Four For Fernie (Day 2 Sept. 8, 2010)

Yesterday was all about driving, today was all about walking!  The only thing I had to do with my car today was look at it when I walked out the front the door.  I let them know at the front desk that I would be gone all day but my car wouldn't.  I just felt I wanted someone to know where I was!  I had about 25km to cover and the first stop was the Visitor Center to get some information.   It was a hike on its own to get there but there was lots to see along the way.  

Right behind the Visitor Center was the trailhead for Fairy Creek Falls.  It was a 4km round trip through a dense lush forest.  The lady at the Center suggested I make noise because black bears have been frequenting Fernie the last little while.  I did as she suggested and also carried bear spray in my hand.  

The trail was muddy and steep down to the falls.  I made it part way down when I started sliding in the mud.  This was as close as I got.  Without poles or grippy boots, it was a challenge to get back up.

The trail system throughout Fernie is similar to ours here in Calgary.  You can go from one end of the city to the other and that is just what I did.  I carried on after Fairy Creek Trail hike and followed a pathway that took me to Maiden Lake.  At this point, I was confused as the names on the map were different then the names on the trail posts.  I asked for directions three times, once a runner, another time a lady with one dog and the third time a lady and two dogs.   It appears I had an out of date map.

Then I worked my way along a trail called Old Stumpy and it brought me out at the historic downtown section of Fernie.  This is City Hall.  I walked up and down the streets admiring the restored buildings.  I found some benches in front of a senior citizens home and that's where I had my lunch.

On the other end of the historic section, I hooked up with the Coal Creek Trail. Somehow I missed the old coal mines and a graveyard but did find this abandoned barn.  I felt like I was on someone's farm.

That trail led to another trail which followed a river.   No beavers were to be seen at this dam. I ended up in a beautiful residential area and on the other side of it was James White Park.  I was glad to see others around here as I had been warned a black bear was shot there last week.

Almost six hours later and 23.5km, I landed back at my home away from home.  I decided I wanted to stay another day, so before going to my room, I checked to see if I could stay another night and they confirmed my room was available.  I went to it, took my socks and boots off, put my feet in the tub that I filled with cold water and it felt so good.  My feet were sore and tired!  But I wasn't!  I relaxed for about 45 minutes then cleaned up and went to The Curry Bowl for dinner.  It was a house turned into a sweet restaurant.

I enjoyed a glass of red and watched the people and traffic out the window while I waited for my curry chicken dish.   

After dinner, once again, I went down to Annex Park and walked for an hour enjoying the reflections.

I carried my GPS today as I was curious as to the distance I would cover.  

I was glad I didn't have to head home in the morning.  There was still lots to see.  Before going to sleep, I made a plan of attack for Thursday.

Four For Fernie (Day 1 - Sept 7, 2010)

I think I am addicted to short, solo, car vacations!  I had a week of vacation booked and needed something to fill the days.  I didn't want to rent a car, or buy a plane ticket but I wanted to get to somewhere, where I felt like I was far away from home.  I settled on Fernie!

I left home early on Tuesday morning thinking I would beat the crowd and that the Labor Day Weekend rush would be over.  I was so wrong!  As soon as this trip started,  I was so overwhelmed with the traffic and feeling stressed that I went with the flow until I hit Banff and needed to break away to get into a zen, de-stressed, vacation mode.  I veered off down the road to Lake Minnewanka and walked the shoreline where I could breath in the mountain air, relax and get into a proper frame of mind.  It didn't take long and that was exactly what I needed!

When I eventually turned off onto Highway 93 heading south, I left the world behind and was on my own.  I had my list on the passenger seat of all the sights I wanted to see.  The first was at the Continental Divide which is the division for the flow of water either to the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic Ocean.   

Next was Marble Canyon.  The walls of the Canyon were deep and the water was a beautiful turquoise shade but it was the color landscape along the walkway that really caught my eye.   The area was covered in the pink fireweed and autumn crimsons.   

It was still early enough in the day that dew drops were still on the leaves.

I was not too impressed with the Paint Pots.  I much prefer the Ink Pots closer to Banff.   It was a nice enough day that the trees reflected in the pot.  The soil along the trail was mostly this color and by the end so were my sneakers and socks.  

By the time I reached Numa Falls, I was overdue for lunch.  I checked out the falls then settled for awhile by the rocks to eat.  The color of the canyon walls looked so stark against the emerald water.  

This vacation was starting out colorful!  My timing was perfect.  Next on my hit list was the Kootenay Valley Viewpoint and the array of color continued. 

Olive Lake would be my last main sight to see before driving for an extended period of time without stopping.  

I had no plans to stop at Radium except to get this snapshot just after you enter.

I finally arrived at Fernie about 4:30pm and checked into my home away from home.  When I drove up to the place and saw it and the location, I felt a bit of concern but that was quickly squashed once I walked through the front door.  I was pleasantly surprised to get what I was getting for so little cash.  I unpacked and cleaned up then went out for dinner across the street.   I enjoyed a glass of red while my strip loin was being prepared.

