free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
This was actually just going to be a diary entry for my own info but I liked some of the shots so thought I'd share a few on the forum. Mockingbird Hill is one I've done before but I took a friend there today for an easy spring day jaunt. It was nice to be out and about again after painting, building, putting up shelves etc (the usual new house stuff)
Mockingbird Hill is the site of a fire lookout tower which is manned from April to October, it sits in the 'North Ghost' which is part of the greater 'Ghost Wilderness' area that sits just a few miles northwest of my new home in Cochrane. The 'Ghost' is a wonderful place I return to frequently all year round, it is known globally amongst ice climbers as one of the worlds leading venues for the sport. It is home to the greatest population of mountain lions in North America and the elusive 'Fairholme Range' Wolf pack. There's also the usual bears in black, brown and Griz and so many wild horses that a cull is frequently undertaken. Lastly it is home to some very rare species of butterfly (I confess I don't know which and could walk right past one without knowing
)
Anyway, here's a few shots from the day.
Black Rock mountain overlooking a still frozen river:
The initial view from the top where the windsock allows supply helicopters to read the landing zone conditions (when the lookout is in use) :
To the south a small snowstorm blows through:
My favourite from the day I think, the misty blue hills of the Ghost (a zoomed shot of that storm) :
The tiny foothills to the south:
Black Rock Mountain to the southwest:
The Fairholme Range directly west:
Mountains stretching off infinitely to the north:
