Heather - Maple Pass Loop — Friday, Oct. 18, 2024

The real ones were out today. ❄️

Things that made this a great hike:
Spikes ✅
Hand warmers ♨️

Been waiting all year for this and was delighted to finally get out there. Road is perfect, trail is in great condition but tennis shoes are out and good gear is in.

I went counterclockwise, the trail was mostly frozen dirt with sections of packed snow. From the saddle almost all the way down the other side of the pass, however, the trail was entirely snow-covered due to the exposure, and slippery.

I kissed so many good dogs on the trail who were a delight. I wanted to buy a few of them a coat lol

Apple Watch stats:
7.6 mi, 2200' elevation gain, 3 hours 45 min

Going down was considerably slower than going up due to the snow until I pulled on my spikes. Then it was mountain goat o'clock.

Kudos to everyone I met today on the trail, all fellow hikers were kind, curious, and courteous. I think we all bagged one of the last possible hikes of the year for this trail. See you next year, Heather Maple 🍁