tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52000107887808718962024-03-13T23:59:50.324-06:00Nature and TechnologyPhil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-25823244499173064522016-03-25T14:33:00.000-06:002016-03-25T14:33:16.751-06:0010 Passes to Cross the Canadian Rockies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XfQP18YdtCU/VvWZ-AVkvTI/AAAAAAAABXM/oLod-Wta81oW8Jf6BM1BqlAbjqXuWWz_w/s1600/North%2BKananaskis%2Bpass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XfQP18YdtCU/VvWZ-AVkvTI/AAAAAAAABXM/oLod-Wta81oW8Jf6BM1BqlAbjqXuWWz_w/s640/North%2BKananaskis%2Bpass.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My preferred
definition of a mountain pass is a low point that can be used to cross a
mountain range between two drainages. Many of them are high notches between
peaks or ridges that can be seen from miles away. Others are less well defined
and one may cross them without really knowing exactly where the pass is (unless
you carry a GPS unit or an altimeter).</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4cmox6FBAUc/VvWeJHay80I/AAAAAAAABYY/Ta4AxaOr5xIkDxfFcqtcOF54y2owVcgTg/s1600/ferro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4cmox6FBAUc/VvWeJHay80I/AAAAAAAABYY/Ta4AxaOr5xIkDxfFcqtcOF54y2owVcgTg/s640/ferro.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you want
to hike across the Rocky Mountains, you must use a series of passes in order to
do so. There are 10 passes that can be used to complete the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Walls of Stone”</b> traverse of the
Central Canadian Rockies. What follows is a list of them, with a brief
description of each one.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Vz0Ghf1lFE/VvWcDOSvBRI/AAAAAAAABX8/Ka-s-dFEVXsocEmuL7CYlrABT4qaMXeUw/s1600/Tombstone%2Blake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Vz0Ghf1lFE/VvWcDOSvBRI/AAAAAAAABX8/Ka-s-dFEVXsocEmuL7CYlrABT4qaMXeUw/s320/Tombstone%2Blake2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. Tombstone
Pass - 2231 m, Alternate<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> route; "Piper"
Pass - 2553m </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This pass
itself isn’t very interesting, but if you divert to Tombstone Lakes they are
very scenic. We had originally planned on the more ambitious crossing of higher
“Piper “Pass (between the West Arm of the Little Elbow, and lovely Piper Creek)
but bad weather and low clouds forced us to take the lower option.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2. Elbow
Pass - 2100 m</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">More hikers
cross this pass than any other in Kananaskis Country. The pass itself isn’t a
destination, but it provides access from (or in our case, egress to) Highway
40. Some excellent subalpine and alpine country lies to the east of the pass.
Most folks use it to visit pretty Elbow Lake.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3. North
Kananaskis Pass - 2368 m</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This notch
between Mounts Beatty and Maude sits astride the Continental Divide and was my
personal favorite of the entire expedition. A hoary marmot greeted me at the
alpine meadows, next to Maude Lake. It provides passage between the Kananaskis
River drainage on the Alberta side to the Palliser River in B.C. and is
certainly a destination in its own right.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n-eTt24tSD8/VvWbSuS4EBI/AAAAAAAABXw/hvIAYzJlaYkWt5qMDNEiXPPA8ksJd_Jag/s1600/Maude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n-eTt24tSD8/VvWbSuS4EBI/AAAAAAAABXw/hvIAYzJlaYkWt5qMDNEiXPPA8ksJd_Jag/s640/Maude.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4. Palliser
Pass - 2105 m</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The area
around the pass is interesting enough, with four lakes in the immediate
vicinity. It sits on the Great Divide between the Upper Palliser River and the open
valley of the Spray River in southern Banff National Park. It is close by to
the more often visited Burstall Pass.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P_ZexVJJOGw/VvWbCL33HTI/AAAAAAAABXo/yflTZyrVuFscV9I_GbyyBbcO0GSSnMRAQ/s1600/wonder%2Bpass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P_ZexVJJOGw/VvWbCL33HTI/AAAAAAAABXo/yflTZyrVuFscV9I_GbyyBbcO0GSSnMRAQ/s320/wonder%2Bpass.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5. Wonder
Pass - 2381 m, Alternate<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> route;
Assiniboine Pass -2193 m</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
highlight of the trip, this high pass is often visited as a destination in
itself. It can be used to provide access across the Great Divide to Mount Assiniboine
Provincial Park. Alpine flowers are in abundance near the summit and there are
amazing views in every direction.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6. Ferro
Pass - 2289 m</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBJP6rDxOwI/VvWa1UH4hwI/AAAAAAAABXg/syfUzLsTjs0hSZSvXym3JbBBx_MNLwetA/s1600/Ferro%2BFlowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBJP6rDxOwI/VvWa1UH4hwI/AAAAAAAABXg/syfUzLsTjs0hSZSvXym3JbBBx_MNLwetA/s400/Ferro%2BFlowers.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We <i>had</i> seen
this as a necessary, but uninspiring route into the Simpson River drainage and
Kootenay National Park, but we couldn’t have been more wrong about this less
visited, but scenic pass. It was one of the surprises of our journey across the
Rockies. The views from the interesting narrow pass were well worth the ascent.
In late July beautiful subalpine flower meadows were in full bloom just to the
north of the pass itself.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Numa Pass - 2355 m</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is the
pass that should have been the highlight of our journey, but terrible weather
caused us to cut short our visit to these expansive alpine meadows. If the
weather is good, I am sure a visit would be well worth the serious effort
required to get to this spot along the Rockwall Trail. For us it was a day of
drudgery.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8. Tumbling
Pass - 2210 m</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A tramp up a
long avalanche slope leads to some high meadows surrounded by rocky scree and
talus slopes, with views of the Rockwall. Waterfalls, glaciers, moraines and a
glacial lake make all the effort involved well worthwhile.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZVNFCZUJrk/VvWdW7H-BTI/AAAAAAAABYM/BShf0smxU1coRMs69AkD8iXF_M_W853Bg/s1600/wolverine%2Bpass1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZVNFCZUJrk/VvWdW7H-BTI/AAAAAAAABYM/BShf0smxU1coRMs69AkD8iXF_M_W853Bg/s320/wolverine%2Bpass1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">9. Wolverine
Pass - 2210 m</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For us, this
spectacular gateway through The Rockwall, was utilized to exit the Rockwall Trail
and make our way down into the Beaverfoot Valley. The alpine area around this
pass and leading to nearby Rockwall Pass looked amazing and would certainly
bear more future exploration.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">10.
Harrogate Pass -2127 m</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
virtually unused historic pass is one of the few ways that the Western (Beaverfoot)
Range of the Canadian Rocky Mountains can be traversed. For our expedition, this
is the infamous and uncrossed “Tenth Pass”. It was a question mark throughout
our entire backpack trip and it still remains an enigma due to time constraints
and lack of an obvious route. It appears to be unlike the other wind-swept,
open passes. It looks to be clogged with trees and it is surrounded by cut-blocks
and impenetrable British Columbia bush. I am determined however to revisit this
location and attempt a crossing, in order to prove that my “Walls of Stone”
route across the Canadian Rocky Mountains is viable. Stay tuned!</span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-45033454606993214512016-02-20T16:54:00.001-07:002016-02-20T16:54:56.373-07:00Walls of Stone Chapter 12 – The Tenth Pass<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A man is not old until regrets take
the place of dreams.”<b> </b></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">John
Barrymore</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C9RxRhRoybs/Vsj3ZLTzavI/AAAAAAAABWY/ZggBbND9yac/s1600/final%2Bportrait.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C9RxRhRoybs/Vsj3ZLTzavI/AAAAAAAABWY/ZggBbND9yac/s400/final%2Bportrait.jpg" width="358" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had come
a long way. Starting at the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains we had crossed
the Front Ranges and followed the Elbow, Kananaskis, Palliser and Spray Rivers.
We had entered the Main Ranges near Mount Assiniboine and departed them via the
“backdoor” of Wolverine Pass. We now had only to cross the narrow Western Range.
It was only a few more kilometres across the Beaverfoot Range, to complete our
journey across the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Nine high mountain passes had
already been traversed, now Harrogate Pass was all that divided us from the
Rocky Mountain Trench, the Columbia River and the end of our journeys.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I hardly slept
at all that night, camped next to a cut-block. I knew we were in trouble. As
soon as the sky began to lighten, I got out of my sleeping bag. I think this
astounded Don, who was always the first to rise. We took down the tent, rolled
up our sleeping gear and stuffed our backpacks. I choked down some Ibuprofen
and we put a tensor bandage on my right knee. Protein bars would have to do as
breakfast. Off we went. For once the sky was clear. It was 5 a.m. It was agreed
that if we couldn’t make good progress by ten o’clock, we would abandon our
efforts. We needed to be at the pass around noon.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cmm8gSxpv7Y/Vsjz9PN8VWI/AAAAAAAABV8/3mAUlt9QeUI/s1600/final%2Bcamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cmm8gSxpv7Y/Vsjz9PN8VWI/AAAAAAAABV8/3mAUlt9QeUI/s640/final%2Bcamp.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our footsteps
from the previous evening had to be retraced, which was galling but necessary.
We turned at the small logging road we had debated the day before. It looked
seldom used, but improved in quality as we followed it south. It seemed to be
bringing us closer to the mountains and Harrogate Pass. Then it switched back just
before we drew level with the pass and went in the other direction, towards the
mountains but north again. We followed it for a ways, hoping it would switch
back again. We were gun-shy and it didn’t look like it would. We turned around
and on the way back we noticed a decent road that traveled south. We followed
the road until we drew even with the pass at a “clearing” containing mostly
fireweed, which was just beginning to sport late-summer’s magenta blooms. This
was the spot I had marked on my maps to begin our traverse. It all looked reasonable
on Google Earth! We were probably less than 5 kilometres from Highway 95.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvURRziVcFg/VsjveGH_7II/AAAAAAAABVQ/eaDt2ktLu_s/s1600/map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvURRziVcFg/VsjveGH_7II/AAAAAAAABVQ/eaDt2ktLu_s/s640/map.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dotted line at bottom-center shows a trail across Harrogate Pass</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I must admit
that Don objected, but I insisted that we attempt the uphill traverse of the
old cut-block. It was chock full of thick “B.C. bush”. I had experienced similar
things before, but during times of hot weather and dry conditions. This proved
to be another experience entirely. The vegetation was as wet as a recently
tossed salad. It wasn’t more than a minute before we were entirely soaked.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Things continued to get worse. The bush got thicker and more treacherous. A dense fortification of thorny
shrubs, fireweed, burdock and thistle pressed in on us. An understory of hidden
boulders, trenches and pits acted as booby-traps which could easily break one’s
legs. At one point I stumbled into a pit and looked up to see just a small
window of blue sky framed by vegetation. We tried traversing into some trees,
but they were clogged with windfall. Don took the lead and I marveled at his
tenacity. He picked up a bit of a trail. I had hoped we could find one, but it
soon petered out when the trees ended. We thrashed on a bit further. At what
was probably a third of the way up, we looked at each other. “Fuck this!”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We had to admit defeat. Time had run out.
There was no time to feel remorse, because we now had to find our way <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">back</i> to the road. We tried an alternate
way down, which turned out to be even worse. We clambered over fallen and
leaning trees, shrubs, weeds and rocks. “We should be back at the road by now!”
Don called out. I could hear the frustration and perhaps even panic in his
voice.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Just keep
the sun on your right shoulder” I encouraged, trying not to panic myself. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I lost my trusty
weather-worn Stampeders cap. At one point, as I pushed my way through a wall of
trees, a branch ripped off my eyeglasses and launched them into the bush. I
looked for a minute, but had to concede their loss.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RV3ckiEbKHA/VsjzLdAY_rI/AAAAAAAABVk/dhVhdok9uIM/s1600/Harrogate%2Bday.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RV3ckiEbKHA/VsjzLdAY_rI/AAAAAAAABVk/dhVhdok9uIM/s640/Harrogate%2Bday.jpg" width="640" /></a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The impenetrable
bush shat us back onto the logging road to the north of where it had swallowed
us up. We stumbled back to the gravel road and took stock of ourselves. I was
covered in welts and bruises. We re-bandaged my knee and Don helped me make a kerchief
for my head. Don looked tired and gaunt as he stretched his legs. It was an
emotional moment, but relief began to wash over us. We were both alright. Then slowly
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> was followed by acceptance.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ9uLlJ7-yI/VsjzlPJTPkI/AAAAAAAABVw/_YEl-hhWCnk/s1600/harrogate%2Bday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ9uLlJ7-yI/VsjzlPJTPkI/AAAAAAAABVw/_YEl-hhWCnk/s640/harrogate%2Bday1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I told Don, “I’m
sorry, I had to try.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A couple
from Canmore kindly gave us a ride north to the Kootenay River Runners base
camp on the Kicking Horse River. Their employees were good enough to let us use
their phone. I called my wife, Bev on her cell phone and diverted her from
Harrogate to the TransCanada Highway east of Golden, B.C. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After the
phone call, we stepped outside and shook hands. Don said, “This isn’t the way I
imagined doing this” I could have wept. We walked up the road to Highway 1. I
couldn’t resist self-mockingly yelling out one last “Hhhhey! Ohhhh!” in the tunnel
under the highway. Then I laughed.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VSdaJFN7d1M/Vsj2X4IVohI/AAAAAAAABWM/JAYoKIWtrUA/s1600/final%2Bcoffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VSdaJFN7d1M/Vsj2X4IVohI/AAAAAAAABWM/JAYoKIWtrUA/s640/final%2Bcoffee.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We finally
enjoyed our coffee in the trees next to the road. After a few hours, we emerged
into the hot sunshine, sat on the shoulder of the road and waited for our ride
to come. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vALN7OGL338/VsjyuGcNQ6I/AAAAAAAABVc/vzafld0Lct4/s1600/final%2Bshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vALN7OGL338/VsjyuGcNQ6I/AAAAAAAABVc/vzafld0Lct4/s640/final%2Bshot.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Epilog</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don and I
have discussed all that happened that day. I have spent time comparing maps to
reality and browsing Google Earth and I see a way that it can be done. People have
crossed the historic pass in recent years – one party even carried a canoe.
