What a wonderful day for a relaxed stroll to start the new-year! We started from the trailhead at 10:30, under a bright blue, sunny sky. The temperature was mild. We only occasionally encountered some crusty snow on the Long Prairie Ridge and Sandy McNabb’s hills. Apart from some icy lower sections and trails, we walked on clear trails and grass. At 11AM we took a short break on Long Prairie Ridge to enjoy the sun and the magnificent view on Blue Rock Mountain, after which we continued our pleasant stroll across the Long Prairie’s grassy ridge. At the NW end of the ridge, we descended into the forest, later hiking the grassy trail parallel to the ridge, making a sharp turn South through the forest heading for the road. After crossing the road, we skirted past the refurbished campground. We continued up the Sandy McNabb Hill’s ridge-line, where we enjoyed a pleasant lunch in the sun at 1:15PM. We finally reached the summit by 2PM, where we took the group picture. We were back at the Trailhead by 2:30PM.

Thank you all for coming on this hike! Participants: Joe, Kathy, Carolyn, Barb (2 pictures), Jennifer, Sharon and her dog “Isaac”. Coordinator, 2 pictures & Scribe: Cornelis.

Trip Statistics: Distance 11.2km, Trailhead at 1,434m elevation. Highest point on the Long Prairie Ridge at 1,548m elevation. Highest point on Sandy McNabb at ~1,515m elevation. Total climb 420m.

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