One of our favorite hikes is Embleton Mountain.   The trails are well-marked, there are nice views on the west side, and the system has many route options.   Over the last few years, we have added a winter trek to the top on snowshoes.  This is a more demanding route in the snow, but it is a lot easier when someone has stomped in the upper half of the hill.

There is not much parking in winter, so you may have to park down the road and walk back to the trailhead.   All of the trails and junctions, though, have good signage and trail maps to help you stay on track.   We followed the main road up to P2, the went up the east side to the top of the mountain.   As we approached the top, the snows were deeper and any tracks that might have been set earlier were filled with snow blown in from the prevailing winds.  The top cutblock has been replanted, but the trail is hard to follow in the deep snow.   We had 11 people so you can watch for our tracks.   We made it across to the gazebo at the top and had lunch.   Along this top ridge are many fine views down to Heffley Lake, or west across the grasslands.  We returned down the steep west ridge, east along the Old Mills Trail and then followed our own tracks to the bottom, completing a loop.

This is a loop requiring a core fitness level and some experience on snowshoes.   The 8.6 km route will take 2.5-3.5 hours, and some familiarity with route-finding is recommended, even with the trail signs.  Pick a nice day, find a friend to join you, and follow our tracks up Mount Embleton.

There are several articles on this trail system on this site.   Use the Search bar to track them down.