What a portage that must have been! One day I will return and try again,
perhaps with a GPS unit next time. I just want to prove that our “Walls of
Stone” traverse can be made in its entirety and perhaps establish it as a route
others will follow.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We both
agree that under the circumstances we did the best we could. I told Don that I just
couldn’t walk away from at least making the attempt. I would have always
regretted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> trying that final push.
He agreed.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C9RxRhRoybs/Vsj3ZLTzavI/AAAAAAAABWY/ZggBbND9yac/s1600/final%2Bportrait.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The “Walls
of Stone” project is not over. It’s become more than a hike. I will post a map
of my route and I hope others will follow. I am writing, of course. There will
be a script, soundtrack and more filming. There is even a song. Eventually
there will be a film. In many ways the journey continues.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unlike my
last big trip, which ended with no further plans, I am already looking forward to my
next great journey. I want to return to my birthplace to attempt a traverse of Great Britain. That will be some ten years away, though. Perhaps <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>
will be my final trek. Perhaps <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this
one</i> was. Maybe I will be like Don and there will be others!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On July 30<sup>th</sup>,
2015 we ended up just 3 – 5 kilometres short of our destination, after hiking
non-stop over 250 kilometres, through 8 watersheds and over nine high mountain
passes. I have no regrets. Maybe you will be inspired to follow my route across
the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i>
found a passage between the walls of stone.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvOZ78pV6EQ/Vsj3-iTdwwI/AAAAAAAABWg/L7AVQ_utymk/s1600/title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvOZ78pV6EQ/Vsj3-iTdwwI/AAAAAAAABWg/L7AVQ_utymk/s640/title.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-35884686307017438252016-02-19T15:35:00.000-07:002016-02-19T15:35:22.838-07:00Walls of Stone Part 11 – The Rockwall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"There is absolutely nothing in
the city to give us the same feeling as the great, mysterious things of nature
even though they be stone and ice. It is only among them that we feel the utter
helplessness and insignificance of ourselves."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Jimmy Simpson</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Numa Pass
was one of the destinations that Don and I had both been looking forward to
exploring the most. The day <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ought to</i> have
involved less hiking time and I had visions of video-wandering the high alpine
meadows and exploring them at our leisure. It should have been one of the
highlights of the trip. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1aZHCzVCPw/VseG0-vJ8DI/AAAAAAAABT4/WhEP4hd75gQ/s1600/breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1aZHCzVCPw/VseG0-vJ8DI/AAAAAAAABT4/WhEP4hd75gQ/s400/breakfast.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It poured rain all the while we had our breakfast at the Floe Lake campground. For once we decided to delay setting out and we both had an extra
hot coffee and tried to relax a little bit. That totally went against the grain
with Don. When I am backpacking alone, I tend to lie in if I hear the pitter
patter of rain on my tent. You are in danger of having the tent torn down
around you, if you try that while hiking with Don. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0DvZNXBzR1o/VseIl00SqYI/AAAAAAAABUQ/yeMF9qgzm6k/s1600/Floe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0DvZNXBzR1o/VseIl00SqYI/AAAAAAAABUQ/yeMF9qgzm6k/s640/Floe1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Floe Lake from Numa Pass trail</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rain let
up a bit around 11:00, so we took down the tarp and headed up the mountain to
Numa Pass. We were hoping for a continued break in the weather. As usual, Don
was ahead of me and I stopped to get some shots of Floe Lake and the Rockwall
from the trail above the lake. When I got up to the meadows at the pass, the
rain was blowing into my face and I couldn’t see very well. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was a black
tombstone looking thing in the middle of the meadow. When I got closer to the
“tombstone”, I could see it was Don sitting on a glacial erratic with his black
pack-cover sheltering him from the north wind. When I got up to him, he stood
up and we both turned directly into the wind. The wind became a tempest and the rain came down harder and turned to groppel. We
got off the ridge as fast as we could and back into the trees. . I felt
bad because it was Don’s 70<sup>th</sup> Birthday and I was hoping it could be
spent enjoying alpine meadows – his favorite place in the world.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLDEvM9W-JY/VseF1AacXyI/AAAAAAAABTs/T-V2EAm34zg/s1600/log.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLDEvM9W-JY/VseF1AacXyI/AAAAAAAABTs/T-V2EAm34zg/s640/log.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don crossing greasy bridge at "soggy bottom"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was quite
a march downhill to Numa Creek campground – the worst stop on our entire
journey. We were lucky enough to get a break in the weather to setup our tent,
but I took to calling the place “soggy bottom”. We were both grumpy about
losing so much hard won altitude and being stuck down in the trees again.
We went to bed early that night, as it began to pour once again. It was a
disappointing day.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUOA7RgKSuE/VseNekFw__I/AAAAAAAABUc/7ngOHs5QQfE/s1600/Tumbling%2Bpass1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUOA7RgKSuE/VseNekFw__I/AAAAAAAABUc/7ngOHs5QQfE/s640/Tumbling%2Bpass1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meadows below Tumbling Pass - melt-water lake in background</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next day
was a bit better, though it involved a brutal climb up a long avalanche chute to Tumbling
Pass. We enjoyed the environs of the pass (our second in two days) and the trip
down the other side was quite interesting. We hiked past a glacier and lateral
moraine and finally a melt-water lake. The descent wasn’t nearly as deep as Numa
Creek and the Tumbling Creek campground was more open, with views of the surrounding ridges,
summits and hanging glaciers.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IGTaIXRMQs/VseHzoCJzhI/AAAAAAAABUE/VbogllMn4bk/s1600/Tumbling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IGTaIXRMQs/VseHzoCJzhI/AAAAAAAABUE/VbogllMn4bk/s640/Tumbling.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don and me at Tumbling Creek</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the nice
things about hiking the Rockwall Trail was that you would see the same people every evening
and chat with them. There was a fairly large family group from Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan who were all very accomplished hikers. There were some fellows
from Salmon Arm, British Columbia who we shared our picnic table and tarp with. One of them volunteered to take our photo. It rained on and off the whole time
we were at Tumbling Creek. I took some time-lapses of clouds coming across the
Rockwall between rain storms.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3m-IRpAHGns/VseFv4LeEXI/AAAAAAAABTg/4Lchx6fLtME/s1600/wolverine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3m-IRpAHGns/VseFv4LeEXI/AAAAAAAABTg/4Lchx6fLtME/s320/wolverine.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next day
was our last in the high mountains. After the brutal ups and downs of the past
few days, the climb toward Rockwall pass seemed quite reasonable. We enjoyed
the scenic meadows below Rockwall Pass. This was the Wolverine plateau. In my
estimation, it was the nicest section of the entire Rockwall Trail. If I ever
return, I will probably make the ascent straight to this part of the trail from
the Paint pots parking lot.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6O6MMij52d4/VseR7gIZgFI/AAAAAAAABVA/2RK-KtQkI6A/s1600/wolverine%2Bpass1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6O6MMij52d4/VseR7gIZgFI/AAAAAAAABVA/2RK-KtQkI6A/s640/wolverine%2Bpass1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The final push to Wolverine Pass</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our
immediate goal, Wolverine Pass only became visible as we drew right up to it.
The pass is a narrow gateway through the 500 metre high Rockwall. We veered
west and headed through the spectacular gap. There wasn’t much point in dallying.
Heavy rain began to come down, soaking us both as we departed Kootenay National
Park at the summit. I looked back as we began our descent to see the
Saskatchewan hikers waving farewell at us from the pass. I waved back and we began
the long descent, out of the Main Ranges of the Rocky Mountains and into the massive
abyss of the Beaverfoot Valley. We announced our presence, “Hey!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohhh!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our voices echoed off of the surrounding
limestone summits of the Vermillion Range.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--bYU-SfPdKs/VseEo74IXzI/AAAAAAAABTI/MXZfAYZAchk/s1600/wolverine%2Bpass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--bYU-SfPdKs/VseEo74IXzI/AAAAAAAABTI/MXZfAYZAchk/s640/wolverine%2Bpass.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPp7yZqvTos/VseEE-TQPiI/AAAAAAAABS4/Noq72Wf_4xk/s1600/wolverine%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPp7yZqvTos/VseEE-TQPiI/AAAAAAAABS4/Noq72Wf_4xk/s400/wolverine%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drying out</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The trail
down Dainard Creek was slippery and tricky. The bush surrounding the path got
thicker as we lost altitude and it sometimes hid the trail entirely. We crossed
several precarious, makeshift bridges along the way. The rain stopped and it
began to warm up for the first time in days, but the wet vegetation along
avalanche chutes soaked us to the bone. I slipped at one point; tweaking my
right knee. For the first time we began to see cedars. At a clearing on a logging
road, we stopped to dry everything out, including my camera and lenses. I
changed my socks and pants. The sky was blue!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2xARcjWMqDY/VseQ8urxLYI/AAAAAAAABU0/jgovlS7ChTA/s1600/log%2Bpile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2xARcjWMqDY/VseQ8urxLYI/AAAAAAAABU0/jgovlS7ChTA/s400/log%2Bpile.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We trudged
down the logging road and finally came to a T junction. We were confused about
which way to turn. I looked at the maps once more and had an epiphany. “If we
go left for a kilometer or so, we will come to a right-hand turn-off, which
will take us across a bridge”. We tried it and that is exactly what happened. The
bridge took us over the fledgling Kootenay River. It was hard to imagine that
this swampy trickle was the headwaters of the mighty river I know so well! </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fBzHC0ZUklA/VseFOSUaqhI/AAAAAAAABTU/mg-ZVJfUtmg/s1600/kootenay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fBzHC0ZUklA/VseFOSUaqhI/AAAAAAAABTU/mg-ZVJfUtmg/s640/kootenay.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Headwaters of the Kootenay River</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We stopped
at a B.C. Parks campsite for supper and then began walking again. A nice fellow,
who Don had talked to earlier, stopped his truck and gave us some fresh spring
water for our bottles.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OeUWcpy-nCc/VseQAllWhUI/AAAAAAAABUo/KOEHstVNGE4/s1600/beaverfoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OeUWcpy-nCc/VseQAllWhUI/AAAAAAAABUo/KOEHstVNGE4/s640/beaverfoot.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The low point of the Beaverfoot Range (in the center) is Harrogate Pass</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is
where the wheels began to come off of our plans. We came to what I thought was
the turn-off to get to Harrogate Pass. We needed to be in position for the next
day’s traverse of the Beaverfoot Range. It didn’t look like much of a road and
Don said he didn’t think that was what we were looking for. In retrospect, I
should have insisted that we stop and camp near the intersection. Instead we
kept walking up the gravel road, hoping for a turn off which only came at dusk.
That turn-off dead ended in a cut-block below Castle Mountain. We were too far
north and worse, my injured knee was killing me.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We camped at
the edge of the cut-block. I donned my headlamp and reviewed all of my maps and
Google Earth snap-shots. After an hour, I turned out my light and fell into a fitful
sleep. We were off-course and lost in a maze of disused logging roads. We were
running out of time, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now</i> I had a
plan.</span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-88267844776330763152016-02-16T16:40:00.000-07:002016-02-16T16:40:15.653-07:00Walls of Stone Part 10 – Vermillion River<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It isn't the mountains ahead to
climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.”</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Muhammad Ali</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two nights
and one full day at the Kootenay Park Lodge were a much needed break after two
weeks of hiking. I needed a rest and some food, though the menu at the Lodge was
limited. I had lost ten pounds since I left home. Most of my time was spent eating
and sleeping and tending to my feet, which brings me to the problem I was
having.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xtPl46Ts6s/VsOwECq8TmI/AAAAAAAABSc/oA7LELT81u8/s1600/lodge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xtPl46Ts6s/VsOwECq8TmI/AAAAAAAABSc/oA7LELT81u8/s640/lodge.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had done
my best to prepare for any potential problems. The two things I worried about
the most were my chronic back problems and my knees. My back was fine for the whole
trip. Ultralight backpacking was a concept that seemed to be working so far,
and I was very happy about that. My knees sometimes fail me when I do a lot of
downhill hiking, but on this trip I had no problems at all. All of the walking
that I did before the trip <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> paying
off. The problem that I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i>
have was with my feet.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-KCF8RrjzY/VsOrqtLuX0I/AAAAAAAABSA/MQ-o6IuxfrE/s1600/feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-KCF8RrjzY/VsOrqtLuX0I/AAAAAAAABSA/MQ-o6IuxfrE/s640/feet.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite early
on, I began to get blemishes – reddish marks on my feet. Blisters tend to occur
in one spot, but these occurred all over my feet. A new one formed almost every
day. I tried Band-Aids and some of Don’s moleskin, but neither seemed to help.
