Bull
Hills
November 8, 2009
Elevation gain:
approx.
800 m
Roundtrip time:
6
hours
Hiking with Mark.
A white-knuckled drive down the
length of Highway 40
preceded this hike. We didn’t have a specific objective in
mind when turning
south onto the road, but were hoping something in the Highwood area
would look
appealing. Nothing did, however, because the entire area was socked in
and the
snow was coming down. In search of better weather, we continued south
towards
the
The scenery was very pleasant from the beginning, thanks in large part to clear skies and fresh snow. In addition, strong winds ripping through the entire area lifted huge plumes of snow from the ground, further enhancing the experience. At lower elevation, this wind was refreshing….higher up…not so!
Although views on the mountain itself were not what one would call breath-taking, there were several scenes which did fit the description, including a lone, dead tree hanging off the side of a small embankment; the tree’s orientation an obvious testament to the strength of the wind in the area. The gusting wind continued to violently transport snow across the slopes in huge quantities, as we followed the easy terrain up.
At higher elevations, the refreshing wind became a vicious, biting cold one. Travel consisted of running from one group to trees to the next to find any kind of shelter from the wind and blowing snow. I didn’t even stop at the summit to look around, but instead jumped over a snow bank to the north side of the ridge, where the wind and cold were less severe.
After warming up and taking a few
seconds to absorb the fine
view of
An excellent day on a terrific shoulder-season route.
Starting off
An interesting tree near the road
The tree and the Moon
More branches
The first highpoint ahead
Same as above
The first signs of windy conditions
Same as above
The Tree
Checking out The Tree in calm conditions
Same as above in not so calm conditions
Mark tests the remaining strength of the tree
More snow violence
Same as above
Looking east to the foothills and prairies
One of many stints taking shelter from the wind behind a tree
Another way to avoid the brunt of the wind
Snow piled high by the wind
Same as above with more blowing snow
Heading to the summit
Mark at the summit
Taking photos of Mark at the summit, while I cower behind a snow bank
Same as above
Same as above
More cool snow scenery
Descending
Traversing
Holy Cross Mountain again
Snow blowing off the summit ridge of Holy Cross
Clouds and Mount Head
Getting ready to descend to Fir Creek
The pleasant surroundings of Fir Creek
