Healy Pass and Monarch Ramparts Off-Trail hike on 16-Oct-2026

This was the first day that the off-trail restrictions were lifted for the season, so it was time to enjoy the beautiful ridge walk along the Ramparts, a hike that was new to all of us.
The familiar trudge from the parking lot up to the start of the meadows was easy on frozen ground, and then from Healy Pass we followed a good trail up the first bump. It was there that we discovered a hidden world of small ridges connecting in a rough circle, so of course we couldn't resist exploring them before continuing on to the main body of the Ramparts themselves. Who knew that there were so many lakes below?!? We walked towards the Monarch in increasingly warmer conditions until turning back (we wanted to stay above treeline for as long as possible) and returning to have a nice break above the biggest cluster of lakes. Then we scrambled our way down through cliffs and found our way back to the now-muddy Healy Pass trail. It was a spectacular day to do what will likely be one of the last long hikes before the snow comes. 25 km in under 8 hours. One device measured elevation as 1600m, which is far too high. Perhaps 1100m?
Participants: Gary, Donna, Ingrid (coordinator), Tatyana, Nathalie