–submitted by Ross Burnett
The Forbidden Plateau Traverse Trail is a section of one of the club’s “Lifetime Hiking Objectives”. It can be done in either direction; and as a day trip or an overnight. It is about 28 kilometres long.
Three keen members took advantage of the great fall day, and did it as a day hike, in the more downhill direction from Raven Lodge to the Wood Mountain end, finishing at the bottom of the old ski hill; which also serves as the trailhead for the Mt. Becher hike.
We met at Wood Mountain at 7:30 then drove in one car to Raven Lodge and started walking at about 8:20. The boardwalks through Paradise Meadows were a bit slippery with frost. Not many people on the trail, but we did get passed by a couple of groups of trail runners.
As a small group of three, we kept to a pretty good pace, enjoying the sun, lakes, ponds, meadows and fall colours. Blueberries were long gone; and just one fairly old pile of bear poop. A quick, short diversion to Johnston Lake, a lovely lunch break beside a small pond, then on through MacKenzie Meadows, and past the Drabble Lakes turn off, to join on to the Becher trail and then fairly quickly down to the parking area, finishing about 4:20; for an 8-hour outing.