My boots were over a year old and well broken in. I made a point of wearing
them whilst walking every day that spring, with no ill effects. Don said that
carrying a backpack was a different story and that certainly was true. The last
time I had foot problems was while wearing old-style leather boots. That was
back when I was a teenager. Now it threatened our traverse of the Rockies and
it was a bit of a mystery. I soaked my feet in saltwater at the lodge. I had
taken to treating any blemishes with Polysporin, which did help. I also took to
consuming Ibuprophen about mid-afternoon. There were blisters too and Don was
rightfully concerned, but I had nursed my feet this far and I didn’t see a
reason to stop now. Upon reflection, I believe the combination of poor quality
boots and eczema were the cause of my unexpected problems.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NI-MPmFxKtY/VsOrMceGomI/AAAAAAAABR0/J1H1pHDQghs/s1600/socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NI-MPmFxKtY/VsOrMceGomI/AAAAAAAABR0/J1H1pHDQghs/s320/socks.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don had
taken a cache of food and clothes to the lodge the week before we set out,
so we replenished our backpacks. We washed our wool socks and hung them at the
fireplace to dry. I recharged a multitude of camera batteries, cleaned lenses,
filters etc. and went over my camera gear. There was plenty to do between food
and naps. I also perused the maps at the visitor centre and tried to figure out
a route across Harrogate Pass. This seldom used pass seemed to be the only way
to cross the Beaverfoot Range and was a major concern.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It poured
rain most of the time we were at the lodge. There was a group of hikers taking
advantage of a break in the weather to dry out their gear in the parking lot
that afternoon. They had been to Floe Lake that day. It had rained so hard that
they decided to bail and head back down the mountain. They were off to Canmore
to hot-tub and stay at a friend’s condo, which seemed sensible. We wouldn’t
have any such options when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i> headed
out to Floe Lake the next day. We were playing for “keeps”.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSn-U61AjM4/VsOqr0JCnCI/AAAAAAAABRo/Mgwmz8-pLtU/s1600/don.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSn-U61AjM4/VsOqr0JCnCI/AAAAAAAABRo/Mgwmz8-pLtU/s400/don.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On July 26,
we departed Vermillion Crossing in better weather and made the walk up the
highway to the Floe Lake parking lot. The hike up to the lake is the usual beginning
of “The Rockwall” traverse, which is billed as one of the great hikes of the
Rockies. Consequently, it is very popular and I had made sure to book our
campsites early that spring. We stopped to eat in the parking lot and Don
mugged for the camera, doing his “old man” routine with a crooked stick which
he used as his cane. The next day was to be his 70<sup>th</sup> birthday!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l5Cr9uljkok/VsOtOWcnuoI/AAAAAAAABSQ/F9nb20CMwJo/s1600/vermillion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l5Cr9uljkok/VsOtOWcnuoI/AAAAAAAABSQ/F9nb20CMwJo/s640/vermillion.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vermilion River on Floe Lake trail</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had heard
from somebody that Don Wales was like “a little mountain goat” and I had seen
nothing to dispel that perception. I knew Don from my involvement with the Red
Deer River Naturalists. He seemed easy to get along with, but we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> were complete strangers in many
ways. I suppose that was a bit of a gamble, but we got along well together. Of
course there were a few disagreements, which are only natural on a major
adventure like the one we were on. I was lucky to have him there. His
experience, his knowledge of plant and insect life, his dry wit, quirky sense
of humor and (not least of all) his food all made the daily challenges seem easier.
He had prepared and dehydrated most of the meals we had with us. Not having to consume
freeze-dried “factory” meals everyday was a major factor in the success and
enjoyment of our trip. Don had 15 years on me and yet he outdid me on the
trails every day. I think that says a lot about the type of person he is.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ6QuwYQybw/VsOwfTAWZrI/AAAAAAAABSk/AwJ79fg-Cv4/s1600/rockwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ6QuwYQybw/VsOwfTAWZrI/AAAAAAAABSk/AwJ79fg-Cv4/s640/rockwall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Rockwall</span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The trail to
Floe Lake is a demanding one, with a steep climb up switchbacks on the final
stretch to the lake. With 8 kilometres of road walking before we even began the
hike, it made for a long day, but we both did well. My legs were feeling strong
that day.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7HH2oUs7eA/VsOqbUW9iHI/AAAAAAAABRg/MWXexuLey_E/s1600/floe%2Blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7HH2oUs7eA/VsOqbUW9iHI/AAAAAAAABRg/MWXexuLey_E/s640/floe%2Blake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Floe Lake courtesy Don Wales</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was foggy
and rainy when we set up camp. After supper, I shot some video of the clouds
and fog drifting up the Rockwall, which gives the trail its name. It is an
impressive cliff of Ottertail Formation limestone that provides a backdrop for
the lake and indeed much of the trail. Gulls flew to and fro, perching on high
ledges. The scene reminded me somewhat of nesting cliffs that overlook the
ocean in Atlantic Canada. We were drawing nearer to the end of our journey, but
there was plenty of beautiful high country and many challenges ahead. So began
the third and final leg of our tour of the Rocky Mountains.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-35794507656062547942016-02-10T10:40:00.000-07:002016-03-08T16:16:34.158-07:00Walls of Stone Part 9 – Surprise Creek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken,
over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going
home; that wilderness is a necessity…”</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(John Muir)</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In every
journey, there are parts that exceed expectations. When I traveled the Red Deer
River, the section that took me parallel with the “Coal Trail” (Alberta Highway
59<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5</span>) a road that I drive every day, seemed like just a necessary link between
“The Canyon” and the Badlands. It turned out to be one of the best days of my
entire journey. The same could be said for the couple of days we spent hiking
the lesser-known areas of Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFnebX2yOHI/Vrtyv3YPciI/AAAAAAAABRQ/bppQD7y3NIE/s1600/cerulean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFnebX2yOHI/Vrtyv3YPciI/AAAAAAAABRQ/bppQD7y3NIE/s320/cerulean.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cerulean Lake</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The day
began with breakfast in the Mount Assiniboine cook shelter, with people from
every imaginable part of the world. Several languages were spoken in the
shelter that day. We shared a table with a couple from Belgium. There was an
Indian ex-pat from Chicago with his “crew”. We first met them at Wonder Pass
and he told us all about the places they had visited in the park. We saw them
later in camp and they seemed very urban and out of place, with a boom box that
they carried everywhere blaring out some sort of Indian pop music – the type
you might hear in a Bollywood movie. They were out there doing it, though and
they certainly were enjoying themselves! I laughed when they put on their packs
after breakfast – two each, one in back and one in front, all stuffed full of gear.
To nobody’s surprise, they were taking the chopper out.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o_CRbT583yI/VrtvOfPlYOI/AAAAAAAABRE/k-xfcFPydZA/s1600/log%2Bbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o_CRbT583yI/VrtvOfPlYOI/AAAAAAAABRE/k-xfcFPydZA/s640/log%2Bbook.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Log book from Surprise Creek cabin</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was
discussion about the Simpson River Bridge or lack thereof. I made the remark
that I was planning the crossing “hell or high water”. I meant it, even though
Don and I had discussed a contingency plan that would involve either heading
back to the Smith-Dorrien or heading out at Sunshine. A doctor, who I later
called “Dr. Know-it-All” made the comment that “this is how amateurs get into
trouble”. Luckily, I didn’t hear the comment. I have been a hiker for more than
a couple of years and Don was one of the few people that could actually claim
to be a professional hiker, if there ever was such a thing.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KOTbLWGVM4s/VrttgGX50zI/AAAAAAAABQ0/qEWln703pcQ/s1600/sunburst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KOTbLWGVM4s/VrttgGX50zI/AAAAAAAABQ0/qEWln703pcQ/s640/sunburst.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sunburst Lake</span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We set out,
hiking past Lizzie Rummel’s cabin at Sunburst Lake and beyond lovely Cerulean Lake,
which are destinations in their own right. We continued through Mitchell
Meadows Campground and began the climb to Ferro Pass. We found ourselves once
again in total solitude. It would be days before we saw another person.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tjV-mOv05no/Vrts4Vbhp0I/AAAAAAAABQs/5HXKl63N5IU/s1600/ferro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tjV-mOv05no/Vrts4Vbhp0I/AAAAAAAABQs/5HXKl63N5IU/s640/ferro.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ferro Pass
proved to be a total delight. I think we were both surprised by how much we enjoyed
this narrow strip of meadow, framed between Indian and Nestor Peaks. We sat at
the pass, snacked and looked at topo maps and out toward the summits across the
valley. There were views down to Wedgewood Lake, in the forestry below. We said
our farewells to what would be our last view of the summit of Mount
Assiniboine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HVxMV55t3C8/Vrtlk1dzL-I/AAAAAAAABPE/VPpM2PB7xtc/s1600/bee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HVxMV55t3C8/Vrtlk1dzL-I/AAAAAAAABPE/VPpM2PB7xtc/s400/bee.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
oposite side of the pass, I could <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just</i>
see our destination of Rock Lake, tucked into a rockslide on the eastern side
of Indian Peak. The beautiful flower meadows on the north side of the pass were
perhaps the most beautiful we would see on our entire trip. They certainly
stood up to comparisons with meadows I had once encountered on the slopes
of Bluerock Mountain and below the avalanche gullies of Piper Creek - meadows
that stuck in my memory from years before. They were like traditional English
gardens, which are more higgledy-piggledy and less organized than the formal
ornamental gardens of the continent.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVbpuLqB7rk/VrtmQGRTPOI/AAAAAAAABPY/NFmgIspsVA0/s1600/Ferro%2BFlowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVbpuLqB7rk/VrtmQGRTPOI/AAAAAAAABPY/NFmgIspsVA0/s640/Ferro%2BFlowers.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XO8NgduP_Xg/VrtkQJCHCwI/AAAAAAAABOk/BSVwvZpQ2vg/s1600/rockslide%2Blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XO8NgduP_Xg/VrtkQJCHCwI/AAAAAAAABOk/BSVwvZpQ2vg/s320/rockslide%2Blake.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rock Lake courtesy Don Wales</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rock Lake
held a decent though rustic campsite on its shore. Both Don and I really enjoyed a return to isolation after our visit to the busy Mount Assiniboine
campground the night before. The rain showers had begun again and it was a cold
night. We sat by the fire and chatted about this and that. The closed bridge
and crossing at the Simpson River were uppermost in our thoughts.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QT4-Li7i34w/VrtnRxlEI9I/AAAAAAAABPo/flm-FccAAkM/s1600/rock%2Bcamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QT4-Li7i34w/VrtnRxlEI9I/AAAAAAAABPo/flm-FccAAkM/s320/rock%2Bcamp.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next day
was the shortest and easiest of the entire journey, but a necessary one. We
arrived at the Surprise Creek campsite to find a very nice B.C. Parks cabin,
empty and available for use. It certainly was a “surprise” and a pleasant one
at that. Of course we both headed straight to the closed bridge over the
Simpson. There was a sign and tape barring our way and some of the planks were
removed from the bridge. We found a possible ford upstream of the bridge that
looked a bit unpleasant, but was not un-crossable. We would sleep on it, but
nothing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there</i> was going to stop our
traverse of the Rockies, and that was a relief!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpHXtkyU7h0/Vrtn0KYvEcI/AAAAAAAABP4/-R4NfKaApi4/s1600/simpson%2Briver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpHXtkyU7h0/Vrtn0KYvEcI/AAAAAAAABP4/-R4NfKaApi4/s640/simpson%2Briver.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We spent the
day drying things out and exploring the area around the forks of Surprise creek
and the Simpson River. I enjoyed the Simpson River and spent several hours
shooting footage – some of it in slow motion. The river reminded me a lot of
another British Columbia stream; the Lussier River near Skookumchuk. It cut
through the surrounding glacial till at its many bends and rocky pools. It
might be a good cutthroat stream and the fisherman in me plotted my return in
neoprene waders, rod in hand. I could while away many days on a stream like the
Simpson…It was still rainy and cool and I stoked up the small wood burning
stove (perhaps a bit too much) and set it ablaze before we retired
to our bunks that night. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mKgkmuIp4nM/VrtocJZDiOI/AAAAAAAABQE/tcbavXQIfUM/s1600/bridge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mKgkmuIp4nM/VrtocJZDiOI/AAAAAAAABQE/tcbavXQIfUM/s640/bridge1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next
morning we tidied up the cabin, then crossed the dilapidated bridge and hiked
among the burned out stumps, half-living trees and deadfall (the results of a
2001 fire)into Kootenay National Park and down toward highway 93. We crossed
the bridge over the Vermillion River and stopped for a snack before we turned <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">right</span> and had to trudge up the highway for several kilometres. It was the first
road we had seen in over a week.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B9v3YG8yMx0/VrtpTL_HyJI/AAAAAAAABQU/7409qsGE93g/s1600/cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B9v3YG8yMx0/VrtpTL_HyJI/AAAAAAAABQU/7409qsGE93g/s640/cabin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the cozy environs of Surprise Creek cabin</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A sign
proclaiming “burgers ahead” put a smile on my face. We checked into our room at
the Kootenay Park Lodge and hit the restaurant for much needed burgers and beer
-thus ended the second leg of our crossing of the Rocky Mountains. We had two
nights at the lodge and a day to rest and recharge. Four high passes and some
of the most grueling hiking of the entire trip still lay ahead.</span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-35469555963936165212016-02-04T18:58:00.000-07:002016-02-04T18:58:07.216-07:00Walls of Stone Part 8 – Assiniboine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><i>Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame!<br />- William Butler Yeats</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />We crossed
Bryant Creek </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6t19DZOoRDo/VrPiHl_z7xI/AAAAAAAABMk/5W8cJkx8CLk/s1600/marvel%2Blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6t19DZOoRDo/VrPiHl_z7xI/AAAAAAAABMk/5W8cJkx8CLk/s400/marvel%2Blake.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">that morning and climbed to a westerly traverse of Wonder Peak
above Marvel Lake. Whomever named the various features along the way to Mount
Assiniboine, spared me the effort of having to break out the thesaurus to come up with superlatives. The weather was good and I found my eyes drawn to the lake
below. There were several islands and it looked quite windy down there. The
