Cool and breezy on top of the ridge, but a fine day, warming and brightening up on our return.

The car from Shouldice and the car from Deer Run met at the construction site over the Elbow river and we started out from the trail head at 8:40. The suspension bridge over the Little Elbow was thankfully not damaged in June's flood. I have normally not had any water to cross on the Big Elbow this late in the year, but it is still flowing. Other hikers have already addressed that problem.

"Bridge" over the Big Elbow river

Immediately before the huge cairn marking the trail up Forgetmenot from the Wildhorse trail, there is a significant washout, but it is quite easy to circumvent. The last time I climbed the ridge, the "Holey Rock Tree" had been recently vandalized. But others have started a new one.


New "Holey Rock Tree" (the old one was vandalized)

We had an "elevenses" break in a small grove just before the trickiest part of the trip. That seems to get easier all the time as there is now a fairly good beaten trail almost all the way up the rocky outcrop. From there it was on to the "middle" summit and then down into the dip between it and the highest, most southerly summit where the lookout once stood. All along we had great views of the Banded-Glasgow massif as well as Mt Burns and it's nearby Kane and Nugara summits. We got to the lookout just about four hours after starting.


On the promontory past the lookout site (Allsmoke Mtn at left, Volcano Ridge at right)

Lunch spot in the lee of the lookout site

After a nice lunch break we headed back. The climb back up from the dip to the "regular" end point was a little tedious, one should never have to climb up on the return trip.


On the way down (Forgetmenot Pond and Nihahi Ridge in bkg)

It brightened up quite a bit on our way down. We took a good break before the steep descent to the Wild Horse trail.
We were a little over eight hours car to car.

Many thanks to Alda, Margaret, Bill, Douglas, Manfred and Peter for joining me, Carl (C/S).