Home»All Photographs»2016 Hikes»Missinglink Mountain 10-08-16

After stopping in at the Corner House Cafe - a cute little spot in Millarville along the highway - for omelettes, Megan and I headed out to the Sheep River Valley to hike Missinglink Mountain. One the drive, the thick fog reminded me of Newfoundland and gave a quiet peacefulness to the morning as daylight crept in. We passed a pasture and I noticed that the multitude of animals weren't cows but elk instead! We estimated there to be about 300 of them, nervously watching us as we stopped the vehicle and got out. The males were bugling (a really strange sound they make during the rut that has to be heard to be appreciated).
We pulled off in a small clearing by a bridge on Gorge Creek Road, and started hiking from there. We quickly gained elevation through a grassy slope, and I was thankful that the fog had cleared enough to give us some scenery on the ascent.
Upon reaching a small cliff band, we found a chimney that gave us easy access to the top. We could have walked around to the right on grassy slopes, but this was more fun. Once on the ridge, the trail continues north and eventually dips back into the trees. A few more undulations, and we were on the summit of Missinglink Mountain.
Being that this hike was just a few days from my birthday, Megan had brought balloons! She blew them up while I wasn't looking, and gave them to me at the top. For the walk back, I was adorned with pretty red balloons - a first on a hike for me!
We returned via the same route and as luck would have it the rain started just as we were pulling away from the trailhead - sweet!