Ha! I Did It!

Summit Ha Ling Peak, that is!  I tried a few weeks ago but got caught in a rain storm on the way up and had to abort the mission.   Nothing was going to stop me today.  I planned for a full on attack and needed three things to happen for this to be a success:  1) and early start, 2) weather to cooperate, 3) others to be ahead of me (after all when it comes to hiking I tend to be a follower and not a leader.)

The mission started at 8:00am when I walked out my front door.  The sky was overcast but it cleared the closer I got to my destination.  The "pink star" once again, marks my destination.  I stopped on the Three Sisters Parkway to snap this shot.  I had a quick passing thought "how on earth am I going to get up there!"  A friend once told me "you can get up any mountain if you go up the back side."

I arrived at the Goat Creek parking lot only to see three other vehicles that were at the far end near the trail that leads to EEOR.   I was there early, check!  The weather was cooperating, check!  Others ahead of me, no check mark here.  I ate my banana and power bar as I waited for the third thing to fall into place and that didn't take long.  By 9:30am I set out on my mission.  I started my GPS at the parking lot (like I always do) but I wonder if the reported measured distance on maps and in guide books, starts at this sign.  

The others that were ahead of me were long gone, disappearing out of sight very quickly and I was O.K. with that.  I knew they were there.  The first portion of the trail was in the trees boring, not scenic.  I now had a follower.  He kept his distance, when I stopped he stopped, when I hiked he hiked.  The distance between us never increased nor decreased.  Was I being a leader?  The distance passed very slowly yet the elevation covered increased very quickly. Once above the tree line, my destination became very clear.  If you look closely, you will see the summit signs and also a few hikers.  I stopped to layer up here as the wind was wicked and the temperature dropped dramatically.  My follower now passed me and I told him I would see him up there.  I carried on only to meet those few hikers already coming down.   

That meant that my follower and I would be the only ones at the summit.  We chatted, made introductions, he obligingly took my summit shots for me.  Billy had been there many times but never on his own and was wanting to make sure there was someone he could follow up.  He didn't stay long, we said our good-byes and I had the summit of Ha Ling Peak all to myself.  I loved it!  If you click on this photo and look to my right, it looks like a blackberry nestled in the rock.  I didn't notice that until I got home and looked at my photos.

I walked around, took more photos.  I looked at Canmore down below me.  It was here that I decided that I need to be sure to embrace every chance I get to be on a mountain top.  "Embrace Today" will be my reminder.  It will stay with me and follow me to my next destination where ever and when ever that will be.  

I got as close to the edge as I possibly could, going a little beyond my comfort zone, yet still feeling safe.  My hands rest on the sheer drop off.  I certainly felt like I was "on top of the world" here.

Once I noticed others getting closer to the summit, it was time for me to begin my descent.  It was easy and quick.  I was thankful I went for the early ascent as I met so many just now making the trek to the top.   Back at the car in 2:49 I declared "mission accomplished"!  

It was lunch time and too windy and dusty to eat at the car so I followed a suggestion by Adventure Designer to visit Quarry Lake.  I found a picnic table with this view, of where I just was, and enjoyed my lunch in the sunshine.  After lunch I strolled around the Lake not wanting the day to end but I still had to get home and get ready for my next destination.

What a day to embrace!  I became a leader and accomplished my mission!

CIBC Run for the Cure

I arrived at 7:45am for the 9:00am start and even at that time, SouthCenter Mall parking lot was a happening place!  My last run was 6km last Sunday and I hiked 15km yesterday, but that didn't matter, I knew the excitement and adrenaline would get me through today's 5km easily.     

I found a place with all the runners and posed with them in my Team shirt.  The bandana is from the run a couple of years ago and shows the words "hope" and "courage".  I saw lots of courage today and felt hope for many others.

Before the run started, I went to the CIBC Tent and wrote out on a bib who I was running for today then got the lady there to pin it on my shirt.  I didn't realize until I got home that it was pinned overtop of my Team name.   That's O.K., it was more important to see who I was running for.

At exactly 9:00am we were off.  It was very crowded at first but quickly spread out.  There was so much to look at and listen to along the way that it took my mind off that I was running and the kilometers seemed to go by very quickly.  My favourite part is where all the pink bras are hung on a line strung across the road.  I could see them from a distance and as I got closer I picked out one that looked like it might be my size, then jumped up and gave it a tap as I ran under it.  

