Last Updated on November 1, 2023 by
We were looking for a trail that had some distance to it, but wasn’t particularly challenging and this fit the bill nicely. Full disclosure – the original trail was supposed to be the Apgar Lookout, but I forgot to download the trail on our trusty, rusty AllTrails app and we ended up heading out in the opposite direction. But we soldiered on, oblivious. Although it was sort of a hike for the purpose of hiking, we had hopes of seeing some wildlife and just stretching our legs a bit.
Turns out we continue to be mammal repellant, but we did at least get to see some birds. My expectations were low, given the trail description was a masters course in ‘Old Timer’ directions – ‘Follow the trail that used to be the Rangers trail to the fire tower that isn’t there anymore on account of the fire that burned it down 10 years ago, but don’t go past it because the trail becomes class 3 immediately following’. Had to look up what class 3 meant – high difficulty, may require the use of ropes. Nice. Those directions are exactly why we have AllTrails BTW. Anyway, we hiked out to a pretty overlook of the river below, a trestle, and a huge meadow across the river. I have no idea if that was the the spot the fire tower used to be, but it suited our purposes just fine. I was naively optimistic I would see bear or moose in the meadow below, but as usual, no.
This trail was relatively easy – A little over 7 miles with gentle ups and downs, otherwise pretty flat. Exactly what the Dr. ordered for my poor old knees and sore leg muscles as we work our way up to 10 miles so that we can do some of the longer trails in the park. Shawn was still hoping to see some bear. We actually had the bear spray and the binoculars today. Alas, no such luck. We did get to see Pileated woodpeckers, dusky flycatchers, a pair of Lewis’ woodpeckers, black capped Chickadees, and the Dark eyed Junco (female adult Canadian Rocky). Not to mention the regulars – sparrows, finch, robins, etc.. Most exciting sighting – Shawn spied a gorgeous hawk mucking about in the woods. This trail was a win if you love birdwatching. The only thing that could have made it better would be a bench or two along the trail. Just saying.
Always Remember the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace
Plan Ahead and Prepare, Stay on Designated Trails, Dispose of Waste Properly, Don’t Take Anything You Didn’t Bring with You, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Courtesy: Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
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Thrilled to have you enjoying your retirement to the fullest. Only wish I was there with you but for know I will settle on this very informative blog and join you virtually. Love you
The pictures never do the real thing justice, but we’re trying to capture it as best we can.
Look at he the Old Bull looking over the Valley, nice sticks!