Hiking – Page 3 – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

The Larches from Burstall Pass

Hiking towards the pass... but don't forget to look back! — Hiking towards the pass… but don’t forget to look back!

Alas, the fall season is almost over.

I still can’t get used to the extremely short fall in Calgary. There are no crazy reds and oranges that characterize the autumn of the east, but we do have a vibrant gold for about 2 to 3 weeks. For avid hikers in the Rockies, it’s a small window that should not be missed, so when Ry (my bro) was here, I knew we had to hike in an area where the larches could be seen. Larches are conifers like pine trees, but change colour and lose their leaves in the fall. Calgarians and tourists alike will flock to the Larch Valley near Lake Louise each September to hike among the larches, but it’s ridiculously busy. Like, they need a shuttle bus kind of busy! And since I generally try to avoid crowds, I searched for other options. Pocaterra Cirque is my favourite place to go, but we opted for Burstall Pass in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, which consistently ranks as one of the best places for larch viewing in the Kananaskis region. It would be a sure win for Ry, and a new hike for me. Continue reading “The Larches from Burstall Pass”

Moose Mountain: In Photos

Ahoy! There's a the fire lookout! — Ahoy! There’s the fire lookout!

Looking for a Not-So-Strenuous Summit Hike in Bragg Creek?

Back in 2010 when I started hiking, I had heard about Moose Mountain. I can’t remember exactly what information I received, but I put it on my list as a strenuous hike that one day… some day… I would complete. Fast forward a few years with many intense hikes to my name, and Moose Mountain is still a summit I had not conquered. And it turns out it isn’t too strenuous at all! Hmm… makes me wonder why I had not completed it sooner. Continue reading “Moose Mountain: In Photos”

Rawson Lake and Sarrail Ridge: In Photos

Lunch at a Lake AND a Gorgeous Ridge View?

Hiking to Rawson Lake near the Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is a great way to spend an afternoon. Park at the Upper Lake Day Use area and start the trail near the south side of the parking lot. Due to the floods in 2013, there is now a log bridge that crosses Sarrail Creek. It’s not as sturdy as it used to be, but it’s stable and does the trick. After that ‘obstacle’, the hike isn’t overly strenuous with a steady incline and takes a little over an hour. On a beautiful day, Rawson Lake is a great place to sit for lunch, relax by the water, or go fishing. For my most recent outing to Rawson Lake, a group of us went to celebrate birthdays and had a large spread of meats, cheeses, breads, pasta and wine. Because when you live so close to the mountains, why not celebrate birthdays with a hike?! Continue reading “Rawson Lake and Sarrail Ridge: In Photos”

An Ice Walk through Grotto Canyon

Flood debris near the entrance to the Grotto Canyon Ice Walk

I’ve been in an exploration mood lately. It dawned on me last year that after being in Calgary for a while, there were still many sites and attractions I had not visited! I suppose this is fairly common: we tend to think about all the amazing wonders in other places- the salt flats in Bolivia, the mountains surrounding Seoul, or the beaches of Thailand- that we sometimes forget about the incredible things right around us.

Continue reading “An Ice Walk through Grotto Canyon”

Weekend at West Bragg

And what a wonderful weekend it was. I knew I wanted to get to the mountains this past weekend for a little rejuvenation. There’s a crazy week on the horizon, also known as the holiday visit home, so the fresh mountain air did me some good.

Bragg Creek is a quaint little place that was hit quite hard by the floods. And even though the landscape has changed, it’s remains as beautiful as ever, especially when the snow has fallen and the sun makes everything glisten. On Saturday, I headed out with a few friends to cross-country ski at West Bragg Creek. Many of us were beginners, so the goal was just to get out there and have fun. We slowly got a basic handle on the technique, and although the tracks weren’t professionally set like I’ve been used to, the conditions were amazing for skiing. I learned that I need to work on my comfort zone when tackling the hills on cross-country skis as I had several moments of panic. In due time, of course.

The next day, I was back in West Bragg to hike the Snowshoe Trail. We opted not to use snowshoes, and luckily the trail was packed down to make hiking easy. The trail was a short 5 km loop, but since I haven’t been hiking in weeks, it was the ideal distance. After both outings, we ate at the Cinnamon Spoon, which seems to be the remaining coffee shop in Bragg Creek. Unfortunately the cosy coffee place with the awesome hot chocolate closed down recently :(. Let’s hope that the businesses in the area continue to recover okay.

The weekend made me realize: there are no excuses not to get out of the city, even in the winter. (I guess inclement weather is an excuse…). I may not love the winter, but I love doing activities in the winter. Especially the ones that have me exploring the great outdoors.

Oh, and I saw a pair of moose! Just hanging out. NBD.