One More Hike

About 15 miles north of Virgin on Kolob Terrace Road is the trailhead for the Wildcat Canyon trail.  How can you resist that name?  I sure couldn't.  We decided to take it for a mile, then turn on the Northgate Peaks trail for another mile.  This makes a very easy 4-mile round trip with very little elevation change and some rewarding views.

Since the weather had cooled off and this trail is at a higher altitude, we waited until about 11 AM to begin.  You can see how level the trail is.

Part of the trail had obviously been a road and dead trees and bushes had been planted to keep hikers off one side to allow revegetation. I just had to laugh.

I thought the ferns among the Ponderosa Pines were worth a picture.

 

Once on the Northgate Peaks trail, you follow along a ridge with occasional views of Wildcat Canyon (more if you're willing to go off trail.)

The view at the end cannot be appreciated in a picture, although maybe a late afternoon or evening shot would show it better.

I promised myself that I wouldn't post any more pictures of aspen trees, but those kinds of promises are just made to be broken.  We found these farther up Kolob Terrace Road on the road to Lava Point.