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My horses weren't in the best of shape, and I was hoping to take a long pack trip. So I decided to do some rides to get them in better condition. I had been doing day rides, but not particularly long ones. So one day I hopped on Poppie, and headed to the top of Windy Pass. It's eight or nine miles from here one way, and almost 3,000 feet of elevation gain.
The first part is pretty level, with a bit of up and down. After crossing bear creek, which was dry, we got to the bottom of the pass. I took a break and let Poppie graze for about fifteen minutes, as there isn't much to eat until you get to the top.
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| Poppie filling up |
As you ascend, the view slowly opens up. I always love this part, where old friends near and far start popping into view. The Canyon Creek Fire of 1988 came through here, and there are few trees left. The area is slowly recovering. It was a mediocre day, not particularly clear, but you could still see a fair ways.
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| New growth along the trail | Looking south towards Cooper's Lake | Looking west towards Ovando Mountain |
After some steep climbing, you break out into a small cirque, filled with shattered rock which has tumbled down from the mountains on either side. It seems like a desolate place. I led poppie most of the way up; It was steep enough for me hiking, and she didn't need the extra weight on her back.
There are a number of rock cairns marking the trail through the rocks. It would be relatively easy to get confused in a snowstorm up here. A few charred stumps stand guard as well.
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| Boulder Field Sentinels | Boulder Field Cairn | Boulder Field Stump |
It was late August, and it had already frozen up high. Most of the flowers were gone, but there were a few still blooming.
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| Flower |
Once at the pass, I hobbled Poppie and let her graze while I poked around. I still have not explored down the other side; it has a lot of down timber from the fire, and one would need time to cut it out.
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| Poppie grazing at Windy Pass | Poppie grazing at Windy Pass |
The ride down was a bit easier. We surprised a yearling black bear foraging along the edges of the rocky cirque.
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| Boulder field and Ovando Mountain |
This page last updated on 2013-10-23.