It was still early enough and I wasn't tired after dinner so went for a stroll behind my home away from home, which was a quaint residential district.  These guys came out of a backyard ahead of me and looked like they knew where they were going.  I gave them some distance and then followed.

They lead me to a most beautiful park where I ended up walking for an hour and to where I returned each evening.   

It was a long day and already I felt like I had been away forever.  I was happy with my choice and knew this was the place for me. Before I went to sleep, I planned out an attack for Wednesday.

Short and Sweet

The title refers to the length of this blog post, not of our adventurous, exploratory (yet sweet) hike through French Creek to the toe of French Glacier today.  The hike was everything it was promised to be, and then some!  Another definition of "exploratory" is "unexpected route finding side trips".  An additional definition of "exploratory" is "finding and seeing some of the most unexpected, beautiful scenery and things".

We made it to our destination and back in a round about way on both ways.  Instead of the "promised" 14km, we accomplished our mission "and then some" in 18km.  Our total elevation for the day was approximately 730 meters.  I was surprised that with a lower meter count, you could still hit amazing heights.

A couple of things interfered with me getting great photos today.  I didn't realize my camera setting was still set to a practice mode from Saturday's photography hike.  When we reached the toe, the snow started, the wind picked up and it turned blizzard-like.  For these reasons alone, I want to return to this place on a nicer day.

To give you somewhat of an idea of today, I picked out a few photos.   

Thank you to Agent-X for the quick administration of Vitamin I and knee brace.  The immediate attention worked and won't interfere with the next adventure.  From one adventure to the next, how sweet!

Going for P+P+P

This hike to Piper Pass was aimed specifically towards photography and those with DSLR cameras.  While I love photography,  I don't have a DSLR, mine is an Olympus Stylus 9000, but wanted to go for this hike as it was on my to-do list.  I don't have settings on my camera as those of a DSLR to get the beautiful shots, so I am usually going for finding the unique or the artistic to make my photos stand out.  Then again too, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!  To start this photography day,  I took this photo out my front door as I was getting ready to leave.  In my eyes, this is beautiful!

Scrambled Legs and Adventure Designer put this day together and I was thankful that I could join them.  I really enjoyed being able to drop my backpack and spend time roaming around, practicing with the camera settings and going for something nice without feeling rushed.  After about 30 minutes ascending from the trailhead, we arrived at Elbow Lake.  The lighting was not the best or what we had hoped for but fine enough to get this pretty reflection shot.

We spent quite some time at Elbow Lake then carried on with the hike around the lake and headed towards Piper Creek Canyon via logging roads, creek crossings, bushwhacking, along a real trail, by water falls and finally coming to an opening where we were surrounded with many mountain ranges.  This photo was taken later on looking back at the meadow that we had just passed through, where we had our lunch break and where we spent a lengthy time being photographers.

From this meadow we could see our destination ahead.  We would be going up the right side of the reddish colored mountain in the middle.  If you click on the photo, you will see a faint trail heading directly up.  I like the distinct coloring, and the definite division of each formation.  The whitish beige formation on the left is called "Cats Ears".  I'm pleased with how my photos turned out and it pays to be able to take the time to get the setting right.

I dropped my pack at the base of the mountain before beginning our ascent to Pipers Pass.  I took the essentials with me, and appreciated the light load.  It was a steeper climb then it appeared from the distance and was slow going.  As I got closer to the top and my pace got slower, I heard an urgent alert!  This time it wasn't "bear" but "rainbow"!  That was my motivation to put the pedal to the metal and summit!  I did!  Just in time!  I took this photo of the rainbow just before it faded.  It lines the edge of the mountain in the center of this shot.

While hikes and scrambles and snowshoes are all about the journey, deep down inside, I can't  help but make going for the summit important too and when I reach the top, I feel jubilant, I feel like I am "on top of the world",  and the scenery is the best reward.  From Pipers Pass, we scrambled a short distance to a higher vantage point.  This was as far to the edge as I would dare to go because behind that splotchy green rock behind my foot is a drop off.

Going for scenery photos isn't the only thing I look for.  I also enjoy checking out color.  The grassy mound pops out and looks vibrant against the grey rock.  Yes, autumn is just around the corner.  The red is a sure sign!  These emerald tarns were visible from our summit and I did zoom in to get a close up.

Like I said right from the start, I like going for the unique! I may not be the only one with a photo where this summit stone appears, but it is my stone, left for you, and the sentiment on it  is a reflection of the feeling I feel when I am on these adventures.  Adventure Designer pointed out the scene which we were actually looking at and photographing was identical to the photo on the front of the Kananaskis Lakes GemTrek Map  and that is depicted in this photo!  How cool is that!  Did anyone else feel like they were being watched?

This was the first time I went on a hike geared for photography and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was not the only first for me today.  While on the summit, the sky quickly turned from grey to black.  While standing for our group summit shot, a flash of lightning appeared in the distance directly in front of us.  On a mountain top is one of the last places on earth you want to be.  We quickly packed up our stuff, made a fast descent, then at the bottom, geared up for the rain that just started before heading back through the meadow to the shelter of the trees.  It was my first time in a lightning storm on a hike and hopefully my last! 

From what I have seen in the past, I can hardly wait to see the photos that my friends took with their DSLR cameras, I know they will have some gems! 

Snow Peak on a Summer Day

When the plan to scramble Snow Peak was initially formalized and put out there for an option for today, the possibility was that the Peak would live up to its name!  As Saturday drew closer, the optimism and positive outlook always displayed by V-Joy,  came to fruition!

The moment I saw our destination, I thought to myself, "are you serious", "really", "this is a joke right", "how on earth", "O.K. if you say so"!  We had the weather on our side, the trail to ourselves, a happy crew....so far so good!

We set a good pace for the flatter part of the trail that follows along side the Burstall Lakes, across the flood plain and up to Burstall Pass.  The plain was on the drier side with just a few wet areas that were easy to work our way around.  The shrubs were just high enough that any wildlife could easily be hidden in, so we made sure to announce our presence here. 

Burstall Pass would be our first major break of the day.  We completed some of the elevation to this point and needed to rest and refuel for the scramble ahead to the summit.  The landscape on Burstall Pass looks like something from out of this world.  We had great views for our break, no wind and warmth from the sunshine. 

Our destination was directly in front of us.  Once again I thought "are you serious", "really"!  Others expressed my sentiments also.   We made a plan of how we would attack this Peak.   Mt. Assiniboine was visible in the far off distance to the left of Snow Peak.  

This was a great time to get a close up shot while it was clear.

We hiked and scrambled our way to the summit and it seemed to take no time at all.  We had a 360 degree view which was a generous reward for not a whole lot of effort.  No jumping for my summit shot this time.  The summit was narrow with lots of loose rock.

We spent an hour and fifteen minutes on the summit.  We sat quietly at times in amazement, napped, dined and took lots of photos.  I found the summit canister under a few big rocks and added my name to the list of other lucky folks who had summited on previous days.

Before starting our descent, I took one last shot of the view.  This is what I stared at while I enjoyed my lunch.  Banff is off there somewhere and that is Leman Lake below.  

This trio is brought to you by the letter "f"!  If you are lucky enough to summit Snow Peak one day, you may be fortunate enough to see the scene on the back of this summit stone.  One of my hiking buddies changed into these hiking shoes once we reached a more gentle trail.  

This trio is brought to you by the letter "r"!  K2 joined me for the reflection photo.  We were both in agreement that if you take the time to see all that is around you, you can end up with some unique photos, not just a river, or just a lake or just a mountain.

The whole day was a reward!  If you look on the positive side, even the snow that came down two minutes before the end, was a fitting note to end a hike to Snow Peak on.  The "top of the world" looked so far away and a gigantic hurdle but was close and easy to get to today!  

Waterton Weekend Was WOW! HOLY WOW MORNING!

The next thing I knew after placing my head on the pillow last night was I woke and it was 5:15 am.  I slept through the night!  Amazing!  I laid there for about 45 minutes and just listened to the peacefulness.  I heard Agent-X rustling around out side so I came out to see what she was up to.  She was already starting her day.  I walked to the washroom to clean up then returned to have coffee and breakfast.  We began to clean up the camp site and put everything away but when we were just about complete, K2 who was at another camp site over, voiced a quiet urgent alert!  "BEAR!"  The black bear was smelling around the campsite next to ours and was starting to work his way towards ours.  Agent-X grabbed a few last things and said get into the car.  I got into my car and she got into the other car.  The bear came to the back of my tent and was sniffing around.  At this moment I was petrified alone in my car so got out and went to join Agent-X as she jumped out to grab another last thing off the picnic table.  What an adrenalin rush!  We sat in the car, the bear came over to my window, for a split second I couldn't look and then when I did, I swear the bear smiled at me!  It smelled around for a bit and then walked across the road.  I was snapping pictures now left and right but could not get a really good photo.  This was the best I could do. I could hardly wait to tell our other buddies whose base camp was down the road.  This was a definite high-light of the weekend!

Once he was out of sight and gone, we carried on with dismantling the tents and packing up the balance of the gear.   Some were heading off for another hike while others had their own plans, like me, I wanted to go to the Prince of Wales Hotel, walk around the town and along the lakeshore.  We said our goodbyes and continued on our separate ways!  My first stop was the the Prince of Wales Hotel.

This is Waterton townsite on a quiet, overcast, Sunday morning.  I took this photo from the lawn of the Hotel.

I walked for a bit along the shore of Waterton Lake.  I realized I didn't have my bear spray with me, so this was not a smart or safe place to be so I quickly worked my way up to the main street.  Only yesterday we saw a mamma bear and her baby playing on the opposite side of the lake on the boat trip back from our hike.

I walked along the main street, looked in some stores and then decided I should probably hit the road for the just under three hour drive back to Calgary.  I had a wonderful weekend in Waterton.  I could not have asked for a more fun experience with my friends!