⚠️ Hiking and scrambling are inherently dangerous activities. Please read my Disclaimer. ⚠️
After an enjoyable trip to the summit of Mount Livingstone, Jeff and I headed toward our second objective of the day, Saddle Mountain. The true summit is the peak on the left.
Jeff comes down the east slopes of Mount Livingstone as we head to Saddle Mountain. Outside of a few small rock bands on the way down coupled with the elevation loss and gain, the trip was straightforward.
The colourful summit block of Saddle Mountain’s northern (and true) summit.
Sitting in the saddle of Saddle Mountain. 😉
Jeff walks along the saddle. The slightly shorter south summit is in the background. It took us an hour to get from the north summit of Mount Livingstone to the saddle.
The summit cairn of Saddle Mountain.
My GPS reading on the north summit of Saddle Mountain.
Looking east from the summit of Saddle Mountain. Fall colours are beginning to emerge.
Looking south from the summit of Saddle. Mt. Livingstone is on the right and Coffin Mountain is in the distant centre.
The view to the northwest. Mount Hornecker (flat top) and Windy Peak are in the foreground. Mt.Burke and Sentinel Peak are on the distant right; Hailstone Butte and and Plateau Mountain are just to the distant right of centre.
Jeff and I on the summit of Saddle Mountain.
A shot of Jeff coming down from the summit as we head to the south summit.
There are some incredibly colourful rocks on the saddle.
The entire trip over to Saddle Mountain was worth it after seeing the amazing colour of these rocks. I liked this one so much that I brought it home with me.
The saddle also contained what looked to be obsidian – though this might also be a form of coal. Dang! I wish I had taken Geology 101 in university!
Looking up to the south summit of Saddle Mountain.
On the south summit of Saddle Mountain looking back toward the higher north summit.
My GPS reading on the south summit.
Jeff scouts our route back to the car through the valley. Mount Livingstone is on the right.
On the south summit of Saddle Mountain.
Looking down the valley on the south side of Saddle Mountain. Our vehicle was located through the gap between Mount Livingstone (right) and Coffin Mountain (left). It looks straightforward from here, but we would soon be bushwhacking through thick forest after emerging from the creek bed on the distant left.
Another view south down the valley toward Coffin Mountain and Sheep Mountain.
A cool fissure on the slopes of Saddle Mountain.
This must be the world’s shortest creek. It bubbled out of the mountain at the bottom of the picture and disappeared back into the ground at the bush.
Another example of Saddle’s interesting geology.
Refilling our water from the creek.
We decided it was easier to follow this creek until we could find the Beaver Creek trail. It was a good idea at first…
…until we got into the trees! Then our travel down the creek became exceedingly more difficult.
Soon we were climbing over multiple obstacles of deadfall such as this.
Using the GPS to guide us back, we began a steep climb out of the creek bed through a dense forest.
Finally free of the intense bushwhacking and insanely large droppings of cougar scat, we could see the gap that we needed to head towards.
Jeff hikes through a pretty meadow as we search for a trail that we think might exist.
We knew we were getting close to the trail when we came across this hunting camp.
A raised sleeping bed. These were obviously some hardcore hunters.
Looking at Mount Livingstone from the Beaver Creek trail.
After 12km and two summits, we finally made it back to Jeff’s car.
Looking back toward Mount Livingstone after a great day.
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