Baldy to Mile High

I will describe this hike as mapped, going counter-clockwise from Mile High to Baldy. From Mile High trailhead, the Mount Magnificent Route is followed for the first 3 miles until you reach the first true summit of Mount Magnificent. Continuing east along the ridge, you follow a goat trail that appears and disappears through a combination of rock and tundra until you reach a fork in the ridge at Peak 1541. Continuing east will take you to Mount Significant and Ram Valley, but taking a sharp left onto the north-northwest ridgeline brings you up to the scree-covered Mile High Peak. The closer you get to the summit of Mile High, the more scree there is along the trail, but the scree isn't terribly loose, so travel isn't significantly compromised. This helps you mentally as you encounter a few false peaks along the way. An extended break is well deserved once you reach the peak, as you have great panoramic views of Peters Creek and Eagle River valleys and an interesting angle of the Twin Peaks and Pioneer Peak. At this point, you're about halfway done with mileage and about two-thirds done with elevation gain.Descending down along the ridge, the trail is very easy to pick up as the rock changes from sharper shale on the south side of the mountain to a more rounded sandstone. As you ascend the south ridge of Peak 1510, you'll come across a nice goat trail that cuts a nice shortcut across the face of the peak to the saddle below Vista. Hikeing up to the saddle, Vista looks pretty menacing with what looks like loose scree slopes halfway up to the peak. However, you breathe a huge sigh of relief as it turns out that you can easily go around any loose scree. The summit of Vista Peak is a fairly small point, which was somewhat of a surprise as the top looks rather flat from a distance.The descent down the north side of Vista may be the most hazardous section of the hike, but it is not terrible if you are comfortable with a very short section of loose scree. If you are hiking with others, practice safe rock chute travel techniques through this short section. Continuing west-northwest along the ridge, the travel is very pleasant with rolling hills all the way to Blacktail Rocks. Please refer to the Blacktail Rocks Route and Mt. Baldy Trail for the descent down to the Baldy trailhead. This hike is rated as difficult for its distance, elevation gain, and some tricky terrain.