Mad Dog Mountain is one of several peak in the Marble Range which has a trail to the summit.  These limestone peaks have barren rugged karst formations on the summits, offering wonderful hiking opportunities.   We parked on the Jesmond Road at Foundation Creek and followed the trail up the creek between Mad Dog and Lime Ridge.   This trail has a lot of windfall for about 2 km and above that is a burn area making progress slow.

The 2009 wildfire burned many hectares of forest in Marble Range Provincial Park and a number of trails go through black and white forests.

The more-open forests have resulted in more shrub and wildflower growth in the valleys and up the slopes.

columbine	white mountain avens
yellow draba	paintbrush
yellow agoseris	globeflower

We followed the Foundation Creek Trail until we were on the southeast side of the mountain, then we followed a side valley to the north through open (burned) forest.   The trail disappears after a half kilometer and the rest of the trail is a steep climb to the top.   On the upper part of the mountain are views north to Jesmond Peak which had a fresh snowfall the previous day (in June).

Good views of Wild Horse Ridge and Mt. Kerr are to the east.   A hike to Mt. Kerr is scheduled for 2016, a 22 km trek.

To  the north is Mount Bowman, one of the finest hikes in the Interior.

Beyond the Marble Range to the north is the South Cariboo, a relatively flat area.   To the west are the Edge Hills overlooking the Fraser River and beyond are the snow-capped Camelsfoot and Shulaps Ranges.

This area is the prime hiking area of the Marble Range with good trails to the summits of Jesmond Lookout, Mt. Bowman, Wild Horse Ridge and Mt. Kerr, and to both ends of 8km long Lime Ridge (Lime Ridge West and Porcupine Ridge).

Our hike to the top of Mad Dog and back was 9.7 km, taking about 4 hours because of difficult terrain and obstacles.   If hikers want to explore the Marble Range, start with Mt. Bowman, then add other peaks over time.   The area is very rugged and remote and route-finding will probably be required, but these hikes are worth the extra driving, time, and effort.

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