Instead of moving south to the next stream, we headed straight up. This allowed us to get the elevation out of the way, and walk on the ridge. It is a route I had not done before.
After we got to the ridge, we headed south towards Halcott. The previous night there were clouds in the mountains, so the rime crystals were beautiful. With clear blue skies, it was a very nice day. Temperatures were between 30-40 degrees. Perfect for hiking.
At the summit everyone signed in to the canister. We also had the chance to watch some snowfleas (springbacks). There is a minor view from the top, but nothing significant. But, the rime on the trees made the hike magical.
After a little talking, we agreed to head to Sleeping Lion Mountain. When we got branch off point, we noticed that Pinpin had already been there to break the trail. We followed his tracks to the summit. The ascent went quickly. At the top of Sleeping Lion we rested a bit, and had something to eat.
We then headed down the southeast face to the parking lot. At one point we had a limited view. The descent was a little steep with sliding involved. The heat of the day had warmed up the snow, so the top peeled off nicely.
