The Embleton Mountain trails provide good hiking in all 4 seasons, but in mid-winter we need snowshoes to get to the top of the hill.   Usually we can hike on the lower trails in winter boots, but about halfway up, the snow gets deeper and the trail gets steeper.   It takes about 2 hours to work our way up on snowshoes if we are breaking trail.

We have to hike right from the bottom in winter below so we follow the road up to the upper parking lot, then we strike off on trails, passing the old mill and to the top of the forested area.

Once we crest the top of the hill, we enter a cutblock which has been replanted.   By this time, the snow is deep and we have to break trail.

The route is not easy to see in the open area, but the trail works its way WNW to the gazebo, the end-point of our climb and a good spot for lunch.   The view to the west looks over Heffley Lake, the shoulder of Mt. Lolo and beyond to the Batchelor Hills.

On this most recent snowshoe, we followed our tracks back down the mountain in half the time it took us to go up.

It is always easier to follow someone else’s track.  Breaking trail up a steep mountain is very hard work, but there is some satisfaction in getting to the top of even a modest summit in winter.   We will keep going to the top for as long as we can (then it will be someone else’s turn).

More information:

• Four Seasons on Mt. Embleton
• Embleton Mountain in Winter
• Top Ten Reasons to Hike Mt. Embleton