resulting riffles sparkled in the sunlight. Don drew ahead of me as usual, but not
because I was struggling. I was determined just to enjoy the hike. This day
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IxowVIe3wOc/VrPinBlwarI/AAAAAAAABMs/GO2oVzNylVc/s1600/grouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IxowVIe3wOc/VrPinBlwarI/AAAAAAAABMs/GO2oVzNylVc/s400/grouse.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A spruce grouse
got ahead of me and was continually driven further and further along the trail. Finally he worked his way uphill from me, then flew over my head and down
towards the lake. When I drew even with the end of the lake, I began my ascent
toward Wonder Pass. I stopped at a pretty ledge and took a tripod-mounted
selfie of myself sitting on a rock and rehydrating for the work ahead.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qx-Nm-qp5Q8/VrPjJ9pBFSI/AAAAAAAABM4/HgNxsf4Fx2k/s1600/drink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qx-Nm-qp5Q8/VrPjJ9pBFSI/AAAAAAAABM4/HgNxsf4Fx2k/s640/drink.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I resumed my
climb to the pass. It was a busy trail, with people coming down the mountain
and others heading in my direction. I played leapfrog with a group of young
Japanese men, who had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">also</i> camped at
McBride’s the night before. The only thing that took away at all from the
experience was the constant din of helicopters, flying hikers and gear back and
forth to the lodge. Even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> wasn’t
really bothering me that day. It all just added to the buzz of finally being on
my way to one of the top destinations on my “bucket list”.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7hKrYuDFXk0/VrPnHCbUpVI/AAAAAAAABNY/jlKalCDgY08/s1600/beardtongue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7hKrYuDFXk0/VrPnHCbUpVI/AAAAAAAABNY/jlKalCDgY08/s640/beardtongue.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The trail switched
back and forth across a steep gully and then at tree line it leveled off
somewhat. I stopped to take photos and video along the way. All of the elements
that make the mountains so enchanting were in abundance. I looked all around at
the rocky summits, topped with glaciers. Icy meltwaters cascaded down the
cliffs and disappeared behind emerald forests that encircled the shores of the azure
lakes below. The pass itself was a garden of alpine flowers, tundra and scree
bordered to the west by the cliffs of “The Tower” and the more gradual slopes
of Marvel Peak to the east.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DKdvV1jmLrA/VrP4ba8v9cI/AAAAAAAABN0/B8Sf4mc04IQ/s1600/pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DKdvV1jmLrA/VrP4ba8v9cI/AAAAAAAABN0/B8Sf4mc04IQ/s640/pass.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wonder Pass
was a busy place. There were backpackers leaving and arriving at Mount
Assiniboine, but many of the people had taken a day hike out from the
campground or lodge, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just </i>to see the
pass. For me it was the way forward, but to them it was a destination in
itself. I could certainly see why. Eventually, I arrived at the wind-swept
summit and saw Don’s pack leaning on the marker. This was our third and final
crossing of the Continental Divide.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UMkSAu0skdQ/VrP43GEeeRI/AAAAAAAABN8/GbtNCCXL6dk/s1600/don%2Bpass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UMkSAu0skdQ/VrP43GEeeRI/AAAAAAAABN8/GbtNCCXL6dk/s640/don%2Bpass.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don was just
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">across </i>the pass, perusing his topo
maps. I stopped to shoot some video and compose a time-lapse of the scene
across the pass. I was surprised by the openness of the park. I had expected
tighter, narrower valleys. Don pointed out some of the park’s main features
including the meadows around Nub Peak (a destination for many hikers). We
looked toward Sunshine and Og Lake. After passing a canyon and two young women taking
a shower in its waterfall, we arrived at Mount Assiniboine Lodge. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pNKtuPqTAO8/VrPhNPUelmI/AAAAAAAABMQ/MZRIZwPjygQ/s1600/wonder%2Bview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pNKtuPqTAO8/VrPhNPUelmI/AAAAAAAABMQ/MZRIZwPjygQ/s640/wonder%2Bview.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A woman at
the lodge recognized Don and began a conversation. While we were chatting, I
noticed a sign that alleged the Simpson River Bridge remained closed and that
fording the river was not recommended. I asked her what she knew about that. She had heard a rumor that National Parks staff had closed the bridge, so
they wouldn’t have to clear the deadfall along the trail to the Radium highway.
This was disconcerting, because our whole traverse of the Rockies hinged on the advent of this one
river crossing.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’s old
style external frame backpack was the “talk of the town” on the boardwalks
around the lodge. People kept approaching him to discuss how “retro” it was
and most of them shared stories of their old backpacks. Don and I both found it quite amusing.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxX7s4y2l7E/VrPl1X6knpI/AAAAAAAABNE/UIWS21Oky5g/s1600/assiniboine%2Bmagog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxX7s4y2l7E/VrPl1X6knpI/AAAAAAAABNE/UIWS21Oky5g/s640/assiniboine%2Bmagog.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We headed
toward camp and I stopped at a wondrous spot above Lake Magog. Don carried on
ahead to find us a camping spot. I found myself transfixed by the iconic scene
before me. I took some more time-lapses and ultra-high definition footage of
the pretty blue green lake backed by stunning Mount Assiniboine, the “Matterhorn
of the Rockies”. I had waited over thirty years to behold this scene, which
rivals any in the Rocky Mountains.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FB00iGFWejY/VrPpIelJ9nI/AAAAAAAABNk/2qdhJl_CaMI/s1600/cook%2Bshelter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FB00iGFWejY/VrPpIelJ9nI/AAAAAAAABNk/2qdhJl_CaMI/s400/cook%2Bshelter.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We were late
for dinner, which was probably my fault and the cook shelter was overflowing
with people from every corner of the Earth. Don cooked supper on a stump next
to the shelter. I pulled up a stump and joined him for the usual sumptuous meal
and a desert of freeze-dried cheesecake, which was surprisingly tasty. Sitting
outside the shelter was fine with me, because I could enjoy views of the summit
and glacier of Mount Assiniboine. A bald eagle flew high above it all, riding
the winds around the summits and over the clifftops. I
tried to imagine what that would be like. It struck me that there was no purpose
to the bird’s meandering flight, other than the complete joy of riding the up-draughts.
Don always had many amusing tales of his many adventures. He told me of a time
when two climbers took him to Assiniboine’s nearly 12,000 foot (3618 m) summit
and of a more recent time when he took the chopper to the lodge and the
mountain was completely obscured by cloud. This can be a common experience for
visitors and we were lucky to enjoy such excellent views and good weather.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ojg7wDZK2fM/VrPmVt-8kEI/AAAAAAAABNM/yCU6u-DmAQw/s1600/assiniboine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ojg7wDZK2fM/VrPmVt-8kEI/AAAAAAAABNM/yCU6u-DmAQw/s640/assiniboine.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Me and my baby</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I seized every
opportunity that I could to spend time with the mountain. After supper, we sat
in the meadows next to our campsite and watched the light of the setting sun
reflect off of the summit. Being in the presence of Mount Assiniboine, was akin
to sharing the room with a most stunningly beautiful woman and being unable
to draw one’s eyes away from her.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2l4-1sHkExk/VrPhrIesowI/AAAAAAAABMY/wJnOJpNC2-g/s1600/summit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2l4-1sHkExk/VrPhrIesowI/AAAAAAAABMY/wJnOJpNC2-g/s640/summit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-79672679488935599792016-01-31T13:30:00.000-07:002016-01-31T13:30:42.680-07:00Walls of Stone Part 7 – Banff Park South<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jwh7fL3MU_k/Vq5WkEQfplI/AAAAAAAABKY/Bl_J7oI9Saw/s1600/palliser%2Bcamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jwh7fL3MU_k/Vq5WkEQfplI/AAAAAAAABKY/Bl_J7oI9Saw/s640/palliser%2Bcamp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Packing up the tents at our Palliser River camp - Mount Queen Elizabeth in the background</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next
morning we set off toward the Palliser Pass. The trail wasn’t always well
defined, but we would stop once in a while to discuss the possible routes. They
all led to the pass, but some were more direct than others. We were still on
the B.C. side and the forest was still quite dense. We passed Palliser Lake
and it was prettier than I expected – azure blue and surrounded by mixed forest.
After Back Lake the trees opened up and we crossed the Continental Divide for
the second time in two days and into the southern tip of Banff National Park.
We were into open terrain once again. Mounts Queen Elizabeth and Williams
bracketed the pass. Belgium Lake lay to our left. Miles and miles of an open,
wide valley and its willow lined river lay ahead. </span></span></div>
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</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pf0CjUWNnyw/Vq5bChrSEGI/AAAAAAAABKw/eMmoVjcMBto/s1600/palliser%2Blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pf0CjUWNnyw/Vq5bChrSEGI/AAAAAAAABKw/eMmoVjcMBto/s640/palliser%2Blake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Palliser Lake</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFlJthaeuYw/Vq5XvTKPJWI/AAAAAAAABKk/iPxGMvUx8Lo/s1600/toad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFlJthaeuYw/Vq5XvTKPJWI/AAAAAAAABKk/iPxGMvUx8Lo/s320/toad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Western Toad</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was a
lot of movement in the vegetation along the river and I stopped to observe that most
of it was due to the many toads living in this remote valley. I had experienced this before – in the Mist Creek valley and near Burns Creek waterfall. Toads are common inhabitants of the Rocky Mountains.</span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was an
easy day after that, as we moved gradually down the valley. Several times we
had to navigate around places where the meandering river had obliterated the
trail. We could see Burstall Pass to the east. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I remember sitting just below the pass many years before with my beloved
Jack Russell Terrier, Billy and staring out into the Spray Valley. I could see
Leman Lake from my lofty perch and Spray Pass behind it. I thought that one day
I might cross the Palliser Pass and visit the remote Palliser River valley…</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1T-b0Zlleo/Vq5eI1x-y7I/AAAAAAAABK8/KiX-cXsTQjg/s1600/sparay%2Bvalley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1T-b0Zlleo/Vq5eI1x-y7I/AAAAAAAABK8/KiX-cXsTQjg/s640/sparay%2Bvalley.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I stopped to
look back toward the pass once more and I saluted the Palliser valley. Good bye
and good riddance…</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both Don and
I had been impressed with the quality of the backcountry campsites in Kananskis
Country – they had all been upgraded in the intervening years since I last
backpacked. The tent pads were good, there was nearby water, there were food
lockups (more convenient than bear poles) and even the outhouses were quite
pleasant. You could bring your wife or girlfriend backpacking now and not have
to subject her to those nasty old shacks! The food preparation has been moved
away from sleeping areas on the advice of bear attack expert, Stephen Herrero
no doubt. It is a bit less convenient, but much safer for both bears <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and </i>people. I believe the communal fires
discourage wasted wood and offer an opportunity to meet some of your fellow
hikers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FYNTeYBLVs/Vq5f_ogeLLI/AAAAAAAABLg/V1Dulep5frA/s1600/spray%2Briver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FYNTeYBLVs/Vq5f_ogeLLI/AAAAAAAABLg/V1Dulep5frA/s400/spray%2Briver.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We camped at
the Birdwood back country site. The new standards are <i>not </i>being assumed by our
National Parks. The bear safety facilities were good, but the rest wasn’t
comparable. There <i>were</i> cables to hang your food, which was alright. The rest, I
could live with, but camps with no water just seemed ridiculous. The back-country standards of our National Parks have definitely fallen behind both the Alberta
and B.C. Provincial Parks.</span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lGY8EYnGqv8/Vq5e0WDCbOI/AAAAAAAABLI/toh8y9vHubQ/s1600/Jon%2Band%2BLara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lGY8EYnGqv8/Vq5e0WDCbOI/AAAAAAAABLI/toh8y9vHubQ/s320/Jon%2Band%2BLara.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We were
surprised when a young couple arrive at this remote campsite. They joined us at a picnic table as we prepared dinner. John and Laura were Swiss adventurers out hiking the
Great Divide Trail. They had started in Waterton and had followed us over the
North Kananaskis Pass and up the Palliser. We listened to their itinerary and
had to take our hats off to them both. They were probably doubling the amount
of kilometers we would do every day over rough terrain. It’s no wonder most of
the peaks in the Rockies were initially climbed by Swiss Guides! I was
impressed. They had many tales of their adventures around the world. I felt a
bit out of place as they swapped stories with Don about traveling to Iceland,
Europe and Nepal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They were gone by the time we got out of our sleeping bags the next morning. We had
managed to go a couple of days without precipitation, but now it began to rain
as we set out on muddy trails that had been churned up by pack horses heading
up and down the valley that morning. Then it began to pour, making the going
very difficult. No wonder the trails had been twinned in many places! For
hikers, horses can be a double edged sword. They often leave trails that
wouldn’t be open at all if not for them (such as the Palliser), but they can
churn up what <i>would be</i> good trails and leave them in a complete muddy mess,
covered with dung and drawing every fly in the valley. For the most part, I
respect the horse guides. This is <i>their</i> domain and most of them are far more
knowledgeable about this country than I <i>ever</i> will be. It’s “live and let live”. That didn’t stop
me from cursing them under my breath that morning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kooY-chBeE/Vq5fRHlwkGI/AAAAAAAABLU/8GARRXag5iM/s1600/mud.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kooY-chBeE/Vq5fRHlwkGI/AAAAAAAABLU/8GARRXag5iM/s640/mud.jpg" width="640" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We hardly
noticed Mounts </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Warre</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Vavasour (named for two British agents who came this way
on a mission to the Oregon territories) and the turn-off to historic Whiteman
Pass, as we trudged through the mud. Just before Bryant Creek, we ran into a jolly
group of fellow hikers who were heading up the Spray River Valley. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I noticed that they
hardly had any gear. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They explained that
they had paid for horse guides to deliver their gear and setup a camp near the
Palliser Pass. One of them asked me how the trail was. I just smiled and told them that the trail was in
wonderful condition. “Enjoy!” I’m not usually so passive-aggressive. They were all
in good spirits and several of them laughed at my remarks as they
continued past me.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LAYfeGEOvV4/Vq5iTM1ys_I/AAAAAAAABL4/i-2M88GKTj8/s1600/bryant%2Bcreek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LAYfeGEOvV4/Vq5iTM1ys_I/AAAAAAAABL4/i-2M88GKTj8/s640/bryant%2Bcreek.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rain
stopped, and the sun came out just as we arrived at the Bryant Creek Bridge.
