McLean Hills March 28, 2019

As I entered Kananaskis Country today I was pleasantly surprised to see how much snow had fallen.  It was just enough to create pretty pictures so I stopped to take some, pictures that is, not the snow.  We were heading off to hike our way through the McLean Hills.  Soon the gate will open and the Hills will be flooded with vrooom vrooom vroooms, the sound of ATVs.  Today we were afforded a peaceful place. 

view from the road on the way to the trail head

lots of new white gold

It was windy enough and cool enough that I needed to start out donning an extra layer, hat and heavier gloves.   I had my regular hiking boots on but wished I was wearing my winter hiking boots.  I had on my regular hiking pants but wished I was wearing my winter hiking pants.  If felt like winter all over again.

We entered the forest and began the ascent.  

I like being in the forest when it looks like this.    

We had to perform a little bit of route finding.  I was up in these hills years ago, today it was not as I remembered.  There were many trails branching off and the route we needed was not totally obvious at all times.  We made it to the summit of McLean Hills that offered up this view.

my summit shot

The summit was our chosen lunch location.  

We picked different spots to settle down and dine.

Some sat down slope a bit in a sheltered spot.

I went for the top front center then bundled up to brace against the elements. 

my lunch time view

We descended down the Priddis cut line reaching a meadowy area.

from there we located the Horizon Trail and followed it to the end

We ended up at this location with the bench, table and fire pit.   

The only task ahead was to work our way out to the road then follow it a short distance back to the trail head.  By now lots of the snow had melted and we were no doubt up into a + digit temperature.   This is our route for today out in the McLean Hills.

As the end of March approaches, I wonder what we are in for weather-wise!  

March came in like a roaring lion!

Forecasts are showing it will go out like a ______!!!