It was a chilly start to our hike, about -15 at Sibbald Lake parking, but the lack of wind and bright sunshine promised improvements. The trail had about 2 inches of fresh snow, tracked by only a few people and deer before us.
We were surprised not to see more animal tracks in the fresh snow - just some deer, squirrels and small rodents.
The clear skies and snow-covered mountains made for great views along the later stages of the trail and our lunch stop at the top of Eagle Hill.
We met 3 other Ramblers on a private trip on Grouse Ridge at the top, so had the opportunity to visit with them before we all headed back down around 12:30 after a leisurely lunch in the sun. The temperature fluctuated throughout the hike back, sometimes several degrees above zero (in the shade) to about -2 when we reached the parking lot.
Thanks to Participants: David,Damian,Douglas,Celine,Teresa,Jo,Deborah,Keith,Kate and {-1 carrie booth} from Barb for a very pleasant winter hike. Special thanks to Teresa and Keith for the pictures.