We took the opportunity to eat and dry out some of our gear. Then we continued
up a wider, better trail to our next camp at McBride’s near the Bryant Creek
warden cabin. We had time to enjoy the wide open meadows and pretty mountain
valley around the cabin that evening. I was already excited about the <i>next
</i>day and my first-ever visit to iconic Mount
Assiniboine.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D98c7Er9cxY/Vq5hCbyrCxI/AAAAAAAABLs/T6cv5gDq2vc/s1600/bryant.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D98c7Er9cxY/Vq5hCbyrCxI/AAAAAAAABLs/T6cv5gDq2vc/s640/bryant.jpg" width="640" /></a> </span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-85781203986644973962016-01-27T21:05:00.000-07:002016-01-27T21:05:32.235-07:00Walls of Stone Part 6 – The Palliser<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s always further
than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it
looks.”<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">(The three rules of mountaineering)</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many great
men had crossed the North Kananaskis Pass ahead of us - James Sinclair in the
1880’s and a few years later, Captain John Palliser. In 1916, the Boundary Commission
explored the pass.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></div>
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</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UGo8fysY560/VqmG8h-Mz1I/AAAAAAAABJk/WEKR-1UFhTk/s1600/Pine1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UGo8fysY560/VqmG8h-Mz1I/AAAAAAAABJk/WEKR-1UFhTk/s640/Pine1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The "Boundary Pine" once marked the southern boundary of the old Buffalo Head Ranch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Adventurer,
explorer, best-selling author and fellow countryman; Raymond M. Patterson passed
this way in 1945. H<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>e had
bought the Buffalo Head Ranch from his friend, George Poceterra i</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">n 1933. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Highwood,
Sheep, Elbow, Kananaskis and Elk valleys were wild places in those days -
beloved places that he knew intimately. Things had changed though, and would
continue to change. In 1933, the Upper Kananaskis Lake was dammed. In 1936, the
massive “Phillips” fire burned down the old growth forest in the Highwood and
almost destroyed his ranch. Now a highway was being constructed… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“A road wiping out the old wagon trail, came
wriggling up the valley like a dusty, ill-omened snake.” <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></b></span></span></span></a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Patterson
sold the Buffalo Head and with his wife, Marigold took a team of pack horses
across the snowy Highwood Pass, then toward the North Kananaskis. There was
deep drifted snow in the Maude Lake bowl and drifts across the pass itself, but
they pushed ahead through a gathering storm not knowing what lay ahead. When he
reached the pass and looked past the drifts his heart soared – the Palliser below
was snow-free<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">! “True there was a shocking
great drift in our immediate path, but that could be dealt with somehow when
the moment came. And in the meantime –Hail Kootenay! Hallelujah!”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></b></span></span></span></a>
The two of them crossed the pass into British Columbia and never returned…</i></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SgW3sGsLI8/VqmFzL38Z1I/AAAAAAAABJY/zM2a7IBEpto/s1600/royal%2Bgroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SgW3sGsLI8/VqmFzL38Z1I/AAAAAAAABJY/zM2a7IBEpto/s640/royal%2Bgroup.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">La Ray Creek - The Royal Group in the background</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a
steep downhill once <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i> crossed the North
Kananaskis Pass into British Columbia. We were about to lose any of the
altitude we gained over the last two days and then some. I remebered that
Patterson had encountered a grizzly after crossing the divide and we both began
to call out, “Heeeeey! Oooohh!”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
voices echoed off of the summits and across the valley. I couldn’t keep my eyes
off of the stunning Royal Group of mountains that lay across the Palliser River
Valley as we made our long descent. . Now we were following Le Roy Creek into
the edge of the Kootenay Region – a vast area in the south east corner of B.C.
I noticed a trail across the scree slope to our left. Don said it went across
Beatty col, past Beatty Lake and on to Three Isle Lake. It could be used as
part of a very nice loop trip.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Palliser
River Valley had been one of the question marks on our journey. On the
topographic map, the notes say <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The trail
from North Kananaskis Pass to Palliser River and north to Palliser Pass is
overgrown, but passable. Not for the inexperienced.”</i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a>
Near the bottom we forded Le Ray Creek and followed an intermittent trail to a
crossing of the Palliser River, which was actually more like a tributary stream
than the creek was. We were able to cross it by rock-hopping. It was strange to
be in that deep valley bottom, with its spruce, fir and poplar trees after
crossing a treeless alpine pass just an hour or so before. Now we would be
heading once more uphill to the Palliser Pass. We turned north and set off
through the thick B.C. bush along the valley bottom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I would dare
say that neither Don nor I are “forest people”. We like trees well enough, but I
think we would much rather be hiking the meadows and rocky open slopes of the high
mountains. At some point this would be our undoing… I think
both of us were a bit tired that day. Don had endured a cold, sleepless night. The
trail was there alright, but we had to constantly be looking down to follow it,
which was tedious. Part of the problem was that we were unable to see our feet
or any rocks or other obstacles on the pathway. At one point I stepped on a wet
tree root and my legs slipped out from under me, depositing me ingloriously in
the wet bush. It took a bit out of me and it was a while before I got up. By
then I was hopelessly behind Don. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I caught up
to him at a creek crossing and he wasn’t happy. He had tried to rock-hop across
and had slipped and landed on his backpack in the water. I think he had
recovered quickly from that, but he had soaked his camera, which was dangling
from his neck. I learned from his mistake and waded across. We proceeded ahead
once more, the trail getting steeper and steeper. I dropped behind,
stopping many times to cool down and catch my breath. For the first time, I was
feeling utterly exhausted, but there was nothing for it. I just had to push on. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-izJP0Jet3fk/VqmNw_P6ykI/AAAAAAAABJ8/1eDghwAfBUg/s1600/palliser%2Bcamp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-izJP0Jet3fk/VqmNw_P6ykI/AAAAAAAABJ8/1eDghwAfBUg/s640/palliser%2Bcamp1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I found Don at a clearing next to a pond. The spot looked like an old outfitter’s camp.
We were just below Palliser Lake. I was relieved to see that Don had decided to
make camp there. I was totally spent to a point that I was feeling ill. I felt
guilty, but I had to just sit there resting while Don began to unpack and prepare
supper. Neither one of us was in a good mood. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Walking the hills of Lousana isn’t enough to
prepare you for this”, Don quipped.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet here I
was, I thought to myself. Instead I retorted “Crossing the Rocky Mountains was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never</i> going to be easy!”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Silence.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HK7V3fyh4no/VqmOH-mgMqI/AAAAAAAABKI/SLuBd50eajQ/s1600/palliser%2Bcamp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HK7V3fyh4no/VqmOH-mgMqI/AAAAAAAABKI/SLuBd50eajQ/s640/palliser%2Bcamp2.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a
while we both began to recover our faculties. We rested and (probably more importantly) re-hydrated and our moods improved. Don set up camp while I attempted to use
a rock in an old rusted tin can to string up a makeshift bear pole.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZA6IeAGe6E/VqmKiC2eBsI/AAAAAAAABJw/MEpBC7MgSqk/s1600/palliser%2Bpass1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZA6IeAGe6E/VqmKiC2eBsI/AAAAAAAABJw/MEpBC7MgSqk/s640/palliser%2Bpass1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s a nice
camping spot” Don said. I looked around and I had to agree. I could see the
notch that was the Palliser Pass ahead. There was a female harlequin duck feeding
on small creatures where the river flowed into the pond. It had been a long
day, full of adventure. We had crossed three
passes so far – there were only seven more to go!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a>
Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, Gilean Daffern, Rocky Mountain Books, 1985</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a> The
Buffalo Head, R.M. Patterson William Sloane Associates, New York, 1961</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a> The
Buffalo Head, R.M. Patterson William Sloane Associates, New York, 1961</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5200010788780871896#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a>
Kananaskis Lakes Map and Trail Guide, Gem Trek Publishing Ltd.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-48246282083468063012016-01-26T16:28:00.000-07:002016-01-27T21:13:51.556-07:00Walls of Stone Part 5 – The Kananaskis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was an
uneventful walk down the mountain from Elbow Lake to the busy Elbow Pass
parking lot on Highway 40. I had worked diligently to plan a route that
included as little road walking as possible, but it was unavoidable. We headed
north up the highway for a few kilometres then we took a gated access road used
by parks staff supplying the Boulton fire lookout. Later, at the intersection
of three roads we stopped at a handy picnic table to eat the sandwiches my wife,
Bev had brought up to Elbow Lake. We had missed her by just 5 minutes. After
turning right at the intersection, it wasn’t too long before we had reached our
base camp at Boulton Creek. That ended the first (and easiest) leg of our
journey.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-US24OIn6Irs/Vqf6wyYc05I/AAAAAAAABIw/OK-UgKwVNCM/s1600/parking%2Blot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-US24OIn6Irs/Vqf6wyYc05I/AAAAAAAABIw/OK-UgKwVNCM/s640/parking%2Blot.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don and I
had both agreed that we would consider it a success if we completed our trip
across the mountains without seeing any bears and so far, so good… My wife however
could not say the same. On the kilometer and a half trail up to Elbow Lake, she
had run head-first into a grizzly that was attempting to avoid some picnickers
– two women and their children. The bear doubled back into the bushes then
crossed the trail below her, while a group of annoyed tourists hissed at Bev
and told her to get out of their photos. A grizzly can be a ferocious creature,
but luckily they can also be tolerant. Her amusing account made us laugh, but
it does make me wonder where it will all end. Not well for the bears I fear.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UBBOLkVqcT8/Vqf7JMU4BWI/AAAAAAAABI8/Kq2V8MxuveI/s1600/packing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UBBOLkVqcT8/Vqf7JMU4BWI/AAAAAAAABI8/Kq2V8MxuveI/s400/packing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Packing for the second leg</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had
planned a two-night, one day stopover with proper food, showers and all the
luxury my little travel trailer could afford. Don and his wife, Marie (who had
joined us) took a side trip to Picklejar Lakes and saw a grizzly sow and cubs. We
were due to set out to The Forks of the Upper Kananaskis River after a day’s
rest, but it was raining so hard that we decided to wait another day and then
make a longer hike past The Forks and straight on to Turbine Canyon backcountry
campground. We took advantage the extra day to have a nice dinner and drinks at
the Kananaskis Delta Hotel.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rain was
still pounding down the following morning as we hiked through the Interlakes
parking lot and past Upper Kananaskis Lake. We were now following the upper Kananaskis River. The journey so far had gone well,
but really it was only a prelude, a warm-up for the more serious hiking that
lay ahead. It had been a bit of a dawdle as the English would say. That was
about to change.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OE4VXgu2hvI/Vqf4hlhvx1I/AAAAAAAABIk/QLwusPOnR7k/s1600/kanansakis%2Briver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OE4VXgu2hvI/Vqf4hlhvx1I/AAAAAAAABIk/QLwusPOnR7k/s640/kanansakis%2Briver.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kananaskis River</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was still
wet when we arrived at The Forks campground. We stopped for a bite to eat and
then pushed on. There are two routes from the forks – one to Three Isle Lake
and South Kananaskis Pass and the one we were following toward Lawson Lake. We
passed a group of athletes jogging out from the Beckie Scott Training Centre,
located at the foot of the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Haig</span> Glacier. The trail began to get steeper
and there was a series of switchbacks. Don pushed ahead and soon I could no
longer see him. It was a cold wet day, but now I was feeling hot in all my rain
gear. I stopped to sort out my clothing and gear, then continued the climb up
the grade – stopping several times to catch my breath and rehydrate. I caught
up with Don on the downhill stretch to Lawson Lake. We could see the lake
through the rain and mist. </span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DyOHci-5yuA/Vqfzacw5L_I/AAAAAAAABHo/K6h6pmRnNr8/s1600/Lawson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DyOHci-5yuA/Vqfzacw5L_I/AAAAAAAABHo/K6h6pmRnNr8/s640/Lawson.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lawson Lake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I stopped to shoot some time-lapse video for my
film. The shot captured the moment when the weather began to change. Fog began
to lift as the sky cleared. By the time we got to Turbine campground, the skies
were blue and we could see all of the mountains that surrounded us. There were
quite a few other travelers at the campground – some were American kids on a
tour of the Canadian Rockies. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beufnoqoYgY/Vqf9WdAOR8I/AAAAAAAABJI/eFDoJko8JWk/s1600/breakfast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beufnoqoYgY/Vqf9WdAOR8I/AAAAAAAABJI/eFDoJko8JWk/s640/breakfast1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This was all
