Mount St Piran at least try something

My goal for today was to just take one step at a time and see how far I get and then be content with accomplishing that goal.   I picked heading west to Lake Louise as my options there would be plentiful.   The plan was to gear up and just go then assess along the way.    I picked four spots as potential destinations, each one further along than the other.  First Mirror Lake, second Lake Agnes, third Little Beehive and fourth Mount St Piran.  My level of wellness would be the determining factor  on how high I went.

After ten hours of sleep, I did not dilly dally when I woke, I stayed focused and got out the door.  As I integrated into bumper to bumper traffic at Stoney & 1 West at 6:30am it already felt right.  Normally I do not care for this traffic but this morning I was OK with it, I was where I belonged.  I enjoyed the scenery and the tunes for just short of two hours.

Lake Lousie bustles earlier and earlier these days.  Who can blame anyone for that, the views are splendid, the colors so pretty in the early morning light.  I bypassed the head of the Lake and aimed for the trail head.  Photographing was not my focus today just getting somewhere was.  I did opt for a few shots, this being the first.

Slowly but surely I reached Mirror Lake. I have been to it numerous times so did not feel the need to pay it a visit.  So far so good so I hiked on by with Lake Agnes next in mind.  The hike from Mirror Lake to Lake Agnes is not about the scenery,  so I just put one foot in front of the other and covered the distance.  I reached the intersection saying Lake Agnes left, Little Beehive right.  I went right.

I was doing OK so went on with my day.  At the next junction where the sign on the left has a scrathched out Mount St Piran, I took a minute.  Little Beehive truly did not interest me, Piran did.  I thought at least try for it.  

baby ptarmigan along the way

wildflowers along the route

I stayed focused and just kept on taking one step at a time.  I opted out of scenery photos at each switch back, rather just going for the summit and declaring that as my destination for today.  I was happy to have some blue in some directions for my visit.   You can see 1 West in the bottom left and the winding Icefield Parkway lower right.  

I descended along for a bit until I could see both Lake Louise and Lake Agnes.  

There you have Fairview straight across with Big Beehive below it.  

The gazebo is on the left end of it and the switchbacks up to it are seen in the middle. 

my early lunch time view

After enjoying the sights and my lunch, I geared back up and aimed down.  It was a quick trip down with no intentions of shooting shots.  I took the route that leads towards Lake Agnes for the only purpose of bypassing the horses on the other route.  Very early afternoon, I made it back to Lake Louise, admired this view and then headed for my car.  The wild flowers are beautiful and plentiful.

Today turned out being more like a business trip.  

I sealed the deal with a successful summit.