The Interior Plateau area is a series of mountains and valleys with many hills and ridges between. Many of our mountains have backroads or trails to the top. Our whole area has thousands of hills, some of which are accessible, but many have no trails and are rarely visited. Each of these hills has its own uniqueness. Each hill’s shape, vegetation, view points, animal life, and distinct features makes it interesting in its own right. Exploring all of these is beyond anyone’s ability and many are disappointing explorations. Sometimes we just have to call it exercise. Sometimes, though, we find a gem – a hill that is rarely visited, but has a shape, a vista, and and features that we don’t expect.

The most recent hill to be explored was above Lac du Bois. We saw stumps from the times when the area was horse-logged, between 1910 and 1918. We observed a number of snags killed by pine beetle, but still standing. We observed moss and lichen on the north east ridge, but not on the other sides. We enjoyed the open top with views down Hanging Valley, Lac du Bois, and Wheeler Mountain. We were surprised by the animal corridor in the pass between two hills. There were no trails, a little bit of cattle sign and deer prellets, but there was no sign of recent human influence. We watched the sun go down over the grasslands before we returned to the known trails at last light.

Pick a hill to explore. Take the time to see its special quality. Save it in the "My Spaces" part of your memories, then find a new hill for your next outing.