new territory for me. I could see the backside of Mount Black Prince. I long
ago hiked the cirque on the other side of the mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2000, I visited the grave of the Black
Prince, at Canterbury Cathedral. I believe the mountain is named for the battleship
that bore his name.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was ok in
my new sleeping bag, but Don had a very cold night. He was finding the older
sleeping bag he brought was not always enough, even with the liner he used as a
supplement.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XZ0s1lX8f-Q/Vqf1GJa5ZEI/AAAAAAAABIM/YJgGf_SoaKU/s1600/turbine1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XZ0s1lX8f-Q/Vqf1GJa5ZEI/AAAAAAAABIM/YJgGf_SoaKU/s640/turbine1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5llW3uWwqLQ/Vqf06GzIo4I/AAAAAAAABIA/ZIUly9L80-c/s1600/turbine2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5llW3uWwqLQ/Vqf06GzIo4I/AAAAAAAABIA/ZIUly9L80-c/s400/turbine2.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next
morning I went to check out the interesting canyon that gives the campground its
name. The creek flows down into a crevice in the limestone and has carved a
deep slot canyon that is hard to see below the stone. It is even more difficult
to capture on video, but I did my best. I couldn’t resist jumping the canyon -
which is perfectly safe, but it did make my heart pound. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sytxk-AKYq8/Vqf12Y0IznI/AAAAAAAABIY/Z1qqkFfU1_c/s1600/beatty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sytxk-AKYq8/Vqf12Y0IznI/AAAAAAAABIY/Z1qqkFfU1_c/s320/beatty.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had a
long difficult day ahead of us and Don was keen to get going that morning. He
headed off up the trail, while I fiddled with my gear. I followed him, stopping
to get some footage of the Beatty Glacier along the way. We were near the
summit of the Kananaskis drainage and surrounded by scenic alpine country in
every direction. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maude Lake
is situated in a high bowl between two limestone ridges. I could see the narrow
gap of the North Kananaskis pass across the pretty blue alpine lake. Thirty
years before, I had pored over maps and read descriptions of this trail. An
instructor at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology had told me of his
fishing trip to this very spot. I had long dreamed of visiting this high
mountain lake and here I was! </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWVmZhuqa0A/Vqfy-dIns6I/AAAAAAAABHc/COxy3RFDSyk/s1600/Maude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWVmZhuqa0A/Vqfy-dIns6I/AAAAAAAABHc/COxy3RFDSyk/s640/Maude.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maude Lake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> was, but where was Don? I looked up
the trail and I could see him sitting next to the pass on the edge of a scree
slope. I figured he would wait. I got off the trail and setup my camera to get
some ultra-high definition footage of the lake and do a time-lapse of the
clouds rolling across the Divide. There was no place in the entire world that I
would rather be at that moment. In the midst of my time-lapse shot, Don headed
back around the lake toward me. I was perplexed when he continued down the
trail and right past me. Surely he had seen me. He seemed annoyed. Had he
forgotten something back at camp? I finished my shot and headed around the lake
to the pass to setup some more shots. A hoary marmot ran across the tundra as I
arrived. Finally I could see Don coming back up the trail. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had the
camera ready for a “title shot” of Don and I crossing the Great Divide into
British Columbia. I could tell Don was annoyed when he rejoined me at the pass,
but by then we both realized what had happened. He had missed me. I should have
yelled at him, but I was sure he had seen me. Any way he had cooled down by
then and I put on my pack, started the camera rolling and we both walked across
the North Kananaskis Pass together. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-upaBOq5j8/Vqf0Fm8VeyI/AAAAAAAABH0/qYlSdLXWfLI/s1600/North%2BKananaskis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-upaBOq5j8/Vqf0Fm8VeyI/AAAAAAAABH0/qYlSdLXWfLI/s640/North%2BKananaskis.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I went back
and grabbed my camera and tripod. When I checked it later, the shot had turned
out very well. It will definitely be the title shot for my film, when it is
completed. Now it was time to move on. We still had a very long, hard day ahead
of us. We headed down the mountain and into the wild Palliser River Valley.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-22416589917272379392016-01-20T22:50:00.000-07:002016-01-20T22:50:28.331-07:00Walls of Stone Part 4 – The Upper Elbow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AGl9wmfkSNo/VqBq_vAHUVI/AAAAAAAABGM/4ija_TjEW7Q/s1600/Rae%2BLake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AGl9wmfkSNo/VqBq_vAHUVI/AAAAAAAABGM/4ija_TjEW7Q/s640/Rae%2BLake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rae Lake</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We decided
to take a side trip to Rae Lake. Don had never visited before and it had been
years since I had been there. Cotton grass lined the shore near the outflow
from the lake. Last time I was at the lake, a beaver dam blocked the mouth of
Rae Creek – raising the water level. The dam was gone, perhaps washed away by
the 2013 downpour. There are signs of that historic storm almost everywhere in
Kananaskis country these days.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FevRDiRIQ-w/VqBrmSl45mI/AAAAAAAABGk/ALh_g8a2n-k/s1600/Don.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FevRDiRIQ-w/VqBrmSl45mI/AAAAAAAABGk/ALh_g8a2n-k/s320/Don.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don has a degree
in entomology, but botany seems to be his passion now he has retired from
teaching. He spent some time shooting stills of the many and varied flowers
near the lakeshore. I took some video of the lake backed by the Palliser Limestone
cliffs of Mount Rae. There had been a couple of goldeneye
ducks at Tombstone Lakes and there were more at Rae Lake. I tried to sneak closer
to the waterfowl to get some footage. I had left my strongest zoom lens at home…</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We returned
to get our packs and food at Tombstone Creek, and journeyed west into the upper
Elbow River valley. We both knew this mountain valley well and enjoyed
walking the rocky trail and recounting stories of the numerous times we had each
hiked this high country. The upper valley is open, grassy country, dotted with wildflowers and pockets
of willow and krumholtz. The fledgling Elbow River cuts through limestone
outcrops and splashes over rapids and small waterfalls. Off the trail, there
is a hidden marshland frequented by moose. I have never visited the Highlands
of Scotland, but it is how I imagine they might be.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iDF1oxdbXk/VqBs6-QTakI/AAAAAAAABHI/xkEeW2ZhKXI/s1600/piper%2Bcreek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iDF1oxdbXk/VqBs6-QTakI/AAAAAAAABHI/xkEeW2ZhKXI/s640/piper%2Bcreek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Piper Creek Valley</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The most
spectacular views are the ones to the north of the river and up Piper Creek. The
valley is bracketed by Mount Elpoca to the west and Tombstone Mountain to the
east. Mount Jerram is visible at the northern head of the valley and I could
see the valley’s alpine meadows in the distance. At certain points, the pass we
had planned to take across from the West Fork was visible – a dip to the right
of a mass of softer reddish Kootenay limestone. This beautiful valley is named
for Norma Piper – Calgary music teacher and would-be opera diva and wife of
George Poceterra. George was the owner of the Buffalo Head Ranch in the early
days of the Twentieth Century. In those days the upper Highwood valley was his
backyard and most of Kananaskis Country was his wild Alberta kingdom. Along
with Nakoda Indian; Paul Amos (Spotted Wolf), German Adolf Baumgart and Englishman
Raymond Patterson he explored, hunted and fished his way all around this
country and into what is now the Elk Lakes and Height of the Rockies Parks in
British Columbia.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAn5SS81JTc/VqBr7Ba7cRI/AAAAAAAABGw/nuKQGK-MDY0/s1600/elbow%2Bbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAn5SS81JTc/VqBr7Ba7cRI/AAAAAAAABGw/nuKQGK-MDY0/s320/elbow%2Bbridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We made our
way across the ice-cold waters that flow from the ever diminishing Rae Glacier
and then crossed the small footbridge that crosses the infant river just as it
flows from its source; Elbow Lake. The campground next to the lake is the
busiest backcountry campground in Kananaskis Country and I recommend booking
well ahead if you are planning a stay. The lake is at Elbow Pass, situated between
Mount Rae (the most northern peak of the Misty Range) and Mount Elpoca (the
most southerly mountain in the Opal Range).</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ws7GByBuaIk/VqBsJkPm8wI/AAAAAAAABG8/a1VjPbNSzg0/s1600/Elbow%2Blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ws7GByBuaIk/VqBsJkPm8wI/AAAAAAAABG8/a1VjPbNSzg0/s640/Elbow%2Blake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking across Elbow Lake and back down the Elbow Valley</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> After we made camp, it began to
rain again and was quite cool, so we sat by the fire and chatted with a young
woman from Calgary and her Czech boyfriend. We saw them both again the next
morning, before<i> we </i>set off down the mountain to highway 40. They were heading
out into the open high country that we had just traversed. We gave the novices
a bit of advice about the realm we knew so well. I recalled how it felt to be
so young and arrive in that lovely high country for the first time and I envied
them both.</span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-66354354549931554102016-01-19T17:11:00.000-07:002016-01-19T17:11:34.465-07:00Walls of Stone Part 3 – Tombstone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had been
looking forward (perhaps with some trepidation) to the second day out. I had
planned on taking the West Arm of the little Elbow and crossing Piper Pass into
spectacular Piper Creek (one of Don’s and my favorite valleys). It was so warm
when we set off that I never expected that we would need to take our alternate
route across Tombstone pass. The clouds were low on the peaks and the rain
continued to fall that morning, so we decided the alternate route was our best
option. Piper Pass from the north can be tricky even in good weather; though I
am sure it is a viable option.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aeqQtRl4DXQ/Vp7GmgS5E6I/AAAAAAAABFM/gBixcqmoHgE/s1600/Tombstone%2Blake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aeqQtRl4DXQ/Vp7GmgS5E6I/AAAAAAAABFM/gBixcqmoHgE/s640/Tombstone%2Blake2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Upper Tombstone Lake</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The road
toward Tombstone Pass was steeper than I expected, but the going was easy. Just
before the pass, we branched off onto a trail that took us to Tombstone Lakes.
This was our first visit to the subalpine zone and we found ourselves walking
among one of the largest alpine larch forests in Kananaskis Country. I have
often thought that it would be well worth a visit in the autumn. We emerged at
the upper of the two lakes and talked to some would be fishermen who were
trying their luck. It appeared that the fish in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> lake had been winter-killed, because there was no sign of
strikes on the lake at all. I have heard this is often the case in the
Tombstone Lakes and they sometimes need to be restocked (once with golden
trout, I believe). </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9elBx8HgOs/Vp7Fs-2ZkzI/AAAAAAAABFA/8nJLMDbOFTw/s1600/tomstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9elBx8HgOs/Vp7Fs-2ZkzI/AAAAAAAABFA/8nJLMDbOFTw/s320/tomstone.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Slabs of limestone give the mountain its name</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both upper
and lower lakes are tucked under the jagged cliffs of Tombstone Mountain. The
mountain gets its name from the limestone slabs at its summit, which are visible
from the other side. I recalled the last time I visited, half a lifetime ago.
It is probably just a little too far from the highway to do as a day hike and I
never expected to revisit this spot, but here we were. Don had been to nearby
Piper Creek many times, but had never been to these pretty lakes. As I found
out, it was difficult to find many places in the Rockies that he hadn’t been…</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGAu08Bq118/Vp7IatWhIbI/AAAAAAAABFY/L9XUayX0e8E/s1600/rock%2Bgarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGAu08Bq118/Vp7IatWhIbI/AAAAAAAABFY/L9XUayX0e8E/s320/rock%2Bgarden.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Between the
two lakes we passed through a “rock garden” of sorts, which was populated by
three of my favorite alpine flowers. The limestone was dotted with yellow
columbine, blue alpine forget-me-nots and pink moss campion. At the lower lake,
we saw the fishermen again and this time they were busy catching pretty
cutthroat trout. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yK8bo2PgUNQ/Vp7JkUXTMAI/AAAAAAAABFk/a9RAly4MtXE/s1600/lower%2Btombstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yK8bo2PgUNQ/Vp7JkUXTMAI/AAAAAAAABFk/a9RAly4MtXE/s400/lower%2Btombstone.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lower Tombstone Lake</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The trail descended
a ridge into the Elbow valley and we made camp at Tombstone Creek backcountry
campground. This site is on the western edge of the Elbow River Headwaters
Group of mountains. The Big Elbow and Little Elbow trails rejoin and can be
hiked as a loop trip. It is an excellent place for some of the base-camp type
backpacking that I used to enjoy and there are many interesting trails and
scrambles that radiate from this location in every direction. Many “Canada
Days” weekends ago my future wife and I landed at this spot to find that there
was a conflagration of hundreds of backpackers, all looking to make camp. The
next morning they had almost all departed except for two other young couples,
who put on a spectacular (if not ill-advised) Sunday night fireworks display.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dZ6a_3zeqB0/Vp7OJ-zY_-I/AAAAAAAABFw/azGNmfe9jEU/s1600/Deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dZ6a_3zeqB0/Vp7OJ-zY_-I/AAAAAAAABFw/azGNmfe9jEU/s320/Deer.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The clouds
had cleared off by the time Don and I got to camp and we had plenty of time to
relax and enjoy the environs of the Upper Elbow valley. We were in the midst of
a wide montane vista, adjacent to the large willow flats surrounding the river.
