February Tracks
When the winter weather starts to break in mid-Feburary, the first trails to clear are the south-facing open slopes of the lower Batchelor Hills, sometimes called The Barren Hills. We started at the first access point off of the Lac du Bois Road and we contoured through the hills as far west as we could on a route we knew very well.
On this day, the mists had settled in the valley and the sun was trying to break through.
The western end of these trails was mostly mud-free, good hiking already. The lower slopes of Mount Mara were also free of snow.
The sagebrush and grassland hills of the Barren Hills stood in stark contrast to the upland slopes of Greenstone Mountain across the valley.
Our first February tracks and hikes of the year on the dirt are almost always on these trails, a welcome retreat from winter.
More information on the Barren Hills Trails: