A Short Hike with an Amazing View

When I think of shorter hikes that I’ve done, I think of Ha Ling Peak. It’s a majestic looking summit from Canmore, but after driving up Spray Lakes Road and parking near the trailhead, the elevation gain of 700 metres isn’t so bad.

Robbie and I knew we wanted to get out of the city this weekend for a short hike, and our hopes were almost dashed when we realized it was going to rain each day. Alas, we headed out to Canmore anyway with fingers crossed that the rain would clear up completely and the skies would be incredibly blue and beautiful. That’s what The Weather Network said would happen. What were the chances, right? Either way, we were determined to hike. I had conquered Ha Ling Peak once before, and I figured it was a good one to  do :).

Well, once we started the hike, it started to rain. And then it poured. I can’t say it was miserable though. After hiking Mount Baldy on Friday in the rain, the rain didn’t bother me so much. I was just bummed that we wouldn’t be able to see the amazing views of the surrounding mountains and Canmore below from the summit.

But then it happened: the skies began clearing, and before we knew it, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was a gorgeous blue. What were the chances? I guess a weather forecast can be right from time to time :).

The hike through the trees and the scrambling section to the summit were strenuous, but persevering up the mountain was completely worth it! We took in the scenery, stopped to eat our lunches, fought off some chipmunks who tried to steal our lunches, and even found a geocache. Geocaching is lotsa fun :). We started the hike at 3:15 and finished at 7:30… not too bad at all. What began as a rainy hike ended in a beautiful one.