Buller Pass August 28, 2005

Documenting Days Gone By

photos are scanned from prints

information is from what I wrote in a journal

Buller Pass

 August 28, 2005  Sunday

Me,  D.

13 km round trip

670 m elevation

9:30am - 4:30pm

+25C

 

This was a great day!  We started around 9:30, it was a little fresh but warmed up nicely and soon  We stopped a couple of times for a snack on the way up.  As we got near the scree ready for the climb it was cool and very very windy.  At the top we stopped for lunch for 30 minutes or so.  We had a beautiful view of Ribbon Valley and Ribbon Lake.  On the way back we stopped and rested for 30 minutes in an open area.

Looking back:  It was my turn to drive this day and we took the 742 up from Canmore. The drive to the trail head was fine but on the drive home on the 742 I hit a big pot hole and cracked the catalytic converted on my car.  This was an expensive hike!  I liked orange back then but little did I know how much.

Rummel Lake March 27, 2005

Documenting Days Gone By

photos are scanned from prints

information is from what I wrote in a journal

Looking back: is what I still remember today about the day

Rummel Lake

 March 27, 2005 Easter Sunday

Me,  J Him

10 km round trip

400 m elevation approx

10:00am - 2:30pm approx

It was an overcast day just barely below zero degrees.  There had been a snowfall over night.  This is not a maintained trail but there were marks we could follow.  Had to stop a number of times going up.  It was  gradual ascent.  We had lunch at the top.  It was beginning to snow.  Only saw five people.  Beautiful scenery.  Would love to do this in the summer.

Looking back:  This snowshoe trek is memorable for what is wrong in this world!  We arrived at the trail head parking area on the side of the road where there was a Parks Vehicle and a red vehicle with the front window totally smashed out, the side mirrors broken off and left hanging, the side window smashed and the inside of the car covered in snow.   The Park Warden got out of her vehicle and came to talk to us.  She told us this vehicle and been damaged over night probably by young people from Canmore who have nothing better to do.  I was flabbergasted!   I had never heard of such a thing like this happening!  She told us the car would belong to people who went up to the backcountry campground at Rummel Lake for the night.  We were nervous about leaving our vehicle.  She said she would be staying here until the people came down.  We geared up and began snowshoeing.  Part way up we met three people, a Dad, a son, a daughter.  The son and daughter I would say were probably very early teens or almost early teens.  They had snowshoed up for the night, then come down on Easter Sunday and planned to go home to have Easter with the rest of the family.  We told them about their vehicle and the Warden was there waiting for them.  I felt sick about this whole thing and I could tell they now looked the same.  We reached the Lake, did not stay long, there were no views.  We arrived back at the trail head and the Warden told us the family was over at Engadine Lodge waiting for someone to come pick them up and also waiting for a tow truck to come for their car.  We went over to the Lodge and talked with them and asked if there was anything we could do to help out but between the Warden, their family and the Engadine Lodge staff, they were O.K.  I felt so sad, so let down, so disappointed that this could happen on Easter Weekend to a young family who were bonding out in the wilderness, in the middle of winter where it snowed all night.  They were doing what is right in this world but experienced what is so wrong in this world.  

Easter Sunday

This is about shoulder level in the summer.

Rawson Lake February 20, 2005

Documenting Days Gone By

photos are scanned from prints

information & story is from what I wrote in a journal

Rawson Lake

 February 20, 2005 - Sunday

Me,  J Him

12 km round trip

320 m elevation

9:30 am - 1:45 pm

This was a wonderful day! It was very cold for the first while.  We had all our layers on.  We followed along the Upper Kananaskis Lake then turned off to the left to go up to Rawson Lake. We had lunch and then went across the Lake to the base of Mt. Sarrail.  We saw an avalanche.  On the way back we came across the Upper Kananaskis Lake.

Looking back:  I know now we were not at the base of Mt Sarrail.  Reading these few sentences for each event does not make an impression that these outings were great.  It was not until a couple of years down the road when I began to blog that I wrote more of a story line.  Notice at times I did dress in black from head to toe! 

Chester Lake February 12, 2005

Documenting Days Gone By

photos are scanned from prints

information is from what I wrote in a journal

Chester  Lake

 February 12, 2005 - Saturday

Me,  J Her

6.0 km round trip

310 m elevation

10:00am - 2:00pm

What a beautiful day!  The snowshoe up felt easier than when J Him and I did it.  It was clear blue sky the whole time.  There were more people also.  We had lunch at the Lake, sat in the sun for awhile.  No wind at all but it felt cool.  On the way back the wind picked up a bit but it was still beautiful.

Looking back:  During these early years of when snowshoeing was not quite sexy, there were not many options of places to go.  Many trips were made to Chester and Rawson.  Ooops - I did take my snowshoes off again at lunch time after thinking I learned a lesson at Chester just a couple of weeks prior.    

Hogarth Lakes Loop January 29, 2005

Documenting Days Gone By

photos are scanned from prints

information & story is what I wrote in a journal

Hogarth Lakes Loop

 January 29, 2005 - Saturday

Me,  J Him

4.5 km loop

no elevation

10:00am - 12:00pm

We were supposed to do Chester Lake but I felt sick and did not think I could handle the elevation. We parked at Chester Lake but walked over to Hogarth Lakes.  It was slow going because I felt sick. I could hardly move, so it took up to two hours to snowshoe around the Lake.  I felt cold the whole time.  We got to the car around noon and ate there then J Him drove home.  I slept most of the way.  

Looking back:  Why did I even go in the first place?  Maybe I was trying to make an impression so he would like me more.  Was this a good impression?  NOT!!!

Chester Lake January 23, 2005

Documenting Days Gone By

photos are scanned from prints

information is from what I wrote in a journal

Chester Lake Snowshoe

 January 23, 2005 - Sunday

Me,  J him.

6.o km round trip

310 m elevation

10:30am - 2:30pm

 

Snowshoe trip up to Chester Lake.  It was warm starting out.  It was steep at parts.  The alpine meadow was beautiful.  We had lunch at the lake.  We saw an avalanche.  It started to mist and got cool.  The scenery was beautiful.  It seemed a little difficult coming down at times.  Felt very tired.

Looking back:  This was my first ever snowshoe out in the mountains.  You could make your way up and back to Chester Lake and maybe see less than a dozen other people. On this day I learned not to remove my snowshoes when sitting for lunch.  We removed ours when we sat down.  While eating we heard a rumble and a thunderous noise and then we saw an avalanche come down off the mountain right in front of us.  I had never heard nor seen one before and we did not know how far the snow would come.  We wanted out of there so when we stood up to move, we sunk to over our knees in snow and could go no where.  We panicked then noticed the snow stopped at the other side of Chester Lake.  Never again have I removed my snowshoes at lunch time.    

in the meadow

 the view along the way

 lunch at Chester Lake