As we entered the flats of Aura Creek, Chester, Zosia and I spotted a couple of wild horses as well as lots of horse bones.  Wild horses seem to be prolific in the area as evidenced by the abundance of horse dung everywhere, and we would later see no fewer than nine more of them along our route.  We took a short detour to Horse Lake before making our way eastward through a mix of light forest and boggy terrain.  We eventually reached the start of an obvious cut line running eastward, and we basically followed it for about 2.3 kilometres over an intervening ridge before connecting with a gas well road.  This cut line is not entirely straightforward to follow.  After the cut line makes a brief jog around a low ridge, there is a straight section that is quite boggy followed by a bushy section that requires a detour through the adjacent trees.  The climb to the top of the intervening ridge is also brutally steep, and it was a little disheartening having to lose much of that hard-won elevation as we dropped down the far side passing a natural gas compressor station en route to the gas well road at the valley bottom.  Upon reaching the road at a hairpin turn, we followed it to the south and then to the east for about 700 metres before turning off onto a grassy doubletrack heading up through the trees.  This doubletrack led us easily to the crest of Salter Ridge, and a short traverse brought us to the high point in a clearing.

For our return trip, Chester, Zosia and I backtracked to the gas well road and then retraced our steps along the cut line over the intervening ridge.  When we eventually made it back to the Aura Creek flats, we paid another visit to Horse Lake before heading for the road I was originally hoping to drive in on.  We elected to follow this road at least partway back, but when we reached a critical junction after a couple of kilometres of easy walking, I was unable to consult a satellite image I had saved on my phone which suddenly died on me.  Although my GPS unit was still functional, the loaded map did not show any of the backroads in the area.  Rather than chance walking further into unknown territory, we abandoned the road we were on and grinded up and over a logged ridge to regain the original road we took at the aforementioned split (had we stayed on our road and kept right at the critical junction, we would have eventually returned to the same split albeit in a roundabout way).  We had no more issues for the remaining walk back to the berm and locked gate.

	A locked gate and berm effectively force Zosia and Chester to begin their hike prematurely.
	Chester and Zosia take advantage of a logging road to travel through some heavily logged areas.
	Without a logging road to follow anymore, Zosia and Chester find easier travel in the adjacent unlogged forest.
	After climbing over the crest of a logged ridge, Zosia and Chester descend through some slash aiming for the flats of Aura Creek which are out of view to the right.  The road across the valley would be used on their return hike.
	From the flats of Aura Creek, Salter Ridge is hidden behind the intervening ridge on the horizon.
	Chester kisses a remarkably intact horse skull.
	Chester and Zosia pause near Horse Lake to observe some waterfowl.
	This is the start of a cut line which provides a convenient route to access Salter Ridge.
	Wild horses roam extensively throughout this area. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	The cut line continues straight over the forested ridge ahead.
	The section of the cut line going over the ridge is brutally steep.
	Zosia encounters lingering snow patches while descending the cut line on the far side of the ridge.
	Chester and Zosia take a short detour from the cut line to check out what appears to be a natural gas compressor station.
	Zosia and Chester find what appears to be the hide of a black bear.  Why it was discarded here is a mystery.
	After walking for a short distance along a gas well road, Chester and Zosia prepare to leave it here and head left to climb up Salter Ridge.

A small clearing on Salter Ridge grants this view of distant mountains to the west.

 

	Near the top of Salter Ridge, Zosia gets a glimpse of Moose Mountain on the horizon to the south.
	Sonny, Chester and Zosia stand on the high point of Salter Ridge (1668 metres).
	Previously obscured by clouds, Mount Aylmer finally makes an appearance in this view from Salter Ridge's high point.
	The road going left eventually leads to the compressor station, but for their return hike, Chester and Zosia elect to retrace their steps up the steeper but more direct cut line road on the right.
	Chester and Zosia drop steeply down the west side of the intervening ridge along the same cut line.
	Here is a closer look at some swans and geese on Horse Lake. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia and Chester follow the logging road previously seen from a distance on the way in.
	Sonny and Chester step off the road to allow some dirt bikers to go by. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia and Chester abandon the road they were on and climb up through some slash.  Their original approach road is just on the other side of this logged ridge.
	Total Distance:  20.9 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  8 hours 14 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain:  814 metres GPX Data