My bum… is numb.
That was my second thought once Robbie and I completed the 21.8 km Legacy Trail from Canmore to Banff. I haven’t been on my bike enough lately to comfortably endure that distance.
My first thought was: We did it!
Oh Middle Sister.
What wondrous views from your summit. Atop your vantage point, I feel like I can conquer anything. But alas, I will never hike you again.
Just outside of Canmore, there’s a trio of mountains known as the Three Sisters. Iconic and symbolic, they’re hard to ignore. Of the three, Middle Sister is the easiest scramble, and I’ve wanted to hike to the peak since 2010. Since Dan was in town, I knew we needed to hike something intense. Paul was free as well, and when the three of us get together, there’s all kinds of ridiculous. One of Alberta’s famous snow storms in August decided to pass through the day before, which thwarted our original hiking plans. After humming and hah-ing, we decided on Middle Sister.
The East End of Rundle is becoming a go-to favourite for me! With a round trip time of about 4 hours, this hike offers a forested and rocky ascent with gorgeous views of Ha Ling and the surrounding Spray Valley. A short, yet super fun scramble with a bit of exposure greets you before the summit. My friend Dan, who was visiting for another mountain adventure, was up for epic hikes, and I knew EEOR would be a great after work accomplishment.
I am a glutton for punishment. Why would I hike Mount Sparrowhawk for a third time??
Well, Sparrowhawk probably has the best summit views that I have ever seen in the Canadian Rockies, so even though the hike is quite epic, long and exhausting, it’s worth it. At 3121 metres (10,240 ft), it’s the highest peak in the area. The third time around, I was hopeful I would beat my time of 8.5 hours, but alas, we did not.
Thursday July 2. And that was Peyto Hut, our cozy abode for 2 nights. After an oatmeal breakfast we packed up and cleaned up. One of my tasks was to empty some leftover bison stew and pasta into the outhouse. It is not a fun thing to do. The outhouse, as you can imagine, has a strong pungent stench of the excrement of many mountaineers. And in I go, with bowls of food, to throw the leftovers into the hole. It’s a whole lotta smells!
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 