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”
On Sunday, despite being ridiculously tired, Robbie and I headed out for a hike. We stopped at the Barrier Lake Visitor’s Centre in Kananaskis to ask about potential hikes. The parks guy was super helpful, and we decided on a short hike to Rawson Lake, which has been on my list of hikes to do in Alberta for quite some time! So off we went to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and parked at the Upper Lake Day Use area near the Kananaskis Lakes. I was all decked out in my 70L backpack and new North Face backpacking boots. I figured it would be a good training day, seeing as my big Glacier trip is a week away!
Broken bridge across Sarrail Creek
The hike was nice and short. Due to the flooding, a bridge was completely out, and so it required “fording” of the Sarrail Creek to access the trail. (A quick google search has revealed that “fording” is the act of crossing a river or stream at a shallow place). Then it was a steady incline to the lake. Apparently we were just short of crossing paths with a moose! Although that would have been quite the site to see, it’s probably best that we didn’t encounter it.
That way to Rawson Lake!
The lake itself was beautiful- a common reaction to most glacial lakes I’ve hiked to. We stopped for a lovely lunch and contemplated hiking up to Sarrail Ridge for an even better view… but alas, we opted for a nice, easy day, and headed back to the car. It was definitely a nice day for a hike and the weather cooperated by not raining until we were done!
Having lunch at Rawson Lake
One other point. I have now seen, with my own eyes, Mount Indefatigable. I’ve had that scramble on my list for goodness knows how long. I knew it was near the Kananaskis Lakes, and I think I’ve seen it before, but I’ve never stared at it from across the pond. I will conquer you, Indefatigable. Mark my words…
Mount Indefatigable… I will conquer you!
Stats:
Start: 12:45
End: 3:30
Lunch: 2:00 – 2:30
Distance: 7.8 km roundtrip
Elevation: 320 metres to the lake
It always surprises me how much I love doing winter activities. I mean, I hate the winter! Well, hate is very strong… I dislike winter very very much. But there’s so much fun to be had in the winter. After going skiing twice this season, a short hike at Tunnel Mountain in Banff, and trying ice climbing, I was ready to shelve all things wintery. But when friends Paul and Vanessa texted to see if my friend Dan (who’s visiting from Guelph) and I wanted to go snowshoeing today, we couldn’t refuse!
Fun!
We completed half of the Lower Lake Trail, then finished the Marsh Loop
My second attempt- success!
The morning began with a quick trip to Starbucks for pre-hiking fuel, a stop at the Outdoor Centre to rent snowshoes, and then a nice scenic 1.5 hour drive to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country. We stopped at the visitor centre for some info, and then headed to William Watson Lodge where there were a few snowshoeing trails from which we could choose. In the end, we completed about half of the 3.3 km Lower Lake Trail before turning back to finish the 1.8 km Marsh Loop Trail. As usual, there were shenanigans! We all learned that it’s quite difficult to execute a successful jump shot while wearing snowshoes. Who knew?!
Gorgeous
There’s always time to pose for a photo
An impressive jump shot, by Vanessa, Dan and Paul
Making an up-hill detour
I’ve realized that I love snowshoeing. I guess that’s not really a surprise considering I’m a huge fan of hiking trails and scrambling to the summits of mountains. In the winter, the mountains look absolutely gorgeous, especially after a fresh dusting of snow. Despite the season, the mountains never cease to fill me with a sense of awe and wonder. It’s crazy to think that there are many Calgarians that don’t take advantage of the natural playground in their backyard. To ensure that I don’t become one of them, I have decided that I must do more snowshoeing next year! I’m looking forward to it already :).
The mountains never cease to amaze me…
I really need to do more snowshoeing. Next year fo’ sho’ 🙂
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”
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 