Thu, Mar 13 2025 - Lower Eagle Hill and Deer Ridge Loop (View Original Event Details)
| Event Coordinator(s): |  |
Kate B
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| Participants: | | Kate B, David R, Roderick F, Susan Ch, Ruth F, Helen Robertson, Siri M, Nona F |
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Write Up:Unsettled weather set the stage for our hike – experiencing fog and/or fine freezing rain on our drive out to the Lower Eagle Hill and Deer Ridge Loop. Fortunately road conditions were generally fine.
By the time we began hiking at 10, the temp had reached -4 and the moisture had taken a pause. With combinations of gaiters, spikes and/or poles we headed out with a slight modification on our route of the start point - setting-up hiking our route in a counter-clockwise direction. This meant we completed the hike with slightly more overall elevation (330 m) and slightly less length (7.2 km). Moving / hiking time was 2h 13min; time out on the trail just under 3 1/2hrs.
We began our hike on a trail less traveled, up the road across from Sibbald Lake. Fortunately a couple of hikers had set our path in the 5 – 10 cms of snow that had fallen a couple of days before. Our “warmup” included climbing 5 contour lines, crossing two logging areas, going up and down a hill at 1550m, before joining Lower Eagle Hill Trail. We found trail signage on this hike was either unclear or very good. At points along the route there was a lack of detailed depictions on maps or the signs were worn out. Conversely, bright red, 4-inch diamond-shaped signs marked trail directions at some junctions. Alltrails was helpful in our route finding when signage was ambiguous, as well as the shared experience of members who had previously hiked in the area.
The hike from Lower Eagle Hill to Deer Ridge was quite steep initially. The trail took a straight line until veering at a right angle to wind up, along another hilltop. A short descent and final assent to the Deer Ridge Viewpoint, brought us to our lunch spot at 1702m. As we were hiking this section of Deer Ridge a light snowfall began. Looking out during lunch, we joked that due to the blanketing cloud cover our view was indescribable. Snowfall abated for a short time while we ate, then signaled the end of our repast by doubling down with big fluffy flakes.
Our descent was a somewhat gentler contour, with several wide switch backs. Snowfall again tapered off, leaving several centimeters on our path. We did a slight detour, turning at a junction to follow an Alltrails route that brought us out into a field overlooking Hwy #68. We doubled back to finish our descent of the Deer Ridge Trail, eventually crossing a grassy field or wetland with a dammed pond. We followed this path through this open area to join Eagle Hill Trail and finish our hike at the service road leading to our parking lot, one minute away.
Big smiles and full hearts after a great day hiking together!
