Avid hiker, mountain lover and fitness enthusiast with insatiable wanderlust. Usually battling with an injury and my mental health, but I always persevere!
Machu Picchu, here I come! (Photo from GAdventures)
I’ll keep this post short and sweet. Peru… here I come! In a few short hours, I will be boarding a plane to Houston before taking another plane to Lima. I’ve been waiting for this trip for quite some time. With my Inca Trail permit ready to go, I will be completing that multi-day trek, following in the footsteps of the Inca, before seeing the sun rise above Machu Picchu. And then it will be off to the Amazon for a couple of days to stay at a rainforest lodge in the jungle. Of course, throughout the entire trip, it will also be a gastronomic adventure with the likes of alpaca heart and guinea pig (well, maybe I’ll try the guinea pig :S). I just can’t wait! More importantly, it will be great to spend time with my brother Ry and my mum, who I don’t see nearly enough. I may not have been checking items off of my 31 before 31 list, but soon I’ll be able to strike-through the most epic item of the list, number 31: Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. W00t!
***************************************** Please help me win the Big Mountain Challenge for The Kidney Foundation of Canada! Vote for me EVERY DAY (until July 27, 2012) by clicking here: http://t.co/scxG735u *****************************************
It’s been over a week since I entered the Big Mountain Challenge, sponsored by Banff Lake Louise Tourism. Thanks to EVERYONE who has supported me with this so far- your votes and encouraging words have been amazing! It’s no secret that I’m huge into hiking in the Canadian Rockies. Well, the winner of this contest, along with a friend, will summit 3 EPIC peaks within 7 days, all in the name of a charity. Those peaks are Mount Temple, Cascade Mountain, and Sulphur Mountain. From what I know, they are all high and challenging mountains, and I have yet to hike any of them! Even though ice axes and helmets may be required, I’m up for the challenge 🙂 The great thing about the contest is that it’s for charity: the winner will receive $15000 for a charity of their choosing. Every amount raised by the winner will be matched, up to $5000. So, potentially, that’s $25000 for charity! Woah!
As for the charity: given my work in kidney disease research, I have decided to hike for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Kidneys are important for regulating water, removing wastes, filtering blood and producing hormones… so you can imagine what happens if they begin to fail. The Kidney Foundation of Canada continues to provide leadership for kidney health and improve the lives for all Canadians affected by kidney disease. It’s definitely an amazing organization.
Help me win for The Kidney Foundation of Canada!
The first step is to be chosen, which is partially based on votes and comments.
So humbly, if you’re reading this post, this is where I ask you to please vote for me and help me win Big Mountain Challenge. All you need to do is click on this link and click on the “Vote Now” button:
If you’re wondering what the tag line of the photo is all about, it’s in response to the question: “How are you getting ready to prepare for the challenge?” By singing show tunes to keep the bears away…. obviously. I do like to sing….
I did have the most votes for a while, but at the time of writing this, I have the second most votes. Thankfully, having the most votes does not result in winning. The winner is chosen based on what the judging panel is looking for, but votes and comments of support are STRONGLY considered. So keep clicking that “Vote Now” button and leaving comments when you can. Let’s hope I win! *fingers crossed*
Thanks for reading and let’s keep those votes coming!
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.
Hiking in the rain
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 :).
Scrambling to the summit
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.
Almost at the summit with Canmore below
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 :).
Finding a geocache and leaving a magic towel
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.
Pure evil. Or super cute. Either way, this critter tried to steal our food!
So here’s a quick entry to say that I conquered Mount Baldy! Yes, I attempted this one last week, and it was a great hike. But I didn’t make it to the summit, which meant I needed to go back. When Paul and I decided we would do an after-work evening hike, we figured Mount Baldy would be a good one. Unfortunately, it rained the entire hike, but we were prepared for the weather and it actually wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it was a great hike! It made me realize that the elements should not stop me from completing amazing hikes, so I’ll have to make it a point to do more snow-shoeing and winter hiking this coming winter season.
It was a rainy day. But that didn’t stop us.
That’s where we’re going!
