ELEVATION GAIN: 1036 meters DISTANCE: 11 km (Along the whole Ridge) First things first, this is an amazing fall hike! Make your way down Hwy. 40 to the Highwood Pass Day Use Area. This is the starting point for the hike. Follow the well-used trail north until you see a small trail peel off to the left. If you hit the crosswalk crossing Hwy. 40 you have gone too far meaning your still on the trail for Ptarmagin Cirque. Once you have veered left, follow the trail up and down through the woods. This portion of the hike is fairly easy to follow; just keep your eyes open for ribbons marking the way. After a couple km’s you will find yourself at the bottom of Pocaterra Mountain and you will be able to see exactly where you are heading – up that steep grassy slope. It’s a bit of a sludge getting to the top but once your there find comfort in the fact that this is the highest point of the hike. The views from this first summit are amazing! Make sure to bring a warm layer and windbreaker as it can get pretty windy on the ridge. For many, this is the turn-around point. However, if you are planning on hiking the entire ridge, follow the well-trodden trail up along the ridge. From here, it’s a matter of sticking to the trail and making your way up and down the remaining summits. One of the great things about this hike is once you’re on the ridge; you stay there for a long time. This means tons of time taking in all the amazing views. After the 3rd summit, you should be able to see a forest of yellow larches. We had the best time walking through the yellow forest. From here, you continue along the trail until you make a very steep descent back to the highway ending at the Little Highwood Pass Day Use Area. From here, you are about 7 km’s away from your vehicle at the Highwood Pass. We had planned on hitchhiking to get a ride (don’t worry mom, there was three of us), but thankfully we met a kind stranger on the trail who offered us a ride. Most people either plan on having two vehicles (one parked at each day use area), or they summit the ridge and head back the way they came. We did this trek on a Saturday so we were confident we would be able to hitch a ride. However, its best to be safe and do what you are comfortable with. Overall, I would give this hike a high rating. I would recommend hiking the ridge from South-North. That way you get the steepest part out of the way. It also means you won’t be dealing with ‘false summits’ all day long. Thanks for the fun day Jenny & Rachel. Cant wait to do it again next fall! Happy Trails, Cassie * Starting Location * Ending Location
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Of all the paths you take in life make sure a few of them are dirt. John Muir Archives
September 2017
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