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Dragonfly on "The Hump" LbNA #69887

Owner:CarrieOnThePrairie
Plant date:May 1, 2016
Location: West of Chain Lakes
City:Longview
County:Alberta, CAN
State:Alberta, Canada
Boxes:1
Found by: AmongThePines
Last found:Jul 13, 2016
Status:F
Last edited:Jun 24, 2016
This letterbox is only accessible when the road over "The Hump" is open, May 1 through November 30. Even then, you should use good judgment about current weather conditions. It is a gravel road, somewhat rugged at times, but accessible by two-wheel-drive car in good conditions.

"The Hump" is a pass that takes you back into Kansanaskis Country. You can access gravel roads and logging trails that will get you to some great hikes, fishing, camping, ATVing, etc. The fun thing about K-Country, as opposed to National Parks, is that almost anything goes. People pull over and camp wherever they feel like. You can park on the side of the road and get out anywhere you want. No strict park rules or hard-to-find-available campsites. It's the modern wild, wild west!

About 28 km south of Longview on Hwy 22, at the north end of Chain Lakes, take Hwy 532 West (this "highway" is actually a gravel road, mind you). After you leave Hwy 22, it is approximately 23 kilometers to the letterbox.

You will pass the following:
Willow Creek East staging area on your left
Blue Bronna Camp
Indian Graves campground on your right
Then you will pass through the gate that gets closed on December 1st, making this letterbox and "The Hump" inaccessible
Johnson Creek campground on your left
Bear Pond on your right
In this segment, the gravel road gently curves up, up, up, the mountain.

You will soon come to a couple tighter switchbacks and if you look back over your left shoulder, you'll get an amazing view, including Okotoks and other surrounding towns.

After the great view, look ahead and on the left side of the road, you'll see a broadly sloping hillside and the top of this ridge. Pass a small pond on your left, go through a "Texas Gate" and park on your left, just on the other side of the fencerow.

On foot, go back the way you came on the gravel road and return through the Texas Gate. Continue around the pond, keeping it on your right. Just after the pond, you'll notice an ATV trail heading uphill and leaving the gravel road. Walk up that trail along the ridgeline. You'll arrive at the first small landing where the slope levels momentarily - from this landing count 46 steps. (If you get to the much larger landing at the top of the ridgeline you've gone too far.) On your right should be a large, mossy rock. Have a rest on the rock to view the pond. The Dragonfly is on the downhill side, under a few large-ish rocks.

After stamping, please re-deposit securely under heavy rocks. I'm worried about washout. Thanks!

Hike length: 0.1 miles