Mount Hunter
The Mount Hunter hike starts across the highway from the Wapta Falls access road along Highway 1. The hike is short but steep and it's less popular than other hikes in the area. It takes you up to a lookout over the Kicking Horse valley.
I had checked the weather and knew it would be cloudy with rain later in the day, but I thought I could finish before it started to rain. And I was looking forward to hiking in cooler weather after so many hot days. The weather wasn't bad at first, but it had rained overnight and the plants along the narrow trail were wet which meant I was pretty wet by the time I reached the top. I couldn't enjoy the view too long because I got cold when I stopped moving.
At the top of the mountain there was a little ranger's cabin. The porch was rotten and the door was locked. I peered in a window, not much inside.
I didn't see any other people out in the rain that day, so I had the trail to myself. I like to get away from people, but it's kind of bad because I'd read there were mountain lions and bears in the area. I didn't see any animals on my hike, but there were a lot of fresh holes, broken branches and huge, overturned rocks along the trail. Not really sure which animals are responsible for what, but I hadn't really seen that kind of thing on any other trails this summer.
It started to rain as I began my descent. Unfortunately, this was the day my old rain jacket decided to shed it's waterproof lining. I was both soaking wet and covered with little bits of white jacket lining by the time I got back to the car. Luckily, I had a change of clothes in the car... I don't even remember why, but I was able to dry off and change before the drive back to Golden. I didn't have spare socks or shoes, so I drove barefoot. My hiking shoes were so wet I poured water out of each after taking them off.
The view of the valley was great from the second lookout, and the trail through the woods was nice. Not the greatest hike, but I enjoyed it, even with the rain.
I had checked the weather and knew it would be cloudy with rain later in the day, but I thought I could finish before it started to rain. And I was looking forward to hiking in cooler weather after so many hot days. The weather wasn't bad at first, but it had rained overnight and the plants along the narrow trail were wet which meant I was pretty wet by the time I reached the top. I couldn't enjoy the view too long because I got cold when I stopped moving.
At the top of the mountain there was a little ranger's cabin. The porch was rotten and the door was locked. I peered in a window, not much inside.
I didn't see any other people out in the rain that day, so I had the trail to myself. I like to get away from people, but it's kind of bad because I'd read there were mountain lions and bears in the area. I didn't see any animals on my hike, but there were a lot of fresh holes, broken branches and huge, overturned rocks along the trail. Not really sure which animals are responsible for what, but I hadn't really seen that kind of thing on any other trails this summer.
It started to rain as I began my descent. Unfortunately, this was the day my old rain jacket decided to shed it's waterproof lining. I was both soaking wet and covered with little bits of white jacket lining by the time I got back to the car. Luckily, I had a change of clothes in the car... I don't even remember why, but I was able to dry off and change before the drive back to Golden. I didn't have spare socks or shoes, so I drove barefoot. My hiking shoes were so wet I poured water out of each after taking them off.
The view of the valley was great from the second lookout, and the trail through the woods was nice. Not the greatest hike, but I enjoyed it, even with the rain.