Summery Summary

The first day of July was my last day in Iceland.  I spent Canada Day sightseeing around the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.  Visiting this Island was a life long dream come true.   I still look at my photos to keep the memories alive.  At times I can't believe I was really there.   Little did I know while I was there that beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, amazing colors and experiencing new would become my summer theme.  

That Iceland trip ignited the adventurous side of my soul and I wanted to keep that spark electrified.  I pulled out my little green worn & torn notebook to check out my scribblings from the past few years. There I saw written an ideal destination to fulfill what I now newly needed.  The unofficially named "Horseshoe Lake" would feed that appetite.  The hike to Lake Annette, Giant Steps, Paradise Valley, Horseshoe Meadows & Horseshoe Lake and then back again on July 8 was a great kick off to the dog days of summer hiking season.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and it was brand new to me.  

Into that Skoki region is a favourite place of mine to venture to.  I have been many many times in different seasons with variable conditions. I like to add a different twist each time I go just to keep it intriguing.  I had heard about Heather Ridge and eyed it each time with hopes of having a birds eye view from up there one day down the road.  Standing on this summit would be an opportunity to carry on with this summer theme that was developing.  Seeing Ptarmigan Peak and Ptarmigan Lake on July 15 from this vantage spot was spectacular. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and it was brand new to me.  

My summer would only get better!  On July 19 my university days pal who I have not seen in some thirty years came to visit me from Georgia USA along with her friends.  For their introduction to Alberta and our Rockies, we hiked to the summit of Mount St Piran from Lake Louise on July 20.  After all these years there was no effort at all with the friendship carrying on.  We both changed over the years with our lives growing in different directions yet in some ways we became even more similar.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and it was brand new to them.

At the request of the young lady, we hiked to the summit of Fairview Mountain on July 24.  Her wish was to go high where she could feel hugged by the mountain peaks and the glaciers.  It was on this day where I witnessed her embrace her surroundings, a growth occurring, a developing potential passion, and a young person "remember to breathe" which I believe was all happening without her even realizing.  This was a WOW day for me and for my friends.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and it was brand new to them.

On July 27, the day before I would turn 60, SmutsFist and I hiked to the summit of Mount Allan in celebration of my big birthday.  He put this plan in place and my only deed for the day was to get myself to the summit.  Thank you for arranging this special day and thank you for our friendship.   This was exactly how I wanted to acknowledge turning 60 years old.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and I wondered what brand new things & places I would experience at the age of 60.

And so this summer trend continues!  July 31 was a one time gifted free day off work and I wanted to make the most of it and be appreciative of that gift.  I have been to Wenkchemna Pass a few times and each time from the summit, I admired the tarn that sits in the meadow down to the right.  We ventured there this time.  I now know I will not go back to Wenkchemna without tacking on this side trip.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and it was brand new to me.

The summer heat wave continued and so did the Verdant Creek fire.  The smoke from the fire was cause for concern for some but I just aimed to be "out & about" anyway and hoped for the best.  The best clean air didn't present itself today but a new to me area and lake did.  On August 12 after visiting North Molar Pass we made our way across the molar meadow and hiked up to a high point in search of Mosquito Lake.   The color of the lake and its surroundings were so very pretty.  One day I will put my feet in that lake.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and it was brand new to me.

Where to next!  My next destination needed to be new and needed to be higher and further.  August 19 we headed back into Skoki and reached the summit of Fossil Mountain.  At times I was speechless given the views.   I was truly thankful for the clear clean air.  I saw a whole new section of Skoki from this summit.  It was work to reach this point.  It was a long day and I was glad to be finished but I realized today that it is taking more to reach that feeling of being pleasantly depleted.  Today opened up new doors in more ways than one.  The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, the colors were amazing and it was brand new to me.

August 26 would be my so long July/August & so long summer hike.  I picked the summit of Mount Bourgeau to say my goodbye.  The views were vast in all directions.  This is a place where I knew I would feel like I was "on top of the world"!  In fact it feels like I lived these two months on top of the world.   Today was ideal in every way and I felt content that I could say I ended my summery streak on a high note!

Months back early in the year when I began to draw up my summer plans, I never dreamed it would turn out the way it did.  I feel blessed and fortunate and I am very thankful for that.   It was a July and August where I felt like I was flying high the entire time.  If I could have imagined what my days would look like and I could paint a picture of that it would have looked exactly like it actually did.  I would have to say the stars aligned perfectly.