Home»All Photographs»2021 Hikes»Seventy Buck - Shell Hill 04-30-21

A solo outing today to Seventy Buck (not sure where that name came from) and Shell Hill (Shell has some gas exploration in the area).
First, I hiked a counterclockwise loop of Seventy Buck, going to the high point, then the lookout. For the first bit, I had the pleasure of ascending along an old haul road, but that ended soon. Next I bushwacked up an old cut block, with knee-deep unsupportive spring snow in places. But the weather was nice and I wanted to be out in nature after all, so no complaints.
The view from the ridge of Seventy Buck was very nice, and I took a lunch break here in the lee of a windbreak made of stacked rocks. The descent through mixed aspen forest was steep but short, and soon I was back at my lone vehicle at the trailhead.
A short drive down the gravel road put me at Dawson Day Use Area where I began my hike toward Shell Hill. For the first few kilometres, I used the approach trail for Cox Hill. This is a popular trail and was quite slippery with packed snow and long icy sections - microspikes mandatory here!
Next, I surveyed the terrain to Shell Hill and took a 90 degree turn into a steep gully since no trail leads to Shell Hill. More bushwacking and deep snow followed, and by this point in the day, it was HOT! I was glad to have shorts and a bandanna - the weather is sure warming up in the afternoons out here.
Upon reaching the top of Shell Hill, an unusual summit register waited for me. A very old wooden box housed some seashells - one with a tiny plastic vial in it. Upon opening the vial, the summit register unrolled like a tiny scroll. It was the smallest summit register I had ever signed.
After another snack break and marveling at the strong wind in the treetops, I headed back through undulating terrain to intersect the Cox Hill Trail again. At this point, all the off-trail travel today had be quite bagged. I slipped on my microspikes again for the slick descent back to the trailhead. This was a fine outing that put me in the mood for a nice home-made supper.