Up, down, and around we went, for the terrain along the top of Pitchoff Ridge is a bit bumpy and craggy in spots. As a result, the trail is what you might call 'sporty' - there are many little twists, turns, ups and downs.
courtesy JInnes
Although there was still a snowshoe track to follow, it was clear that only one or two people had recently hiked along the ridgecrest - far less than the number who had climbed up to the first viewpoint [and created such an excellent track]. I took care to try and place my footfalls opposite to those of the hikers before me, thus packing out the track in a more pleasing way.
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
The next hour or so saw us continuing to enjoy the mixed terrain and good snow conditions along the ridge: stretches of thick conifer forest interspersed with many little lookouts and open glades. There were several steep ascents and descents, although all were very short. One steep ascent even had a fixed rope for assistance.
courtesy JInnes
Climbing to the next bump
We started to feel peckish by about 11am and decided to stop for an early lunch. We were making decent time along the ridge, and given the overall short distance to cover, there was really no need to push on to a further point along the trail [before stopping for lunch]. So, we located a nice sunny south-facing spot, out of the wind, and stamped out a little rest-stop along the track. My lunch was fairly unimaginative, yet still tasty: some hot chocolate and a few oatmeal cookies.
Another pretty ridgecrest section
By 11:30am, we were on the move again. A few more beautiful lookouts and a few more thickly treed sections brought us to the actual highpoint of Pitchoff Mountain (which was nothing more than another bump along the ridge). From here, the trail took a sharp left and began steeply descending.
Please use snowshoes, people!
It was along this section that the hikers before us had decided to first put on snowshoes. Below this point, they had not worn snowshoes at all, and the trail greatly suffered for it, being a mess of uneven post-holes. It was quite surprising how much extra effort it took to snowshoe over the top of this jumbled mess of holes, and how much discomfort it caused to walk continuously with forced pronation (from the way one's snowshoes tilt inward when walking over the narrow trench of the footsteps). Let me state this simply, in the hope that it might reach receptive ears: PLEASE, when conditions are soft and unconsolidated like this, please wear your snowshoes. It makes the experience much better for everyone - including yourself!
