High Noon Hills Off-Trail hike on 4-Jun-2024

It was a perfect day for this short foothills hike, with eye-popping green aspen and meadows, abundant wildflowers, and only occasional stronger wind gusts. Thanks for the great company, everyone!

Participants: Nancy,Shirley,Kathy,Joanne,Steve Piper the retriever

Our usual route through the High Noon Hills. 7.7 km, with 320 m of cumulative elevation gain.

Ridgeline of the first hill, looking south.

An abundance of violets at the edge of pine forest.

Orchids were a bit past prime, but there were still some.

Heading towards the next hill, after descending from the first.

Topping out on the highpoint of the hike, after an easy off-trail ascent through open aspen forest.

High Noon in June- flower meadows, lime green aspen, and distant snowy peaks.

Group photo at the highpoint on the K-Country boundary.

A perfect lunch spot by the Sheep river.

Grinding back up from the river after lunch. Erosion on the horse trail has made for a couple of short steeper sections of loose gravel, where most will want poles, at least for the descent.

Looping back on the ridge above Long Prairie creek. A decent trail has been developing in recent years on this return option.

Good cow/horse trails for most of the route.

Meadows and mountains.

On the homestretch through dandelion filled meadows.