Bonus

 Sat. 24 May:  Hikes from the Ware Creek road

The Passionate Hiker has slipped back into Alberta for a couple of weeks, and so (of course) an adventure was quickly planned.  Today’s short trip took him, along with his two long-time hiking colleagues, J and R, up onto the hillsides and ridges above the Ware Creek road.  First Mesa Butte (Deaths Head) via North Fork Trail and back along the ridge, then along an unnamed ridge on the south side of the road in search of remote geocache sites.

The pictures tell the story of another highly enjoyable hike, and perhaps the last one for the three of us together.

Statistics:

Total Distance:  About 7 km (hike)

Height Gain:       About 800 ft.

Max. Elev.:        tba ft.

Time on Trail:     4 hrs. 13 mins.

Dep. car:             8.30 am

Deaths Head:    10.01 am

Ret. to car:         11.36 am

Start 2nd ridge:  11.53 am

Ret. to car:          1.00 pm

Temp:               +11 to +16 C

Weather:           Sunny, clouds building during the morning

North Fork Trail

Very long distance shot of a noisy eagle

View west to Ware Creek and Front Ranges

Climbing Deaths Head - recent bear scratchings

Deaths Head summit

A few small pockets of snow remain on the ridge

Summit profile:  looking east

Clouds building up

Quirk Creek gas plant

Contrasting view west to Front Ranges

Heading south along Deaths Head ridge

Mesa Butte 

On the unnamed ridge to the south of the road

Ware Creek bridge

Discovery of a well-hidden geocache

Hey Presto!  It's disappeared!!