asked for a better variety of spring flowers or better weather. It was breezy with temperatures in the upper 50s and lower 60s and the sun was shining! We encountered a minimum of 10 different types of wildflowers. Flowers were in various stages of blooming depending on where they were located along the trail. Elevation, wind (protected or unprotected), and which side of the hills the flowers were growing on were all factors that determined what was blooming. It was the slowest 5-mile hike I’ve ever done because we stopped so frequently to take photos. We hiked at Catherine Creek on a Friday to avoid the “wildflower” crowds (I recommend staying away from this area on the weekends). Aside from a large group that appeared to be on ranger led hike, the trails were not busy. We stopped at Horse Thief Butte on the way home for a short 1-mile hike. The highlights of this trail were the rock formations, Oregon Grape, and Balsam Root blooms. We hiked a total of 6.5 miles with 1,200 feet of elevation gain.