16 miles of hiking • 3500' elevation gain • 1 night
My original plan was to start at the Vista Ridge trailhead, climb to the Timberline Trail and then head south to McNeil Point, where I would camp. I would return along the Timberline Trail the following day and make a day-visit to Elk Cove. What ended up happening was that I day-hiked to the ponds just beyond the McNeil Point trail, warily eyed the fresh snow on the ridge above and the drippy, wet camping opportunities on the trail below, and decided to see if it was any better looking in Elk Cove. It was.
Full report on the blog
