Feb 24, 2013 - In the tracks at PLPP

The cross-country skiing has been great this year and we've been taking full advantage of it. Got out 3 times this week and today was by far the best day. We headed to the Boulton Creek trail head in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park with Barb and Don and found perfect conditions and a beautiful sunny day. And very few people. We did a fun 18km loop up Whiskeyjack, along Tirwhitt, down Elk Pass, across Fox Creeks and back to Boulton. Fun and fast skiing! We topped it off with lunch at the fabulous Le Fournil Bakery. A perfect day!

Jan 26, 2013 - A workout at Mt. Shark followed by a concert

Dale was feeling a bit under the weather so Pam headed out with Barb and Don to Mt. Shark for some track skiing. The conditions were perfect with the new snow nicely groomed and track set. We got in a good workout on the 10K loop where the first 5km is either steep up or steep down and the second half is a bit gentler. After a bite to eat we headed out again for another short loop before heading back to Canmore. Later, we made the quick trip over to the Market at Three Sisters, a small, local bistro that has great, fresh food cooked by the...

Sep 29, 2012 - On the Ridge - Pocaterra Ridge

It is a rare year when we can do a ridge walk so late in the season! Pocaterra Ridge is one of our favourite hikes and we'd been looking forward to it, so it was a big disappointment when Dale woke up feeling under the weather and wasn't able to go. Pam headed out on her own and hooked up with John, Ena, Sylvie, Pat, Janet and Clive. We left a car at the end point of the hike and drove to the top of Highwood Pass where we headed up onto the first "bump" on the ridge. A steep hike up but from there it is close to 5km of meandering along the...

Sep 26, 2012 - Larches on Little Arethusa

Our friends Lynn and Kevin were keen to get out for a larch hike so instead of fighting the crowds in Lake Louise, we headed to Highwood Pass in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and hiked up onto the shoulder of Mt. Arethusa. We saw another group of people in the parking lot but other than that, we had the place to ourselves! The larches didn't disappoint!

Sep 13, 2012 - S-N Buller Pass Loop

It looked to be a great day for a fall hike so we headed to the Buller Pass trail head on the Spray Lakes Rd. There was a controlled fire in this area last year and although the Buller Pass trail runs partially through the burn, it is still a great hike! We hiked up to the S. pass where we had a great view of Ribbon Lake and Guinn'sPass. Then we hiked down a ways before heading N and hiking up to N. Buller Pass. Then it was a steep downhill into a pretty valley where the trail follows Buller Creek before connecting back to the main trail....

Aug 12, 2012 - Piper Pass - A 5 Star Hike!

Piper Pass is one of our favourite hikes and once again, it didn't disappoint! We'd been talking up the hike and its amazing wild flower display to John and Ena so they joined us this year. At the end John summed it up - this is a 5 Star hike! We took the "short approach" which means a couple of river crossings, some route finding and a little bushwacking but cuts off a few kilometers of flat walking. That makes a big difference to the feet at the end of an 81/2 hour, 20km day with over 2000' of elevation gain! Once on the Piper Pass...

Jul 21, 2012 - Moose and Music in the Meadows

Mount Engadine Lodge is a lovely "front country" lodge in the Kananaskis (ie. you can drive there). During the summer, they have a "Music in the Meadows" concert series and people who aren't staying at the lodge can drive out for dinner and the concert. This was our third time at one of these events at the lodge and we went with friends Barb and Don. Featured in the meadows were several happy moose, wallowing in the mud and drinking up the essential minerals found there. Featured in the lodge for dinner was a fabulous meal and some...

Jul 20, 2012 - Ena's 60th Birthday Hike

Our friend Ena turns 60 next week and to celebrate, she invited a group of friends to join her on a hike to the Rae Glacier above Elbow Lake in Kananaskis Country. The Rae Glacier is actually the source of the Elbow River and like most glaciers around the world is rapidly melting away. We've never been to the glacier before and it was a nice gentle hike past Elbow Lake and up the moraines to the base of the glacier. After exploring a side valley, we headed back to the Elbow valley, accompanied by a dramatic chorus of thunder and a sudden...

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.