Peter Lougheed Provincial Park – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

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”

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”