Years ago I saw a photo of a unique ruin that had a juniper trunk as its centerpiece in its construction. Its unique use of the tree in its design fascinated me. It was incredibly artistic. The photo had enough context that I made a note about where I thought it was to check out. Thus the "someday" list grew as it so often does.

Finally, in 2026, I was in the area and decided to see how good my deductive skills had been. It turned out my hunch was correct, and I had the privilege of visiting Juniper Ruin in person! This is a stunning ruin in a pretty setting. I was surprised to find, on my way to the ruin, some granaries as well! A magical day in a magical place.

There turned out to be 3 or 4 social trails to the ruin of varying difficulties and use. The two highlighted here were the two I thought were the best. One is non-technical but requires a little route finding. It is the route I recommend for most. On my return, I found and came down the climbers route. This second route is more direct but requires a short section of Class 4+ or low 5th class climbing. It has enough exposure and difficulty that I would only recommend it to climbers or experienced scramblers.