Any direction would do. I just wanted to keep moving. I couldn’t feel my hands and my nose was beginning to feel numb. Sue and I were going back and forth about where the trail continued to Mist Ridge.
We had reached a fork in the road with two trails to the left and another to the right. Sue was using an app map to determine our route. I hadn’t read much about the Mist Ridge description so I was following her lead.
A few minutes later after doing a look see at the trail to the right, we decided to hike up a big hill with the hopes the app tell us we were going the right way. (We were.)
It was Saturday and we were tackling Mist Ridge – (not to be confused with Mist Mountain and its secret hot springs). Sue suggested it the night before and I didn’t have time to research the trail. I just wanted to spend a day in the mountains and the 23-ish kilometre ridge loop sounded find with me.
Our trail started across Highway 40 where we parked at the Mist Creek Day Use area. The first five or six kilometres were in the forest but we were blessed with a glimpse or two of the mountains. When I was in Lake Louise the day before, it had snowed slightly so I advised Sue to dress warm.
Straight a way we could tell it would be a chilly day. Light patches of snow covered the ground. Once we reached the first ridge – and the first magnificent views of the day – we put on all our extra clothing.
I couldn’t believe how much snow had fallen. I was so happy that I packed both a toque and gloves. After we reached the “summit,” we ventured on the ridge for a few minutes. The wind continued to pick up so we decided to turn around.
The snow made it a little too dicy for us. We unexpected snowfall and fierce wind was just too much for us. It’s not fun when you are not comfortable and cannot stand still for a minute without freezing.
So we turned around. We still managed to get in 16K with roughly 860 metres in elevation. I have to tell you – from what I did see – Mist Ridge is definitely on my list for 2021.
We both marvelled at the stunning views of the mountains. Also we couldn’t believe that there were so few reviews online about this hike. Maybe it’s because the loop was long (and most of the initial approach was through the forest).
I didn’t mind turning around because we spent a lovely morning in the morning with the first dusting of snow.
Have you ever been turned around because of weather? Do you use an app or a paper map when you’re in the mountains? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.