We set the alarm for 5:30 and drove in grey half-light with thermos coffee and questionable optimism. The car park was empty. River sat in the back making the small excited noises she saves for days when she suspects something good is happening.
Jul 3, 2026 · Marie & River · 2 min read
Misty Ridge Morning
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Waypoint 2
For the first hour we walked inside cloud — not rain, exactly, but a wet cool mist that beaded on her whiskers. The path was visible, the world beyond ten metres was not. It felt quiet in a way open hills rarely do.
Waypoint 3
Then the sun broke through. The mist pulled back like a curtain and the ridge we'd been walking on suddenly had edges and depth. River stood with her nose into the wind, tail straight out, looking ridiculously heroic. I took too many photos.
Waypoint 4
What to know
Waypoint 5
- Early start worth it for light and parking — busier by 10am in good weather
- Layer up; we were cold at first, warm by the return
- Some steep sections on the ridge approach — poles optional, water essential
- Keep dogs leashed near drops on the eastern side
Waypoint 6
One of those hikes where the weather made the story. We'd go again at dawn without hesitation.
