Jumpingpound Mountain & Ridge August 12, 2021

With blue sky in the forecast, I wanted to be "out & about" getting my fill of it.  I wanted to experience once again, being able to see forever.  I have not been up Jumpingpound anything before, not the Mountain nor the Ridge.  Both would be perfect for me today, it just meant I needed to brave driving that dirt, winding, hilly, narrow Powderface Road and hope my car would be in one piece afterwards. 

I arrived at the pull-off place to park, geared up, crossed the road then began working my way up through the forest.  No one had gone before me this morning.  I made loads of noise to announce I was in the vicinity.  When I reached the end of the forested trail, I could see where I was heading, which was up on the that dark area in the middle.     

looking back and appreciating that I saw blue sky and mountain peaks

That rocky area at the top left is where I am headed.  I could now see forever.  There was a tad bit of haze in the far off distance but it was that blue that was so appealing to my eyes, as was the green ground cover and the healthy looking trees.

view from the summit of Jumpingpound Mountain

my summit shot

(I wore my blue shirt to acknowledge the beautiful blue sky!)

signing the summit register

It was no where near noon, but definitely snack time.  Being a beautiful morning up here, I picked a spot to settle in for awhile where this was a view.  It was rough and rocky up here so my sit-upon came in handy.  There was a slight breeze, no bugs, it was warm and oh what a view.  After a bit I could see a soloist aiming for the summit. 

It was time to pack up then descend to where the trail heads off to Jumpingpound Ridge. 

My next destination is that clear area in the top middle just to the right of the wildflower stem. 

When I reached the Ridge that had trees scattered here and there, the sounds of birds filled the air.  There were dozens and dozens of birds of many kinds. I could have settled down in the middle of the meadow and just be a birder for awhile, but I had places to go.  This is my favourite bird photo of the day, a White-Crowned Sparrow doing the splitsies.   

bees are like the bears these days, fueling up for winter

view of Cox Hill

hiking along Jumpingpound Ridge

There were many birds flitting about, not staying in one spot long enough which made it a challenge to secure clear photos.  I see some yellow on this little one.   It could be a warbler or a pine siskin, I'll work at identifying it another time, or maybe it shall remain nameless.

This is another bird that confuses me with its looks.   

This would be my turn around point along the Ridge.  

From here I could see across to the summit of the mountain where I was earlier.   

I could also see a few small specks moving about. 

The trail along Jumpingpound Ridge continues along and eventually you would end up at Cox Hill.  That was too big of a day for me today, but I wanted a little more so explored areas off the ridge trail.  This layer of rocks was interesting to see up close.

view looking back at my turn around point in the middle and Cox Hill to the right

I arrived back at the junction signified by that gigantic cairn. A few minutes after continuing along the trail, I was back in the forest.  By now it was hot so I was thankful for the shade while descending.  

Only time will tell if the blue sky will remain.  The warnings are out for the heat wave that will arrive in time for the weekend.  The rain that gets forecasted has not been materializing.  Oh the dog days of summer!