Sunday 24 June 2007

Jumpingpound Summit, June 23 2007

There is no question in our mind the best hike we know in Kananaskis: Jumpingpound Summit. The trailhead is 1:10 from our front door. The hike is merely another 1:10. The trail is great; short "steep" pitches (not that any are steep) are always followed by flat sections. The hike starts following a stream which can be roaring in the spring, or basically dry by late summer.



The summit itself? Well, the views are superb, sitting slightly above the ridge itself. To the east is Moose Mountain (sadly blocking the view of Calgary).



To the west lies the Fisher Range -- essentially an unaccessible wilderness, though there are some non-maintained trails.



You can wander up the flat-topped summit of the ridge, then through the gap and up to Cox Hill (the second summit) in the north...



Look hard in the picture; that's Yamnuska in the background, about 26 km away. You can wander south down the tree covered ridge towards Canyon Creek, and you can see Nihahi Ridge about 16 km in the distance.



Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can head east long the ridge and eventually work your way to Moose itself.



And it's a great place for spring flowers. KC found shooting stars, forget me nots and moss campion, but we saw these four and don't know what they are. Guesses? Please post a comment.






Is there a downside to this hike? It tends to be busy, and it's popular with mountain bikers. However, this isn't all bad, but it leads to entertaining encounters. Meet Maya (pronounced May-ah, not My-ah)...



Fortunately, puppies on the tops of mountains tend to be friendly.



What's that in the distance?



Seems it's a guy flying a kite.



It also tends to be light on wildlife. We saw some elk poo, deer poo, a red squirrel, and a least chipmunk.



But the real downside is that this is where thunderstorms start. KC and I were here last year, and just after we got to the summit, the rain started, and 10 minutes later it was a lightning and hail storm. Here's Karen bailing last year.



Fortunately, it was Moose Mountain and Calgary, and not us, that got pasted by a thunderstorm today.

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