Grizzly Peak/Col

5.8km 7239ft trailhead 8550ft col vert gain: 1300ft

Trip # 3 took us to Grizzly Peak. The northernmost peak in the Opal Range. The Opal range dominates the K-country landscape with its vertical bedding planes giving rise to some very striking mountains. The car is parked in the ditch at an unmarked creek which tells you that you're definitely off the beaten track. The approach follows the wonderfully named Ripple Rock Creek with Mt Evan Thomas looming behind Suzanne in the photo.(right)
Foolishly I pronounced this "the best trail ever!" though the first kilometer was unbelievable gorgeous. But it quickly got pretty steep. Which is fine, you just have to throw yourself at the task ahead. But after about 500 vertical feet, our protestant work ethic was morphing into some sort of zoroastrian trial by fire. Finally after determining that I could climb up but my lack of shoulder extension prohibited me from getting down safely, we carefully retreated. Was rather surprised since a guidebook I had made no mention of the exposure (drop) pictured at left. Certainly when fully healed I will return with great fury and vengeance.

left: Beaten by the Rock Band


Fortuna, ever a good friend provides again as we determined to salvage the day by wandering over to the Highwood Pass. This is the highest public road in Canada and after parking at the pass we journeyed up a nameless peak overlooking the highwood valley.

This view was a 10 out of 10 and took only a half hour from highway 40! Pretty good effort/reward ratio. Climbing southeast into Pocaterra cirque brought us through stunning country finally having a well deserved break at the tarn that fills the cirque. Suzanne got the best of me in an impromptu tarn pun off.

At left Suzanne poses in the Pocaterra Cirque somewhere above the treeline in the peri-glacial deathscape. We loved this hike and it allowed us to recon the Pocaterra ridge (peak on the left)


I found a very small ammolite up here but of an unsaleable grade. Something that really impressed me was along the way we passed a wall of scree that was perhaps 500m tall and bowling around us in two directions. Its quite staggering to have 400 million apple-sized rocks filling your entire field of view. All in all this trip got 8 Quaker chewy bars out of 10 despite turning our legs to jelly.

Ha Ling

5.4km 5463ft trailhead 7897ft summit vert gain: 2400ft


Trip 2 took us to the lofty heights of Ha Ling Peak. This is the peak that dominates Canmore and is rather imposing as seen from the north. But like many peaks in K-country, they are angry steep on the northwest side but sloping less vertically on the southeast side. Mount Rundle being the most famous example.
The hike starts at the Spray Lakes reservoir at the eastern foot of EEOR (East End Of mt Rundle can't take credit for that one, that's what the locals call it.) The goat path winds relentlessly straight up never ending switchbacks. For trail interest we had to give this 2 chewy bars out of 10. But after much stamina and 2500 feet later, you find yourself straddling a razor edged col with enough empty space around you to properly cow any hint of agoraphobia lurking within. The picture at the right is the view from the col looking into Canmore and the Bow River. Its straight down from where I'm standing and truth be told, it actually made me a little ill to have my back to the abyss. Suzanne poses in front of the Three Sisters with Big Sister poking above the ridge line. Brilliant day but definitely a work-reward kind of trip as opposed to a hike. And its pretty cool to sit at an outdoor cafe in Canmore and gaze up almost in disbelief to think you you were standing up there.

Baldy pass

7.4km 4500ft trailhead 6200ft pass vert gain 1700ft


This was our first hike of the year. The trailhead was marked with a rather imposing warning sign claiming that there was bear activity in the area. Upon discussion at the interpretive centre down the road I concluded that we really weren't in anymore danger than you are at any other time and so off we went. The trail follows the seasonally dry streambed in the photo. Rather lovely dotted here and there with some hardy and aromatic balsam poplar. Then over a scree avalanche and up to the pass.
A grand vista awaits with views across the bow valley towards Calgary. 8km round trip with around 1000 ft elevation gain. We gave this trip 7 chewyy bars out of 10