Richardson Ridge from Hidden Lake

Quadra and Valley of the  Ten Peaks  and Mount Temple

September 25th 2018

Winter weather continues although this is only September. Today got a bit of a break in the weather but the aftermath is lot’s of snow above 2200m. Trail for this hike starts at Fish Creek Parking off the Lake Louise Ski Resort road. Most people know it for the start of the Skoki Lodge trail. It is a boring hike up to Temple Lodge. After walking on the trail above the lodge which you do not really see things improve. Today we are aiming for Hidden Lake. Picture below shows the split in the trail. Left to Hidden lake and the camp ground and right to Boulder Pass and Skoki Lodge. At the lake we headed over land towards the ridge. The trail goes more to the right, north and starts at the furthest right, north on the ridge. Due to the snow we cut a bit out and came up to the ridge in the middle. At times we were up and above our knees in snow and had to take it in turns to break trail.  Once we made the ridge we walked to the south end and descended down a steep grassy snow covered slope. This was heading back to the Boulder Pass we walked in on. But instead of going to the trail we went right on a rise of meadow like land then into the larch trees. This then brought us out just below the Paradise Chair on the cat road. Then passed Temple lodge and back down the boring trail. A nice day great views just a bit cold and windy on the top.

At the junction for Hidden lake and Skoki. Left to Lake righto Skoki

The snowy Ridge is Richardson

Approaching   Hidden Lake

At Hidden lake heading towards the Richardson Ridge Background

Hidden Lake

Small tarn in meadow

After leaving the large Tarn

Looking into Boulder Pass and Ptarmigan lake

Looking along the Ridge

From the summit looking towards the end od the Ridge and Larch ski hill. Lipalian  behind

Nasty little down climb

Looking back at the summit of the ridge

Slippy and steep even with micro spikes on

Going down to the area with few trees running left to right

A look back to where we were showing descent gully

Heading into the trees to come out near the Paradise chair

Popped out of the trees here just below the Paradise Lift

Distance return 17.9 km Time return 7 hrs ( inc 30 min lunch ) Elevation Accumulated gain 905 m Elevation to Summit 617 m Summit height 2638 m

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Google Earth KML

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