The Batchelor Ridge circuit goes along the benchland, up over the ridge, and back up and down steep hills to the trailhead/start is a good hike – 10 km with 540m (1771 ft.) of elevation gain.

The route goes through areas that are heavily used by ATV’s motorcycles, and 4WD’s when it is dry (in spring) so we try to go before their season starts, which means we will see some mud, some snow in the north-facing pockets, and some ice here and there.   We did the Batchelor Ridge loop in February and we saw all of these conditions, but the views are worth all of the effort to climb the hills and deal with the muddy/slippery conditions.

From the series of hilltops we could spot Dunn Peak to the north, looking back along our route.

The area is generally dry and covered in grass and sagebrush (where the ATV’s haven’t scoured the hillsides), but there are a few ponds in low spots too.

The first wildflower was spotted on February 24th this year, sage buttercups with their waxy bright yellow petals.

This is actually a wonderful area to hike, but it is better to schedule the route for early or late in the season when it will be quieter.   We will return in November….