This is the route!

These are my stats!

This is always a feel good event for me.  I come away feeling very hopeful.  I'm proud to be a part of this event especially when there is acknowledgement to us, in the long sleeve red shirts, from those standing and cheering along the route.

HOPE & COURAGE

An October Gift

I was very thankful and appreciative for today!  It felt like a gift!  I accepted it with open arms!  It was the nicest day we had in ages, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and my thermometer on my backpack reached +23 degrees celsius.  Really!  It did!

I soloed to the Big Beehive and didn't even get stung!  The trail starts at Lake Louise.  The pink star on the upper right shows my destination which is the top of Big Beehive.  I was on the trail just before 9:00am and it was nice there were only a few folks around.  

After about 2km I had to delayer down to shorts and a short sleeve shirt.  It was my intentions to do that anyway at some point,  just because it was October, but I didn't plan on it happening well before 10:00 am.   The day was amazing already.  In no time at all, I arrived at Lake Agnes.  Here it is in three seasons!  The autumn photo was yesterday, the spring photo was last year in June and the winter photo was February of this year.  I will have to go back in the summer.

I stopped at Lake Agnes for a bit to take photos and enjoy the scenery then I followed the lake shore to the back side.  When I looked back to where I just came from, this is what I saw!  Click on the photo to enlarge it, you will see the Teahouse on the left.  It is still open and folks were on the deck having breakfast.  I was really liking how this gift was unwrapping.  The reflections were perfect.

I was thankful the autumn colors were still in bloom.  When I reached the far end of the lake around this corner, I took a short detour to what looked like it could have been something but turned out to be nothing.  I was thinking there could have been a small lake or a tarn at the base of a rock face.

I reached where that pink star was, my destination!  I was the first to arrive today.  I had the place to myself for about 30 minutes.   This was my view as I dined on cherry tomatoes, a tuscan turkey sandwich,  almonds, and an apple.  I am blocking the Chateau Lake Louise but you can see the corner of it.  Off in the distance is the Lake Louise Ski Hill which will no doubt be covered in snow soon.  This view is quite a gift!

As I was finishing lunch, folks started to arrive.  First another soloer, then a couple, then a five-some of men and then a group of 8, two who I knew and have hiked with before.  We chatted for awhile and then it was time for me to carry on enjoying today's gift.  I took a different route back down to Lake Louise which added on a few more kilometers then if I went back the way I came.  I was at the base of this and thought it looked dramatic with the fall colors,  the pinnacle and the crescent moon.

Once I got off the Highline Trail and out into the open, I had a view of Mount Lafroy and Mount Victoria.  I like how the branch of the larch tree frames the top of Mount Lafroy.  This is what you see at the far end of Lake Louise and beyond some, when you are standing at the Chateau.  

I reached the Lake shore and took one last look before I followed the trail back a few kilometers to where the hike would end and today's gift would become totally unwrapped.  Once back at the Chateau, I found a bench and just sat and smiled for half an hour.  

I didn't want to leave!  I wanted today to never end!  But, I still had a two hour drive home and I had an early morning ahead of me, so I packed up gear and headed to my car, knowing this October Gift was on my camera and I could relive it at any time!  

A Summer Day in Autumn

When I think of the word "tombstone",  I think of Arizona,  I think of graveyards and of gun fights!  Today we hiked to Tombstone Lakes off Highway 40 along the Highwood Pass and the only thing we saw that was remotely related were hunters on horses carrying guns (good thing this was in the parking lot at the end of the hike).  Our hike took us out of the Park onto land where hunting is allowed.  The hike to Tombstone Lakes started at the Elbow Lake Day Use Area.  I was here just a few weeks ago when I was hiking to Piper Pass.  After 1.3 km of hiking straight up right away from the parking lot we arrived at the always beautiful Elbow Lake.  It was very windy which kept the clouds away,  yet didn't allow for any reflecting here today.  The wind was so strong at times that I thought I might have to carabiner on to someone bigger than me to keep me grounded.

We stopped just long enough to get a calendar shot then quickly carried on around the lake and ended up in a meadow, surrounded by mountains.  We followed this trail for a few kilometers passing by where I turned off to go to Piper Pass a few weeks back.  You can see those Cats Ears off in the distant center.

