Rawson Lake July 21, 2017

There was a group consensus that we go for an easier day without bolting out the door before the birds are up.  We opted for a hike up to Rawson Lake with time after wards to hang out at the Upper Kananaskis Lake.  My friends were keen to  deck out in their summery attire but I offered up the suggestion to layer up after checking out the weather reports for out in K-Country.  The drive out was pretty and not busy at all.  We were fortunate to see two healthy happy looking foxes. Seeing a bear from a safe distance would have been nice but the chance to witness a moose on the loose was the true wish.  We arrived at Upper Kananaskis Lake, geared up and hit the trail.  

It was cold and windy in the open but we still took the opportunity to admire the views.  The sun peaked through every now and then and cast pretty light on the mountains.

a little time was spent down by the water's edge

We warmed up on the climb through the trees.  It's not the prettiest place in those trees so I was glad to get out of there and arrive at Rawson Lake.  There was lots of grey in the sky and that didn't work in our favour for the best photo ops.  We decided to head to the far end of the lake to get a different perspective and hope maybe the sun would come out by the time we got there.

hiking along the rocky route

We took a little time to play and capture our destination shot at the end of Rawson Lake. 

while the child within came out for some

another sensibly searched for shelter

It was still well before dining time and it was not the warmest and prettiest at Rawson so we hiked back to the trail head expecting we would need to be having our picnic lunch in the vehicle.  Blue appeared and it warmed up as we got closer to the parking lot.

what a difference a couple of hours makes

and still friends after that snowball rivalry

The best table at the lake was available so we snatched it up.  A picnic like this was unusual for my friends and they gladly and happily embraced it.  For them a picnic would be seeking shelter from the sun and the heat wearing shorts and a singlet.  We savoured beverages, sandwiches, veggies, fruit, chips & cheese.

our spread

Shortly after leaving the Lake, what to our wondering eyes did appear, but a moose on the loose.  

This was the icing on the cake!

I told my friends about the sign that used to be at the Highway 40 entrance to Kananaskis Country.  It said "Life Begins at Highway 40".  On the drive to and from Upper Kananaskis Lake, they recognized that this area is a wonderful large playground.  It was an enjoyable time to be able to just sit for awhile and enjoy our surroundings and tell stories and bring up memories.  I'm glad we got to share a day like this and they were game to embrace it even with the wind and the cold we had.