Wild Horse Ridge Steady hike, horseback Distance 9 km Duration 3 hours Maximum elevation 2125 m Elevation gain 780 m Map 92 P/4 Clinton Access: From Clinton, take the Kelly Lake Road at the south end of the village for 16 km and turn right onto the Jesmond Road, a gravel road that is hard on shocks. Look for the Circle H Mountain Lodge on the right, about 23 km along. The ranch is up for sale at this time and is being managed by a caretaker whom you should talk to at the office to obtain permission to park on the grounds. To reach the trailhead, walk up the road from the office and turn right at the cabins. On the left, at the rear of the property about 100 m along, is a fence and a sign “Pipeline Trail.” This is the starting point. One of the few maintained trails in the Marbles (in the Cariboo!), the Wild Horse trail has recently been upgraded. This is a fairly lengthy hike in itself and any additional exploring of the inviting ridges on either side can make for a long day. An alternative is to tent and use this as a base from which to explore the curving northwest part of the ridge and the eastern section leading to Mount Kerr. A point to consider should you opt to tent is that you are unlikely to find water in the summer; it must be packed up from the stream en route. There are spectacular panoramic views and lovely displays of wildflowers in July and August. The first 4.5 km of the trail is the same as that to Mount Bowman. Where the Bowman trail turns left, however, the path to Wild Horse Ridge heads uphill following the stream much of the way and is easily followed to the subalpine. There are good sheltered locations on the saddle for pitching a tent.