I could see Tombstone and Elpoca Mountains to the north and west, Mount Rae to
the southwest, Cougar Mountain to the southeast and the backside of Mount
Cornwall to the east. Several mule deer hung around the camp and we watched a
robin defend its territory from a red squirrel. We both were surprised by the
ferociousness of the robin’s repeated attacks. This was something I had never
before observed, but I had read that the mortality of snowshoe hare young is
due almost entirely to squirrel predation - so the confrontation did make
sense. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had the
campground to ourselves again that night, so it would have been a quiet night
except for the fact that we were under the western flightpath of the Calgary
airport. As we lay in our sleeping bags, there was an almost constant roar of
jets overhead. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
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Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-78095193968734894892016-01-17T16:22:00.000-07:002016-01-17T16:22:18.317-07:00Walls of Stone Part 2 – Little Elbow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The City of
Calgary is built at the confluence of two rivers – the Bow and the Elbow. Most
non- Calgarians are more familiar with the Bow River, which follows the
TransCanada Highway west and stretches back into the main ranges of the Rocky
Mountains, through world famous Banff National Park. The Elbow is the lesser
known of the two, but as a kid we used to go on drives with my parents out to
Elbow Falls and the Moose Mountain ice caves. As teens we would have rowdy, random
camping trips on the May Long Weekend along the nearby Elbow Valley. I remember
camping below the ice caves and watching a long torch light procession of kids
climbing up the mountainside to the caves. This was all before the
establishment of Kananaskis Country. Calgary has grown a great deal and there
are many more facilities and regulations in the Elbow valley these days.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qximoEmtabQ/VpwRHYvUYZI/AAAAAAAABEw/EtQ_r5-SpiI/s1600/elbow%2Bgroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qximoEmtabQ/VpwRHYvUYZI/AAAAAAAABEw/EtQ_r5-SpiI/s640/elbow%2Bgroup.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Elbow Headwaters Group in Center of image - bracketed by the Elbow(on the left) and Little Elbow(on the right) Google Earth</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Southwest of
the outlier of Moose Mountain, the Little Elbow meets the Elbow River. The
confluence of these two rivers is at the eastern foot of the spectacular “Elbow
Headwaters Group”. Visible from Calgary, these mountains include Banded and
Outlaw Peaks, Mount Cornwall and the striking pyramid and bowl of Mount
Glasgow. The Big Elbow trail follows the Elbow River around the south of this
massive collection of limestone peaks. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We</i>
were following the Little Elbow River around the north of Mount Glasgow.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was
nothing difficult about this preliminary hike into the mountains. We traveled
westward along the old road, which has long been closed to vehicles. Many
people day hike from the Little Elbow campground up onto nearby Nihahi Ridge.
We were quickly past the turn off to Nihahi Creek - a dry rocky valley which
branches north and far back into the Fisher Range. The outflow from an ancient
extinct glacier has carved an interesting canyon through the limestone headwall
not far from the trailhead and is worth a visit.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The only
real question mark was the crossing of the Little Elbow about halfway to camp.
It was an icy, but easy crossing on that July 11<sup>th</sup> day. The bridge
had been washed away in the catastrophe of the 2013 floods, which did so much
damage downstream that year. We removed our boots and put on our sandals to
make the crossing. While we were preparing ourselves, a mild rain shower began.
It had been a very dry, hot summer up to that point. A smoky haze due to forest
fires in British Columbia and Northern Saskatchewan hung over Alberta for weeks.
I had prepared myself for a possibly sweltering backpack trip by walking to the
bottom of the Red Deer River valley and climbing back out again several times a
week on the hot days of June and July. Both Don and I had braced ourselves for
the heat, but now after only an hour or two it was cooling and beginning to
rain.</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We talked to
a mountain biker who knew the trail quite well at the crossing. We found it
amusing to count the many different machetes and buck knives the well-bearded
individual was carrying. He became “knife-man” whenever we talk about our
journeys. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQKkvNKEIYo/VpwJPcpOkNI/AAAAAAAABEA/EDPoxuzzZrw/s1600/romulus%2Band%2Bremus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQKkvNKEIYo/VpwJPcpOkNI/AAAAAAAABEA/EDPoxuzzZrw/s640/romulus%2Band%2Bremus.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mounts Romulus and Remus</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we made
our way west, I could see my first close-up views of the limestone cliffs of Mounts
Romulus and Remus. It was exciting to see the eastern face of the familiar and
magnificent Opal Range looming above the West Fork. I had never before seen the
backside of Mount Blane and “The Blade” – its west face is well-known to those
familiar with King Creek Canyon and Ridge off of Alberta’s Highway 40.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KNYX4769Um4/VpwKeYNbURI/AAAAAAAABEM/LLfiDn0hi_E/s1600/log1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KNYX4769Um4/VpwKeYNbURI/AAAAAAAABEM/LLfiDn0hi_E/s320/log1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
backcountry campground at Mount Romulus was officially closed (due to flood
damage), but we found there were actually quite a few camping pads available. The
bear-proof food bins were still intact. Clouds were billowing east over the
Opals toward us, as we set up camp. I shot some time-lapse footage of Don
raising his lightweight “MSR Hubba-Hubba” two man tent. We strung up my silicone
tarp above the picnic table. That turned out to be a good thing as rain began
to pour down almost immediately. This was a complete surprise. The temperatures
were in the 80’s when we set out and it had cooled considerably. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZB1lL_jU970/VpwMBdAWyZI/AAAAAAAABEY/fMRgaggjags/s1600/tent1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZB1lL_jU970/VpwMBdAWyZI/AAAAAAAABEY/fMRgaggjags/s640/tent1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It rained
that night and well into the next morning. What we didn’t know was that this
was a turning point in the weather pattern. Almost the entire trip took place
in cool, wet conditions. There was at least some rain almost every day after
that. Many of the nights were extremely cool, especially at high altitudes. This
took away from the pleasure of our journeys, but one should always be prepared
for any eventuality when traveling the mountains. That said, we were already enjoying
ourselves.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMcMxGdkbfI/VpwNd-yBRtI/AAAAAAAABEk/01JsrS4bE8o/s1600/drips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMcMxGdkbfI/VpwNd-yBRtI/AAAAAAAABEk/01JsrS4bE8o/s640/drips.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We both
appreciated the beauty of this quiet front-range valley. I was delighted to be
back in the Rockies!</span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-39036006313329314452016-01-15T13:33:00.000-07:002016-01-15T13:33:09.691-07:00Walls of Stone – Across the Rocky Mountains - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prologue</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It has taken
some time to finally sit down and begin writing about my backpack trip across
one of the great mountain ranges of the world – the Canadian Rockies. It always
takes a while to get my head around something so momentous. I return home from
my adventures and a numbness sets in. Most of my normal life is spent trying to
block out all of the distractions around me and concentrate on the task at hand.
I then find it challenging to transition to a mode where I want to take <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i> in. When we bare ourselves to
the terrible beauty of nature, it can be overwhelming. The world is immense and
we are insignificant in comparison.</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part 1- The Story So Far</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span>“</span></i><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnmuir380220.html?src=t_mountains" title="view quote"><i><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">The mountains
are calling and I must go.</span></i></a><i><span style="color: black;">” </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: black;">John Muir</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This was the
second great journey of my life. The first one was over ten years ago, when I traveled
solo along the length of Alberta’s Red Deer River. One journey </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ends</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> where another
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">begins</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. The last trip concluded with a back injury, so I decided that my
backpacking career was at an end. That is what later got me interested in
ultralight-weight backpacking, which inspired me to give it one last try. </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRBLoCda6VM/VplDUQluR9I/AAAAAAAABC8/M6P7i3E2x80/s1600/at%2Bthe%2Bforks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRBLoCda6VM/VplDUQluR9I/AAAAAAAABC8/M6P7i3E2x80/s640/at%2Bthe%2Bforks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the end point of my Red Deer River journey - looking down on the forks from the "Bull's Forehead"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I began to
pore over maps and spend hours staring at “Google Earth” and I found what I
thought might be a way to traverse the entire Rocky Mountains, from east to
west. The goal was to stay in the backcountry as much as possible, with a
minimum of road walking. My route followed established trails. Not much was
undiscovered country – I had just put it all together into one long backpack
trip. I shared my ideas with experienced hiker, kayaker, skier and mountain
guide Don Wales and he agreed that my plans seemed reasonable. Later he decided
to come along.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2g_d7HTnNSk/VplCQXvmVjI/AAAAAAAABCk/ScyQMAtfyM8/s1600/3lakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2g_d7HTnNSk/VplCQXvmVjI/AAAAAAAABCk/ScyQMAtfyM8/s640/3lakes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">One of my daily walks - frozen Hummock Lake in the background.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first substantial
thing that I did was in the winter and spring of 2014. I lost 30 pounds. I
don’t have any secrets to share about how I managed that – I just ate less food
and weighed myself every day. It was a necessary first step. I did as many day
hikes as possible that summer and fall in Kananaskis Country and Waterton Lakes
National Park. Once daylight savings time arrived in the spring of 2015, I
began to walk daily. I am lucky to live in the countryside and I ambled around the
pretty knob and kettle parkland that is my home, with its hills and hummocky
terrain. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQQIb7rEJMw/VplSQ9HMLZI/AAAAAAAABDk/JGdYpDfC7J0/s1600/gear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQQIb7rEJMw/VplSQ9HMLZI/AAAAAAAABDk/JGdYpDfC7J0/s640/gear.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By July all
my bookings were made, my gear was bought and I packed my backpack. I was
aiming for it to be around 30 pounds and I weighed myself with the pack on and came
to a strange realization. The scales read 215 pounds, which seemed like a
familiar number. I quickly realized that this was my former size (sans backpack)
when I first began my endeavors. I took the pack off and looked at it. Thirty
pounds! Seeing it in front of me really brought home how much that really is
and how far I had already come. I was in the best shape that I had been in for
a dozen years – maybe longer. I hoped that it would be enough.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On July Tenth 2015, Don, my wife Bev and I drove to Boulton Campground, in Peter Lougheed
Provincial Park. We set up our base camp. The next day Bev drove Don and I to
Little Elbow Campground, at the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains. There was
no time for ceremony. We bent the rules (something we would have to do again
later) and drove through the campground to the Little Elbow trailhead. We
hurriedly disembarked from the truck and said our goodbyes. It was a strange,
surreal feeling. After years of planning and preparation, there we were! The
mountains were ahead of us, with all their promise of beauty, adventure, hard work and
danger.</span></span></div>
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walk…</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sAxlIdp-W8/VplGM1h8RuI/AAAAAAAABDI/lHkojOBsfDg/s1600/setting%2Bout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sAxlIdp-W8/VplGM1h8RuI/AAAAAAAABDI/lHkojOBsfDg/s640/setting%2Bout.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-73466418041431428362015-07-01T11:38:00.000-06:002015-07-01T11:38:44.062-06:00Walls of Stone - Ötzi and Me: Mountain Travelers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6CCX-05NT1U/VXikH98m5RI/AAAAAAAAA90/Yl15G9O2FQw/s1600/OetzitheIceman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6CCX-05NT1U/VXikH98m5RI/AAAAAAAAA90/Yl15G9O2FQw/s200/OetzitheIceman.jpg" width="122" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Candara; font-size: small;">Ötzi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">copyright unknown</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1991 one of the most fascinating archeological
discoveries of our time was made in the Ötztal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Alps on the border of Austria and Italy. The frozen, mummified body of a
man had washed out of a glacier high in the mountains. It was discovered by
hikers, recovered and investigated by scientists and determined to be over 5000
years old! I followed the investigations through the excellent PBS television
program NOVA. If you haven't seen <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/iceman-murder-mystery.html" target="_blank">these episodes</a>, I can't recommend them highly
enough. It is a fascinating story. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dR1P_5gbmLE/VXirYcjNuVI/AAAAAAAAA-w/LEnGLDpnwb0/s1600/P1040044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dR1P_5gbmLE/VXirYcjNuVI/AAAAAAAAA-w/LEnGLDpnwb0/s200/P1040044.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I couldn't help remembering <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ötzi as I make preparations for my traverse of
our Rocky Mountains this summer. We often think of stone or bronze age people
as "primitive", but he was kitted out with all the latest gear of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">his </i>time. Of all the things we have
learned about this mountain man, this is the most interesting revelation as far
as I am concerned. Though I am hoping not to be found
frozen in ice 5000 years hence, I begin to see how similar we really are...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Traveling the mountains might have been more of a
necessity to him, but it probably was his passion too. He was well equipped to roam the high mountains, just as I will need to be. The "Iceman" was obviously a
man of means and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">his</i> equipment was top-of-the-line
for its day. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-890IpWqjncg/VXinwlYLfWI/AAAAAAAAA-c/SF1Vfbichsc/s1600/ReconstructedOetziAxe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-890IpWqjncg/VXinwlYLfWI/AAAAAAAAA-c/SF1Vfbichsc/s200/ReconstructedOetziAxe.jpg" width="126" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">By Bullenwächter (Own work) [GFDL (</span><a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> or CC BY 3.0 (</span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)], via Wikimedia Commons</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">His copper axe is a prime example of surprisingly advanced technology. If you
excuse the pun it would have been "cutting edge" in its day and very
useful. I'm not an expert, but I believe its discovery has changed many archeologist's
ideas of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what technology was
available in Europe at the time. I will not be taking an axe. There <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are </i>lightweight ones available that
would be suitable for backpacking, but (unlike Ötzi) I live in a time where
people need to be concerned about our environmental footprint. We will not be
making fires because they will not be necessary. We are taking efficient
light-weight stoves for cooking.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He carried a knife in a sheath that is very much like
the hunting knives we use today. Ours are usually made with a stainless steel
blade, where his was made of flint. I was considering taking a hunting knife,
but instead I have opted for the more practical Swiss-Army style.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-98iuMt2uR5M/VXil4AI9i2I/AAAAAAAAA-Q/Ee0N5bZ-rNM/s1600/rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-98iuMt2uR5M/VXil4AI9i2I/AAAAAAAAA-Q/Ee0N5bZ-rNM/s400/rug.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">angelfire.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">His backpack was made of hazel-wood, larch and goat
skin and looks like it would have been quite useful. My super-lightweight
Osprey Exos 58 is made mostly of rip-stop nylon and aluminum. It's strength and
function is due mostly to how it has been engineered. It is the lightest
backpack of its size that I could find.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N_e9PfaiyGI/VXilKQysQlI/AAAAAAAAA98/-Uebd-GRU3k/s1600/hoed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N_e9PfaiyGI/VXilKQysQlI/AAAAAAAAA98/-Uebd-GRU3k/s200/hoed.jpg" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">angelfire.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">His clothing was very advanced and functional for its
day - made skillfully out of woven grasses and leather. Pants had not yet been
invented. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> have pants! Most of
my clothing will be made of water resistant and waterproofed lightweight
polymers. He wore a hat made of brown bear fur (an animal that has been extinct
in Europe for four thousand years). I am planning on taking a ball cap and a
broad-brimmed hat to keep the sun off my head. His shoes were made of leather.
