We hit the road this morning around 7:45 and got to the trailhead about an hour later. With only one other car in the parking lot we knew it would be a quiet hike (other than our chatter back and forth 😊). I haven't been to Hoffman in a couple of years so was surprised to see all the work that had been done on the trail. After turning off Sheep River Trail to the Mount Hoffman approach the trail has been completely refurbished. Instead of a single track cutting directly uphill in places it is a 5-6 foot wide trail with switchbacks at the appropriate spots. This is good news for several reasons. The switchbacks prevent erosion and braiding of the trail which is a big problem for poorly designed or built trails. The trail is now also much more accessible, meaning more people will be able to enjoy the beauty of the summit views.
We were quite surprised at the low snow line from last night's rain. We noticed how white the mountains in the distance were as we were driving to the trailhead, but never thought the snow would reach the lower elevations. As we approached the summit the snow was 4-5 inches in spots. We passed a lady who was on her way down just before the summit. She joked with us that her original intent for the day was to get out and see some wildflowers, but the snow had other plans. She said that on the upside everything looked stunning between the snow and the early morning sunlight.
First Signs Of Snow |
More Snow |
As always the summit did not disappoint. We had spectacular views of Shunga-La-She, Mount Gibraltar, Mount Burns East, and even Mist Mountain in the distance. We enjoyed the views for about 15 minutes, had a little rest and nourishment/hydration, and started our descent back to the trailhead.
Summit Shot - Happy Hiker |
Shunga-La-She (Left), Mount Gibraltar (Center), Mount Burns East (Right) |
The way down flew by with more conversations around school, travel (dream trips), religion, politics, Mother Nature, and a bunch of other things. It was all very enjoyable, and I was so happy to have gotten an unexpected hike in with a new hiking buddy!