Door Jamb and Loder Peak are easy/moderate scrambles near Calgary that can both be conquered in one half-day outing. It’s a surprise that I hadn’t experienced them sooner!
We’ve had a mild winter in Calgary this year, and the easterly location of Door Jamb and Loder Peak along the Bow Valley would almost guarantee a non-snowy May hike. Robbie and I parked at the side of the road on Highway 1A near the eastern cement plant near Exshaw, and the trailhead begins right from the parking lot.
So I’ve written about Ha Ling Peak before. It’s steep. It’s awesome. It’s quick. And the views from the top are incredible. With a round trip time of about 3.5 hours and an elevation gain of 700 metres, Ha Ling (2408 metres) is also a great one to do if you want to stretch your legs after a day at the desk job. From where I work in Calgary, I can leave the hospital and set foot on the trail within an hour. I’ve mentioned numerous times about how grateful I am to live in a city where this is possible.
What’s notable about this particular Ha Ling climb is that my brother Ry was visiting and he was eager to scramble up his first mountain in the Rockies! As expected, he was not disappointed with the view of Canmore, the Bow Valley, and the Spray Lakes area below. It’s was one of those breathtakng moments where he couldn’t even find the right words to describe the feeling of looking down at the world. Ry has always thought my photos were pretty awesome, but admitted that they never really capture the moment. I would have to agree. It’s that sense of awe that has drawn me in, leaving me wanting more with each and every mountain peak!
Ha Ling wouldn’t be the only mountain adventure during Ry’s stay in Calgary… Continue reading “Ha Ling Peak”
Oh Mount Temple. I shake my fist so hard at you right now. They say the third time’s a charm; however, this is the third year that efforts for a Temple summit have been thwarted. It’s not that it’s an impossible climb, it’s just that I have promised two other nerds that we would reach the top together. Between a combination of weather obstacles and logistics between Paul, Dan and myself, conquering Mount Temple will wait another year. Sigh… clearly we needed another epic mountain to take its place. But which one?? Continue reading “Mount Lady Macdonald: So. Much. Exposure.”
One of the reasons I love living in Calgary is its proximity to the mountains. This is no secret and I often post about how grateful I feel to live where I do. Whenever my friend Dan visits for mountain adventures, there’s always an after work hike. This year’s choice? Mount Baldy at 2192 metres and an elevation gain of 800 metres.
After a fun day of statistical programming (weeee!), we left the university after 4 pm and headed to Kananaskis. Taking the Highway 40 exit and travelling south for approximately 12 km, we parked at an open lot on the right and geared up. The trailhead is a little before the lot on the opposite side of the road at a stream. The trail is well worn, steep, rocky, and awesome. Incredible views of Kananaskis Trail, Barrier Lake, and the Baldy ridge make the short ascent quite interesting. There are a few sketchy scrambling sections about halfway up (ie. a scary down climb and a rock wall to climb over) , but all can be avoided by bypassing them to the right. Thankfully for us, clouds blew over as we neared the top and provided amazing views all around. As the sun set behind the mountains and the light faded, we decided to forgo the ridge walk and head back to the car. But hey, that’s okay! For a 4-hour round trip scramble after work, I’m not complaining. 🙂 Continue reading “Mount Baldy: In Photos”
For some reason, the south peak of Opal Ridge is a scramble I had forgotten about, so when a friend suggested we hike it, I was total on board. Four of us headed to the Fortress Junction Service Station on Highway 40 in Kananaskis and geared up, ready for a long day. From the north side of the parking lot, we headed north through the grass and crossed over the drainage creek to start the ascent on trail that leads to the top (Note: You want to be on the left side, or north, of the drainage as you ascend). This one has it all: a steep ascent, loose and large rocks on which to scramble, lovely wildflowers, a grassy meadow before the last push (equipped with the perfect rock on which to have lunch!), and then a final hike up to the south peak with views of the surrounding valleys and mountains that will leave you breathless. As an added bonus, you can scree down parts of the descent. Squeee for the scree! Photos don’t do it justice, but it’ll give a pretty good idea of the awesomeness to expect. Continue reading “Opal Ridge (South Peak): In Photos”
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 