At the end of summer, the chairlift at Sun Peaks was still running so I rode the chair to mid-station to do a loop route on Tod Mountain.    After a summer of heat, the south-facing alpine slopes of the bowls and ridges were bone dry and the vegetation had more browns than greens.    I started the hike by climbing up through the Crystal Bowl on the Top of the World Trail, then I struck off onto the Whyte Bowl Trail.

The junction north of Top of the World is signed.    The Westridge Trail leads to the Tod Mountain Summit area.     The Whyte Bowl winds down to the Wet Bowl.

Most of the alpine wildflowers were finished for the season, but a few still remained in partly-shaded areas and in stream gullies.    The Whyte Bowl Trail joined the West Bowl Trail and the loop route led back to Mid-Station.

This was an excellent 5.2 km hiking route just before the Fall Equinox.   It was the fourth day of hiking on Tod Mountain.     I plan to return for a hike on the mountain in June of 2026.