Alpine Wanderings
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” - John Muir
Elk-Thurston Trail:
This trail starts off in a nice open forest, with a good covering from the second growth trees. The climb starts off slow, then abruptly starts a steep climb to the top. It was a lot steeper than I expected, and I ended up drinking 3 litres of water in the first 3 km of the 7 km round trip. Determined to make it to the summit of at least Elk Mountain I pushed ahead, and boy, was it worth it! When nearing the top of the trail, you push through the hemlocks, and come into some scree and little alpine meadows dot the trail sides. Walking a little further from the first lookout leads you higher once again until you come out onto the ridge of the mountain. Here the trees become fewer, and the views are astounding. Here I stopped to take some photos, eat some snacks, and just sit in silent amazement of the views I had around me. Mostly though, that was all an excuse to stay awhile and rest my exhausted legs before heading back down into the slippery mud of the canopied forest.
