My partner 
The ascent into the Rimrocks area was a good steady incline with variable ice and snow on the trail. A great way to warm us up for the rest of a hike! It's so enjoyable simply Breathing in the crisp, clean air and listening to birds in the backround. This is why I absolutely LOVE winter hiking, there's this stillness to it ...so magical!
"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."
-Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
At the top of the ascent we reached a cattle grate and off the right there was this old abandoned car covered in snow. Really neat! By this point we were both really excited for what lies ahead...
The main trailhead veered off onto a really skinny #hiking trail with bright flagging trail to follow. Nikki pointed out something under our feet, there was a thin layer of ice under the snow that would give way with each step. Under closer investigation we where actually stepping on these interesting shaped ice formations! Slippery and beautiful and the same time.
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. ... There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter."
—Rachel Carson
Arrived at the first lookout area....WOW!!! Incredible views all around, lush green forest mixed with snow and ice. This area is absolutely stunning.
The trail forked to the left down some really steep, icey terrain with nothing to hold onto except for loose trees. We knew that the volcanic spires lie ahead due to the steep descent. Risk #climbing down or head back and try another way?
We decided to risk it, which turned out to be a dead end. The only way to go further was through a dark cave which was extremely steep and slippery. to the right, however, was our first glimpse of the spires! we took a few shots and headed back up top to see if there was a better viewpoint...
The second viewpoint area had some staggering views of the spires, some of them are really massive! We took a short break, had some lunch and continued along the path which parallels the edge of the cliff line.
Many more viewpoints along the way... one of the nearby Mount Baldy. The range of colors in the trees was incredible, such vivid greens due to many of the trees being covered in moss. We continued along the trail, soaking in the incredible scenery and taking some more photos. By the time we hiked for about another 45 minutes we decided to head back to the vehicle and call it a day. by this time we had been hiking for quite a few hours and the wind was starting to pick up. The return trail ended up taking us back to a logging road. Luckily I had our vehicles location bookmarked in GPS so we jogged back along the road until we found it, which was probably another half an hour or so. A good workout! Next time i'd like to come up here when the descending trail into the spires is accessible. It proved challenging to get good angles for more photos of the spires. Oh well, a good excuse to return to this stellar area and explore more of the lower shelf!
Thank you for taking the time to come with us on our Journey to Rimrocks! We hope you enjoyed sharing in our experience, it was amazing from start to finish! Until next time #steemit community!!! #steem on!!!