We carried on down the trail and eventually reached the Tombstone Campground where there were a few tents set up.  We found out later this was a class from Mount Royal College, backpacking for two nights and learning all about "leave no trace" and survival skills.

We decided to go to the Upper Tombstone Lake first because it was suppose to be prettier and we could have lunch there.  The Lake protected us and sheltered us from the wind.  Of all the times when you don't want wind, that is it.  After lunch we hiked the 1.1km around the Lake getting to see it from all angles.  The golden larch trees against the emerald water was a sight to see.

We took the back way from the Upper Lake to the Lower Tombstone Lake.  We passed through a small boulder field and by some gorgeous larch trees, all the while having views of snow covered mountains around us.  This is a Wildlands Provincial Park which means random camping is allowed.  Maybe! Someday! I would love to! Anyone care to join me?

Looking back over the Lower Lake, we had the same backdrop as the Upper Lake but just further away.  Without the wind, we now have reflections!  They say the Upper is prettier then the Lower but I am not so sure about that!  Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

After completing the hike around the Lower Lake, we worked our way back out to the main trail and found our way to the campground again.  I was told there was a Warden's Station close by so off I went to find it.  This is it!  No one is home this time of year!  What a waste!  I would love to spend a weekend in this beautiful log cabin.  

I took one last look back to admire the beauty before it was heads down, feet forward, battling the wind for the hike back.

I thought when I started on this hike that it would be an easier day!  Not quite!  We hiked for just over 21km and that includes the hike around the Upper Tombstone Lake and the short little side trip to see the log cabin.  Not everyone did the lake loop and the cabin curiosity, so this distance would just be for DGo&Go&Go and I.  We did it all!  The wind made it challenging at times, throwing me off balance.  It took extra energy to push into it and that wore me out.  That is still all good though!  As a friend once said "I am pleasantly depleted"!  That is exactly how I felt!

Just Because of the Trees

Every year, at this time, there is a migration to Banff National Park just because of the trees.  To be specific, the calling is to the Moraine Lake area to see the larch trees.   The time frame for viewing the larches at their peak once they turn from green to orange is short, possibly two weeks, then the needles fall off.  In that period, you pray for a decent day to hike the many kilometers to enjoy views, knowing too there would be hundreds others doing the same.

When we arrived at the Moraine Lake parking lot to see it was less than half full, I was quite pleased.  Then when the cloud and the fog lifted right before our eyes while still in the parking lot and we were presented with this perfect picture, I already felt on top of the world.

While this hike is all about the larch trees, you can't help but appreciate the mountain scenery too.  The light dusting of snow only added to the beauty.  After the hike through the forest, we reached Larch Valley and that is where the true show began.  The trail winds through the Valley and at each turn I had to take a photo.   I love how the colorful trees frame the mountains.

At the far end of Larch Valley, out of the trees, the look becomes less colorful and more dark and dramatic.  Dark and dramatic can be beautiful too!  We ate lunch before we carried on with the steep ascent to Sentinel Pass.  While we needed the fuel, this would give us time to sit by and admire Minnestimma Lake.  Also, there was the possibility it could be cold and windy at the top.  

The tight switchbacks make a doable ascent to Sentinel Pass.  Once at the Pass, I quickly tackled the short, steep, rocky route to the edge of this rock for my summit shot.  Now, I truly feel on top of the world.  The spires at my side give this Pass its name of Sentinel.  Below the back of me is Paradise Valley and it sure lived up to its name today!

Once the summit is surmounted and the serious shot is complete then it becomes play time.  The child within comes out.  Before leaving the summit, I inched my way to the edge of the rock for a yoga pose.  The descend was quick and fun.  On a +12 Degree Celcius day, with a light covering of snow, I could not pass the inviting chance to make a snow angel.  Never, at any time, did I feel in danger but it is fun to make it look like I am living on the edge.

On the return trip through the forest, I got glimpses of Moraine Lake.  With the lighting at this time of day, the Lake was gorgeous and I wanted a full on view with no obstructions.  Once back at the Lake there is a short detour up a massive rock pile that affords you the perfect view.  This is what you get after a ten minute climb! 

I felt like the luckiest girl alive today to be where I was and to see what I saw!  The stars were alined with perfect weather and fewer folks.  For most, this is a once in a year trip, not for me.    I will be back next Saturday to catch the last of the show but will be veering off down another trail for a whole different view.  Stayed tuned!