Sep 17, 2011 - A Blizzard on Centennial Ridge

We set off with Phil and Alicia on a nice fall day in search of golden larches and other fall colours. Instead we got a taste of winter! The weather was looking iffy down the Kananaskis Valley so we decided to hike the Mt. Allan Centennial Ridge trail which we could see was under blue sky and sunshine. We knew we wouldn't have time for the full hike but figured we could do the first section that would give us some great views. So up we went, straight up, it is a steep hike! The first section is through the trees and most of them were still...

Sep 4, 2011 - Tent Ridge - Wow after Wow

It's been a few years since we hiked Tent Ridge so we thought it was time for a return trip. We remember it as being a spectacular hike and our memories were right, it is definitely a "Wow" hike! The ridge is "U" shaped and you climb up one end, walk the undulating ridge with amazing views in all directions and then climb back down the opposite end of the "U". It was a perfect, blue sky day, although the wind was a little cool so toques and gloves came in handy. Phillip and Rick joined us on this jaunt. Can't beat Indian Summer in the Rockies!

Aug 8, 2011 - The Piper Pass Flower Show

The hike to Piper Pass in August is one of the premier hikes in the rockies and definitely one of our favourites. It's not a difficult hike in terms of elevation gain (619m done mostly in 2 steep bursts) but it is a long one. Using the traditional route, the hike is close to 25km and can take up to 9 hours. Our guide book describes a shorter approach which cuts off about 5km and makes a big difference to the feet after a long day. The down side is that as is usual with short cuts in the mountains, it involves some route finding as well as...

Jul 24, 2011 - Sparrowhawk Tarns

We did a great little hike into Sparrowhawk Tarns today, a perfect day for a jaunt in Kananaskis Country. Phil and Alicia had to be back in Calgary early so unfortunately we didn't make it to the upper tarns this time. But we didn't mind, it gave us a little hammock time in the afternoon followed by a leisurely stroll into town for dinner.

Jul 16, 2011 - Black Prince Lakes

We hiked into Black Prince Lakes today. It starts off as an easy walk along an interpretive trail to Warspite Lake but then is pretty much straight uphill until you reach the hanging valley where the lakes are found. Luckily, there was a gushing waterfall and lots of wild flowers to take our minds off the uphill grind. We ate lunch above the lake, could just about see the ice melting, before exploring along the moraine and enjoying the views. There is still lots of snow up high so the trip down was made easier by a couple of boot skiing...

Nov 21, 2009 - Skinny Skis at Elk Pass

An early dump of snow meant we could get out for our first cross-country ski trip of the year a bit earlier than usual. We headed to Elk Pass with Ena and John and skied just long enough to get the hip flexors stiff (but not too stiff!). As usual, the resident Grey Jays joined us at the picnic table for lunch.

Aug 29, 2009 - Old Goat Glacier

Our August theme of hosting visitors met while travelling continues. In 2007, while staying at a hacienda near the Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador, we met Annemieke and Reinier. They are from the Netherlands but are currently living near the Lake District in England and we shared a couple of very enjoyable meals with them. They are avid hikers and we told them to look us up if they ever came to the Canadian Rockies. Last spring we got an email saying they were planning a trip to Canada so we offered to show them around the Canmore area and give...

Jul 1, 2009 - Pocaterra Ridge on Canada Day

What better way to spend Canada Day than hiking in the Canadian Rockies with friends! Most years it isn't possible to get up high this early in the season but the snowpack melted early this year so we decided to head to Highwood Pass and hike Pocaterra Ridge. We started the day out with a black bear siting as we drove along Highway 1 from Canmore. After reporting the siting, we continued on to the Little Highwood Day Use Area where we met Ellen, Jeff, Ellen's brother-in-law Danny and his 11 year old daughter Sam. We left our vehicle in the...

Jun 12, 2009 - The Highwood Pass Ride

Highway 40 is closed to vehicular traffic between the Kananaskis Lakes Junction and Highwood Crossing every year from mid-December until mid-June. It isn't closed to bicycles and if the weather and timing are right, it can be a great ride from either direction. We set out from the South end on our road bikes and expected that we would hit snow line and have to turn back before we got to the top of the pass. It was a pleasant surprise to find that the road was clear to the top although our butts might not agree. It was a perfect day for the...

Mar 29, 2009 - Fun at Fortress

With less than 2 weeks until our trip to Europe to ski the Haute Route, we decided to do a trial run with full packs. In addition to our normal backcountry gear, we added mountaineering gear (ski and boot crampons, ice axe, harness etc) as well as hut clothes. The packs were significantly heavier than normal and we wanted to make sure we could manage OK touring and skiing for a day (or at least know what we're getting ourselves into!). We headed to K-Country and met Philip and Rick at the Fortress ski hill turn off. The ski hill has been...

Aug 29, 2008 - Memorial Lakes

The weather was looking a bit unsettled but we were keen to get out for a hike so we met up with friend Phil and headed to the Ribbon Creek trail head and set off for Memorial Lakes. This isn't an easy hike, 16km with 706m of elevation gain. The weather held for the first couple of hours but then it began to drizzle and kept up a constant stream for the rest of the day. The trail follows beside a creek for much of the hike and the waterfalls and bright green mosses kept our minds off the rain. The first lake is little more than a pond but...

Jul 8, 2008 - Lynne's last day of her holiday

Today was the last full day of Lynne's holiday before she flew back to England. We took a drive down the Kananaskis Parkway to the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The weather was a bit mixed but the mountains and lakes were still as spectacular. We have had a great time with our honorary Nomad. We look forward to her next visit.