October 23rd, 2021
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
Plan A was Mount Hooper, likely a solid B3/4 bushwhack up steep terrain to the ridge. The forecast called for an atmospheric river to fall. We headed the caution and picked a better option, Minna and Kamma Ridges.
Even in the rain and fog, the developed boot track is easy to follow. I’ve been on the ridge before, back in 2014. At that time, the tarns were drying up, and today, the tarns spilled over. Beyond the midway point of the hike, it became near impossible to move between them. It felt more like a maze of adjoining routes between tarns than the mountains I usually hike.
Near the summit, the light dusting of snow melted as the rain fell on it. We didn’t have much of a view on the summit, but that didn’t stop the wind from cooling us off.
I’m not sure if the rain made the day better, but it was a different kind of experience. The day’s highlight was bumping into 6 club members on a club outing. When picking a plan B, we didn’t realize that there was already a club trip to the ridges. Regardless, it’s a mountain big enough for the two groups. It was good to meet them out on a hike.