[Now I Fly]

While on a snowing shoeing trip up Ruby with Barb E and Snowdog, Barb mentioned a special trip a bit farther east. Didn't take long for me to find this report of their trip, https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8016037&highlight=ragged+view Been on my bucket list ever since!

= Started at the Easy Pass Trailhead

After crossing the bridge, you travel maybe fifty yards up the trail, hang a right, and the fun begins! The first goal is working your way over to the Kitling Creek drainage by rapping around a north-south running ridge (it's actually the continuation of the NW ridge of New Morning Peak). Between 4,200 and 4,300 worked best. I went higher on my way in, and that was a bust and I just had to make my way back down.

Once in Kitling Creeks valley floor, crossing the creek early made the most sense. I stayed on the left side (climbers left) for too long and had to deal with some avoidable blowdown.

The Spring snow was fickle and temps were getting warm. I had hoped for a deeper base. I was concerned about boulder fields and emerging scrub alder, so about here I took the forest route up the right side of the basin, and once again I found myself too high and needed to fight some brush (avoidable, as I found out on my return trip).

Eventually I traversed out of the trees, and over to the Kitling Lake. I was relieved to find good snow coverage from there.

Mesahchie Pass is a wonderful place, but my goal was Ragged View.

I hiked up to the pass between Ragged View (Point 6730) and Point 6740. The clouds were building so I decided to camp there. It's was a real nice spot and for a bonus, someone had camped there recently and their tent platfom was still usable!

Rained a bit just as I got my tent set up, so I took a nice nap. Woke up and cooked some dinner, Then took a walk about, heading first to Ragged View (and yes, that would be an amazing camp!), Then ran up Point 6740. There too would have made an amazing camp! A bit more exposed to the elements and you would want snow around for melting water. Big veiws of Kitling, Mesahchie, Katsu, Kimtah, and so much more! Love the view of the Panther Creek valley from there!

Slept in until 6:30! I love that!

Quick breakfast, then broke camp and headed down.

Once at Kitling Lake I took the snow down to the pond below the lake. That worked well.

Just passed the pond I headed back into the woods (travelers left) and did a variation of my up route. Found a bonus balloon, and some survey markers. [=

If filled in with snow, stay on the left track. If you choose the right track, don't gain as much elevation as I did.

The light blue track is the better of the two.

to camp, 6 miles 3,000 ft. elevation gain. The End, B

[BarbE]

Brian, glad this overnight trip worked out for you. Great scenery in all directions and good memories for me. Got inspired today and painted a watercolor from a photo I took on our trip in 2015.

Ragged View Ridge

[Now I Fly]