On the first ascent, we were greeted by the locals! A couple of male Big Horn Sheep were laying about on the hill. We made noise coming up to them as the trail took us close. They were very calm and did not move. We kept our distance as much as we could all the while complimenting them on how awesome they were.
Farther up the ridge was the rest of the herd. All the females and young sheep were also relaxing on the mountain side.
Snowshoes were strapped to our packs ready to be used. We had gained a lot of elevation and have yet to even need them. The decision to ditch the snowshoes was made. They were hung up on a log to await our return from the summit.
THIS WAS A MISTAKE.
About a half hour later we were greeted with deep snow. The assumption was made that we will more than likely stay on a ridge like this most of the way. FALSE.
Several comments were made about how we are not intelligent and how we never learn our lesson with regards to having snowshoes readily available.
This is not the peak. We reached the first plateau and ahead was another plateau. From this vantage point, the climb looked difficult. It looked straight up.
Photo by Shauntae. Pose by Me.
This climb was very straight forward. Lots of rock to walk on. There was a small scramble section at the very top of this climb. It had lots of holds and was a lot of fun!
We are up! After the last section, the mountain flattens out quite a bit. The ridge is rocky, no deep snow. The wind... it picked up! Snow was blowing hard in our faces. It felt like walking into a wasp nest face first.
There were moments of calm on the ridge. These were moments we took in. The views were mesmerizing.
Photo by Shauntae Manders
From this ridge there are two small climbs. Nothing technical, just follow the ridge up. What comes next? SUMMIT!
A cairn marks the summit of Cinquefoil. In the backgound is Mont Jaques (not reachable from here, it's a cliff face). The views were as good as they could get. Peak Finder app came in handy to identify previously conquered summits and setting goals for future adventures.
Photo by Shauntae Manders
Summit with a beer makes a world of difference! Decided to practice my product photography with one of my favourite beers. Flash Flood from Folding Mountain Brewery!
Those views though... breathtaking.
All good things must come to an end and it was time to hike down the mountain. The descent was FAST. Lots of opportunity to slide down snow chutes. Our snowshoes were right where we left them. We found the Big Horn Sheep still hanging out where we had left them.
One of us was a little too enthusiastic sliding down some snow. She could not slow down and landed hard on the rocky hill side. We did not notice until shortly later that her knuckle took a hit on a rock.
Luckily, we made it back to the flat wooded area where the mystical tree lived. Shauntae enjoyed that tree a lot. Something about a blood sacrifice or whatever she was doing.
We made it back to the car! Mostly safe and sound. I cannot recommend enough to hold on to your snowshoes... we were dumb for ditching them and then having to trudge through chest deep snow. Otherwise, the hike was beautiful and had lots to offer! It is in my top 3 mountain hikes!