Nihahi Ridge July 6, 2022

The Elbow Valley was calling my name so I answered that call by hiking to Nihahi Ridge.  "Nihahi" is the Stoney word for rocky and rocky Nihahi is! I hiked up there mid July of last year and was dazzled by the wildflower show so it was my hope to be dazzled again.  After all, it is wildflower season!   It's baby wild horse season too!  

Instead of hiking the trail that leads to the trailhead, I went for a shorter route by following the road that leads to and through the campground. When I exited the bush on my way to the dirt road, there was a baby wild horse!  I also saw two adults down the road and one in the trees in front of the baby.  I watched from a distance away and zoomed in to capture my photos.  This baby would be about two months old.  I wondered was it in the process of discovering its tail!  It stayed there for quite some time, looking back, turning its head and looking back from the other side and back and forth and back and forth.  It was the sweetest thing!  I would love to have stayed and continue watching but I needed to get on with my hike.

After a little more than a kilometre, I arrived at the trail head.

After turning at the trail head, it's a treed lined winding trail that is loaded with tree roots and lots of rocks of all sizes.  There was no scenery to distract me so it was easy to watch my footing. Then it opened up and this is where I wanted to be dazzled by wildflowers.   There were a dozen or so paintbrushes and that was it.  I should have expected this!  Reports are that conditions are three to four weeks behind what they were this time last year and here I am coming here a week earlier than when I hiked it last year.  I was expecting a carpet of red.  

I am just about ready to ditch the long sleeve layer over top of my short sleeve shirt.  It was overcast and felt quite humid.  High humidity for here is anything over 50%, and later when I checked it said it was 59%.  

The paintbrushes that were in bloom were beautiful!  

It's ditch that layer time!  From this wide open safe space to delayer, I could see the trail I was on which is that light brown line going through the meadow in the centre of the photo.  Forgetmenot Ridge across the way looks clear of snow yet the Elbow River is running very fast and high which would be a deterrent to reach that Ridge.

There are two trails, one that goes through the trees which are on the right out of the photo, and the one in front of me which hugs the edge.  I went for the hug!  

Before carrying on higher, I opted to get a destination photo here, just in case.  It was becoming more overcast with definition in the cloud shapes. There was no rain in the forecast but the sky looked like it might prove otherwise.  I still carried on higher following the hug trail.  I found a big flat rock amongst the slabs and scree at the edge of the slope and settled down for some snacks and sips.   By now I could see hikers on their way up and for me it was time to head back down.

The marmot was camouflaged against the slabs and I did not notice it was there until I got closer.  I got closer and then I got closer yet still I was not that close.  It thought otherwise and let out the loudest piercing high-pitched squeal! I let out a loud swear word and the marmot took off!

Mother Nature's rock garden

These were not the wildflowers I was hoping to see but I will take them.  

They looked so pretty and delicate up against that rough and rugged rock.  

When I was hiking down, I met a family on their way up. They appeared to be three generations.  When I passed by them, I said "hello" to which the middle generation replied "happy trails".  I like that greeting!  

The rain never did come while I was on the trail, nor did the sun shine.  

The sun is saving up to shine brightly over the next few days, so the forecast says!