Mustang Hills November 12, 2020

Life is so different today than it was back on February 4, 2012 when Happy Hiker and I hiked the Mustang Hills!  That's the only other time either of us traipsed all over those hills.  We put a plan in place to venture there again before the road closes on December 1st.  With a sunny sky in the forecast after a new snowfall, we knew this was the day to do it!  After gearing up in many many layers for protection against the wild wind and the crazy cold, we then crossed Route 66 and plowed our way uphill through the snow.  This is a view in the other direction toward the Rainy named places shortly after we began hiking.  

It was a slow go due to the many pretty distractions!

Good chunks of the trail meandered through the forest which was ideal for today.  The shelter was nice as were the views of lightly snow laden trees with peeks of peaks here and there.  Snowshoes were not necessary but our spikes were appreciated for some of the steeper sections.       

When we had views, boy did we have views!  Here you can see Banded Peak and its partners to the far off left and the Powderfaces & Rainys in the middle stretching to the far right.  Thank you to the wind for the cool clouds.  While the clouds were cool, the temperature was cold!  At no time throughout the hike did we warm up to the point where we needed to down a layer.  It was full on full gear for the full hike!    

There were a few high points along the way, each with a snow covered summit cairn.

Much of our conversation revolved around the goings on in our world today.  Even though being deep into that conversation and knowing our world is not well, it is easy to let go and feel nothing but happy and high on life, if but for seconds, minutes or hours at a time when we are filling that time with what brings us joy!  

expression of the heart

We hit all the high points in our plan!  We began our trek back to where we came and on the way I captured this shot of all the high points off in the distance.  There you have a stretch of Forgetmenot Ridge  on the left and Banded Peak with its partners again in the middle.  The sun was not as bright and the clouds not as cool by now.  Nevertheless, we still acknowledged the beauty before us!

Here we are with a few of our favourite things:  

letting the child within come out to play 

good friends

pretty trees 

summit cairns

falling snow   

Thank you to Happy Hiker for the top right photo in the collage below.

Two times at these Mustang Hills!  Two times filled with fun!  Yet they say third times the charm!  

What do you say Happy Hiker, should we put a plan in place to return here eight years from now?   

Thank you for today!