Some of the finest alpine meadows in the country can be found on Tod Mountain.   From the top of the chair, the hike over the "top of the world" takes about 45 minutes.   From this point a route winds between the many "pump" hills of Tod Mountain.   Three main routes can be taken, but the most direct is either to Tod Lake or by the West Ridge Trail to the peak.   The final climb is worth the view and since this is such a rewarding hike, we try to get to the summit of Tod Mountain every year.

A less-hiked route is to do a circumnavigation of the peak, using the Backside Trail.   The trail is a narrow one and not well marked, but since it has to go through the only east-west gully behind the peak, it is easy to figure out. 

Sun Peaks has an improved on-line map.   The black line numbered 12 shows the route.

I went counter-clockwise from Tod Lake and enjoyed the gentle climb through the pass. There are very few trees, but there is lots of scenery including snowfields on the north side of the peak, glacial straie (ice age scratches and grooves in the bedrock), alpine meadows, and ponds. The entire loop is an easy one, but it makes a long day from the Sunburst lift.

Wildflowers greeted me at every new vista with mouse-eared chickweed, saxifrage, western spring beauties, buttercup, pasqueflower, woodland star and shooting stars featured in early July. This is a route I will choose again (and again). The entire loop was about 11 km from the Sunburst Chair, easy to complete in time for the last chair down the mountain.