Archive for July, 2009

Day Hike – Chester & Headwall Lake Loop Hike

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

Chester Lake and Mt. Burstall (9,056 ft)

Headwall Lake, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

On Sunday, we were all tired from the previous day’s mountain bike excursion, so we slept in a bit. We made bagels & eggs and had a leisurely morning.

Peter & Lynn recommended we do a really nice, but challenging day hike in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The hike is a loop which goes up to Chester Lake, over a pass, then down to the Headwall Lake, and finally back to the parking lot.

Elevation Gain: about 3,000 feet
Distance: about 10 miles
Total Time: 10am to 6 pm (8 hours)
Hiking Posse: Lynn, Peter, Coryn, Clare, Dennis, & Rachel

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Mountain Biking – Goat Creek Trail (Canmore to Banff)

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

On Saturday morning, I woke up around 7:30am, to the sound of a coffee pot chugging away. I slinked into the kitchen half asleep. Lynn & Peter were enjoying their coffee, and getting food ready for breakfast.

Clare on Goat Creek Trail

They made a hearty breakfast, and soon we were all noshing away. Pancakes, blueberries, canadian bacon, and eggs. I ate well, knowing I’d be needing the calories. We were going mountain biking today. It was the Goat Creek Trail, 17 kilometers of sheer excitement, with a 34 km round trip distance! (more…)

Canmore, Canada – Here We Come!

Friday, July 17th, 2009

On Friday morning, we were all ready to fly to Calgary, Canada. I was ****very**** excited as I had wanted to go to the Canadian Rockies for a long time. (Ever since I saw, “Lodges of the Canadian Rockies” in 2001 on PBS).

Our flight to Calgary went fine, we were on a very small plane, so Dennis checked his carry on when we got to the loading area.

The couple behind us were travelling up to Banff for their 5th anniversary, and they were very expressive and quite vocal in voicing their excitement. In fact, after about 15 minutes both Dennis & I were tired of listening to their banter. Lucky for him, he brought his Ipod.

We landed and went through customs (they didn’t stamp our passports!). Then we waited for about an hour for Rachel. Once she came, we got our rental car and hit the highway.

The Trans-Canada Highway turns into a normal road as it meanders through Calgary, so it took us nearly 30 minutes to get out of town. Just before the road turned into highway, we stopped for a bite to eat at Earl’s. It’s a chain, but a nice quality establishment. We were all delighted with their ice tea, it had ginger and a tad bit of mint & lemon. Tres Bien!

Rachel & Clare & Sundae at Earl's in Calgary
To top off lunch, we three shared a sundae. Yummy!

Calgary Ski Jumps
Back on the road, we passed the remains of the ski jumps from the Olympics, back in the 70s. Neat. Rachel soon dozed off. I read a little, and watched as we got closer to the rockies. (more…)

Day Hike – Mt. Sherman (14,026 ft)

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

High Altitude Antics Summit of Sherman (14,036')

On Sunday morning, way before the sun came up, I drove over to the West Side of Denver. My goal was to join Kris in his summit bid for Mt. Sherman (14,026 ft).

Mt. Sherman From an Indirect Approach

I had no idea what to expect; I hadn’t prepared as I normally do. All I had done was read Kris’ email, which just mentioned meeting him sometime around 5am.

Lucky for me, Mt. Sherman is just about the easiest 14’er, short of driving up Mt. Evans… (more…)

Day Hike – Crystal Lake (11,520 ft), RMNP, CO

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

Dennis, Clare, Charles, & Mary Crystal Lake Hike
On Saturday, we met Charles & Mary in Estes Park. We were set to do a lovely day hike up to Crystal Lake (11,520 ft), via the Lawn Lake Trailhead. It was especially exciting because we hadn’t seen these guys in nearly a year.

Crystal Lakes Topo

The hike to Crystal Lake is 7.7 miles one way with nearly 3,000 feet of gain. It’s listed as “strenuous”, although we found it to be quite pleasureable. It follows a creek, and has ample shade, making it a lovely mid summer hike. (more…)