There was much scrambling and the rocks were slippery, but we made it to the summit and signed our names. Done and done! On the way back, there were a few almost-rolled ankles and slips on the rocks. Thank goodness I had my scrambling gloves to help grab onto trees and rocks. And thank God for Paul’s farmer hands! Those calluses really helped him break his fall :). After arriving back at the car, we celebrated with a little post-hike Gaga. ‘Cause there’s nothing better than blasting Poker Face after conquering a mountain.
Scrambling to the summit
We definitely conquered it!
We started the hike at 5:15, and even after having to back track and hike a safer route, as well as a quick stop for dinner, we were back at the car for 8:45, and back in Calgary before dark. I need to do more of these after work hikes!
Paul and I at the summit. We got this!
***************************************** Please help me win the Big Mountain Challenge for The Kidney Foundation of Canada! Vote for me EVERY DAY (until July 27, 2012) by clicking here: http://t.co/scxG735u *****************************************
Oh how I’m always itching for a hike. It’s been several weeks since I’ve made it out to the mountains, and that makes me itchy. Today, my good friend Sony and I decided we would venture out for a half day hike and conquer Mount Baldy. It seemed like a good one to do, according to the scrambling bible “Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies”, by Alan Kane. It’s also a short distance from Calgary- after exiting at Highway 40, it’s a little ways past the Barrier Lake picnic area. The weather was a bit hit and miss, but by the time we were all geared up and ready to go, the rain seemed to hold off. Phew.
Ready to hike: Sony and Me. Or is it Sony and I?
The ascent was quite pleasant. The incline wasn’t too steep, and it was a nice hike through the trees before revealing great views of Highway 40 and the surrounding mountains. Then the ‘fun’ part began once we hit the scrambling.
I give this hike 2 thumbs up!
Taking in that fresh mountain air 🙂
View of Barrier Lake
According to the book, Mount Baldy is rated a moderate scramble, and I can see why. There were quite a few technical sections requiring up and down climbing, or careful stepping over many loose rocks. The exposure was a bit nerve-wracking at times, and it didn’t help that the wind was fierce! Sony once proclaimed “This is not hiking!” Although some of the scrambling was out of her comfort zone, she persevered no problem and did awesome! You got this Sony… NBD.
Approaching the scramble
That wind was fierce!
Posing for a photo 🙂
Sony is a scrambling machine!
Mid-scramble smile for the camera 🙂
Mount Baldy stands at 2192 metres. Even though it’s not as high as some of the other peaks in the area, it makes a great half day hike. There’s an elevation gain of 800 metres, but we didn’t reach the summit. Sony and I left the car at 9:40 am and reached what Kane refers to as the gendarme (a climbing term and French word referring to a sharp pinnacle of rock or isolated spire on a mountain ridge) at 11:40 am, before returning to the car at a leisurely pace for 1:55 pm. But our pace wasn’t the concern here; I was just happy to be hiking with Sony, with whom I haven’t hiked since our adventures to the Grand Canyon. We always have so much to chat and laugh about, and what better way to spend that quality time than hiking together :). At some point, I’ll have to revisit Mount Baldy to reach the summit and traverse the ridge to South Baldy, and then proceed even further to the higher West Baldy peak. I think that would take a full day though.
Panoramic view of Barrier Lake from Mount Baldy
The down climbing was quite technical
Relaxing at the rock sofa
We just descended from an intense scramble. NBD.
So you’d think the crazy winds, technical rock steps, or exposure would be the scariest parts of the hike. No way! Shortly after leaving, I had to pull over when suddenly I felt something gross splatter onto the side of my head. OMG, I exclaimed! A gigantic bee had the unfortunate event of hitting the side of my open window, which led to its oozy guts flying onto the side of my head before its body landed in the back seat’s inside door handle. It was incredibly disgusting. Thankfully, Sony was there to wo-man up and dispose of the bee carcass into a Starbucks bag I was holding. Thanks Sony! You’re my hero, even though you somehow managed to brush the dead bee across my hand and smear more bee guts on me. But don’t worry. That doesn’t end our friendship.
Ewww!
Poor bee 😦
The gendarme (top left) with the summit in the distance
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 