Mount Hoffman Trail

This was a new trail for me and I really enjoyed the variety of views it provided. We were also the only people on this trail- the parking lot was empty. On the way there we passed only one other vehicle, but dodged several cows and saw 12 white tailed deer, 6 mountain sheep and lots of squirrels.

You begin at the parking lot for Indian Oils trail, but head out on the Sheep River trail instead. A short way down a service road, you come to a pretty set of waterfalls on the gorgeous turquoise Sheep River.

Head up the service road a ways further where you turn off to the right. The trail is marked by a rock cairn. (If you cross the water again you have gone too far.)

You head up the trail through an open sky path, flanked by trees and wildflowers. After a bit you hit a relatively short steep section, then cross into a forest with a treed canopy and lots of moss. This was very cool.

The forest opens up into a meadow with a long view of several mountain peaks.

You cross this and walk up a shale section to the cairn at the top and enjoy a panoramic view of mountains with the Sheep winding below. We had our lunch up there and enjoyed watching all the butterflies in the wildflowers.

I have included a couple screenshots from the All Trails app, which I am really enjoying. It finds all kinds of hikes, rates them by difficulty, acts as a GPS, allows you to overlay and download maps, and has user comments regarding the state of the trails in recent climbs.

The best way to end any hike is with Dresdner Essenz in lavender and mellisa. I never get stiff muscles if I end with a soak in this!