My Keens contain some leather with various plastic materials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eXypnlLUT1w/VXilicA5abI/AAAAAAAAA-E/WBw_ICSb3VQ/s1600/koker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eXypnlLUT1w/VXilicA5abI/AAAAAAAAA-E/WBw_ICSb3VQ/s320/koker.jpg" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">angelfire.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Ötzi was probably armed. A quiver containing a dozen
arrows was found near his body. I do have a modern compound bow, but I will not
be taking it. I will however be armed with pepper spray, as a last resort in the
case of bear attack. I hope it will never come to that! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jNCwtwiNu80/VXinKcbyiAI/AAAAAAAAA-U/mBfeLfPAnsc/s1600/berk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jNCwtwiNu80/VXinKcbyiAI/AAAAAAAAA-U/mBfeLfPAnsc/s200/berk.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">angelfire.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He also had a birch bark container that some say was
used to carry glowing embers for fire making. I will be carrying such
modern high tech items as matches and a few "Bick Click" lighters -
items that we take for granted, but I'm sure they would seriously impress the
Iceman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pAPMFyqFro/VXiqrEY6VFI/AAAAAAAAA-s/nSDJDQaHt8Y/s1600/P1040422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pAPMFyqFro/VXiqrEY6VFI/AAAAAAAAA-s/nSDJDQaHt8Y/s640/P1040422.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I dream of meeting Ötzi on the mountain-top of my
imagination. We stop to chat and have a bite to eat. We compare our various
gear and share some of our experiences, then we part ways. I descend my beloved
Canadian Rocky Mountains and he wanders across his high Alps and into the mists of time. Our lives are separated by the rise and fall of many empires, yet
we share a past-time that remains virtually untouched by the march of time. We are backpackers -
mountain travelers, timeless and unchanged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-69102717357261642542015-06-22T20:53:00.000-06:002015-06-22T20:53:50.419-06:00Walls of Stone - Of Latitude and Altitude...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>From an article I wrote in 2012 for the Red Deer River Naturalist newsletter.</em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0H5lwSZQEY/VYi-2dk75CI/AAAAAAAAA_w/o_PP7PnMHfE/s1600/DSCN8216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0H5lwSZQEY/VYi-2dk75CI/AAAAAAAAA_w/o_PP7PnMHfE/s640/DSCN8216.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the Grand Canyon, 8500 feet above sea level is a tourist walk.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a
long-time hiker of our Canadian Rockies, I couldn't help but recognize the
importance of altitude in the creation of the different mountain eco-zones. I
also understood(at least in theory) the correlation between altitude and
latitude. Climbing up a mountain is very similar to traveling North toward the
Arctic circle. The two trips that my wife and I took this past summer really
brought this idea home to me and allowed me to actually experience some of the
things that I have heard and read.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In mid-July
we pulled our trailer West to Alberta's Kananaskis Country for our customary
two weeks of camping and hiking. It had been a few years since we had a chance
to be in the Rocky mountains during the peak flower season and I was savoring
the experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEdMDqrUysU/VYjHlhxB1MI/AAAAAAAABAA/wQl40Owa2WY/s1600/DSCN9986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEdMDqrUysU/VYjHlhxB1MI/AAAAAAAABAA/wQl40Owa2WY/s320/DSCN9986.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kind of signs one might see in the Montane Zone</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The one
thing that almost all of our hikes share is a gain of altitude and ascendant
eco-zones. Low zone on the totem-pole in the Canadian Rockies is the Montane
zone. This is the one that most casual visitors to Banff are familiar with.
There are lots of trees -typically pine and spruce. There are also plenty of
larger animals and people, with their roads, railroads, towns, resorts and
campgrounds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you hike up and out of the valley bottoms
you notice that the kinnikinnick which carpets the understory is replaced by
feather mosses and the trees are more typically Engleman Spruce, subalpine fir,
white-barked pine and perhaps Lyall's larch. Also there are fewer trees and
more meadows. As you gain altitude there become even less trees and the ones
that you do see tend to be smaller. They often occur in groups of stunted trees
huddled together known as "Krummholz". <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RKu3kpwhcqM/VYjHrIY9jjI/AAAAAAAABAI/TJzbOps7qrs/s1600/3%2Blakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RKu3kpwhcqM/VYjHrIY9jjI/AAAAAAAABAI/TJzbOps7qrs/s400/3%2Blakes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three Lakes Valley - entering the subalpine/alpine zone.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you climb
even higher you may enter into the alpine zone. Meadows in this zone contain no
trees. Plants and flowers tend to be small and very low to the ground.
Subalpine and alpine areas may contain less familiar creatures such as the pika
and hoary marmot. The Clark's nutcracker replaces the gray or Canada jay of the
montane forest. I always feel privileged to visit the alpine zone, but I know
it is (by necessity) for a short period. The month of year and the time of day
leave small windows, where I can comfortably spend time in the alpine. Whenever
I am there, I make the most of it. I endeavor to take in all the sights, sounds
and scents before I trudge back down the mountain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the
hikes we did this year(for the first time ever) was a trip up Plateau Mountain,
located in the southern most part of K- Country. Unique in the Rockies, this
mountain is indeed a high plateau, and its flat summit contains a large alpine
area. In one area of the summit, we observed rocks arranged in polygon patterns
on ground. I have never been to the arctic, but I have seen in films and
books<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>where this same phenomena occurs
as a result of the action of permafrost just under the surface of the tundra.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In
Kananaskis country, tree-line is about 2300 metres or around 7500 feet above
sea level. Above this altitude is the alpine zone. As one makes their way
further north the tree-line becomes lower and of course it is higher the more
you head south... I realized this fact, but it wasn't until a trip South to the
North rim of the Grand Canyon that I ever really experienced it for myself. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvcWyTMzCko/VYi-oaMojUI/AAAAAAAAA_o/Zg3GQxkDolA/s1600/DSCN6243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvcWyTMzCko/VYi-oaMojUI/AAAAAAAAA_o/Zg3GQxkDolA/s640/DSCN6243.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the Canadian Rockies, 8500 feet above sea level certainly isn't a tourist walk.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was part
of our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">first</i> summer trip of 2012 to
the beautiful Southwest United States. We were staying in the town of Kanab in
Southwest Utah and one day (in late May) we drove further south into Arizona
through what is typical of the desert - sand <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and sandstone interspersed with pinion pine
and Utah juniper. Imagine the cartoon loop through which Wile E. Coyote chases
Roadrunner - this might give you the idea of the terrain, if you've never been.
As the road began to climb, I noticed a sign "6500 feet above sea level".
There were more trees. We began to see a forest of Ponderosa pine such as you
might see in the Rocky mountain trench of Southeastern British Columbia. I saw
one more sign; "7200 feet". That really got me thinking. "If I
was in Alberta..." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XElhk-6jhHg/VYi-o44aqeI/AAAAAAAAA_k/547_uvm940M/s1600/DSCN8204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XElhk-6jhHg/VYi-o44aqeI/AAAAAAAAA_k/547_uvm940M/s320/DSCN8204.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our first
visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was extremely enjoyable and in the late
afternoon we attended a lecture on the geology of the canyon. The speaker began
by asking if any of the people there had been to Glacier National Park in
Montana and most of the crowd put up their hands. Then she told us that we were
all sitting atop the Colorado Plateau at an altitude of 8500 feet above sea
level - higher than almost every mountain summit in Glacier. We were a thousand
feet above Alberta's tree-line and yet we had a spruce forest all around us.
From bottom to top, the Grand Canyon also has layered ecosystems of its own.
Sonoran to Hudsonian, they are representative of those from Mexico to Canada.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A visitor
from the east once told me (after a brief visit) that he personally didn't like
the mountains. I was incredulous and replied that if you don't like the
mountains where you are, just walk up a few hundred feet and look around at a
whole different environment and if you don't like that continue on up... The
ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i>
the nature of Canada in microcosm; foothills and parkland, montane <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and boreal , subalpine and hemi arctic, alpine
and arctic - the correlation may not be exact, but it is a close enough model
for this layman. Perhaps one day I will visit the Arctic and gain a better
understanding of an aspect of the natural world that has fascinated me
throughout my life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-58504775061436211792015-05-27T17:44:00.000-06:002015-06-10T14:43:02.217-06:00Walls of Stone - Return to the Highwood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">As
I tucked myself in for the night, I could hear the sound of drums resonating from
across the river. I smiled.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were camped in Eden Valley, west of Longview Alberta and our
neighbors were members of the Bearspaw Nakoda Sioux First Nation. I have always
loved this valley surrounding the Upper Highwood River and it was my last night
of four spent back at this gateway to the Rocky Mountains. It had been a good few days.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6gO4IHWhUKk/VWY978iYjoI/AAAAAAAAA7g/QVUSSN1Gq0Q/s1600/armstrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6gO4IHWhUKk/VWY978iYjoI/AAAAAAAAA7g/QVUSSN1Gq0Q/s640/armstrong.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Armstrong</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We were there to hike and Wednesday we wandered up
Highway 40, which is closed and gated for the winter at Highwood House. It was
nice to be able to walk up the paved road past amazing views of the Highwood
River and Mount Armstrong. The rocky great divide summits of Mounts Muir and
McPhail (known as the Pyramid) were visible above the grassy open slopes of the
Strawberry Hills. We made a return trip to Strawberry Equestrian Campground
under Azure skies. It was cool as it usually is in the Highwood, even under the
uninterrupted glare of the sun. The day's outing was an unusual type of hike,
but a good warm-up with a backpack at mountain altitudes. I found myself
thinking of the possibilities of making a lengthy backpack up the Highway that
is closed until June 15 and the many possible side trips that radiate from the
roadway. It would be nice to have the valley to oneself.</span></div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4pMwrSpqSY/VWZHwkaYtYI/AAAAAAAAA9I/WDBm6KEVofE/s640/P1100362.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1JQG7mNDB3Q/VWZHvHI-MvI/AAAAAAAAA9A/JkXFYhek5ts/s1600/P1100383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1JQG7mNDB3Q/VWZHvHI-MvI/AAAAAAAAA9A/JkXFYhek5ts/s200/P1100383.jpg" width="157" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzjtQbtmSdg/VWZHNcHLtgI/AAAAAAAAA8w/AosUe8yfIQQ/s1600/P1100370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzjtQbtmSdg/VWZHNcHLtgI/AAAAAAAAA8w/AosUe8yfIQQ/s320/P1100370.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The second day began with an abortive walk down
Cataract Creek from the campground. We decided to cut that lackluster thrash
short and instead venture up Fir Creek in the Bull Creek Hills. That turned out
to be an excellent choice. It had probably been over twenty five years since I
had ventured up Fir Creek and I had honestly forgotten what a pretty hike it was.
The display of early season wildflowers was the most amazing one that I have
ever seen at an altitude lower than subalpine. We counted over twenty varieties
of flowering
plants. The compressed growing season means that one can see early spring
flowers, such as prairie crocus (anemone) on a hillside next to the first few red
paintbrush. We spent hours hiking and stopping to identify flowers.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1n8CR3KLfU/VWZHUoHrDVI/AAAAAAAAA84/gtK2FApvel0/s1600/P1100376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1n8CR3KLfU/VWZHUoHrDVI/AAAAAAAAA84/gtK2FApvel0/s640/P1100376.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Day 3 was definitely the most spectacular of the bunch, as we
returned to the Bull Creek Hills and headed north up Pack Trail Coulee to the
aptly named Grass Pass. From the pass, I looked south down the u-shaped glacially
carved valley to the river 450 metres below. Across the river another valley
mirrors Pack Trail Coulee - Zephyr Creek valley cuts south between the Bear
Creek Hills and Mount Burke. Looking out of the mouth of either valley provides
excellent views of the opposite one. We have spent many days over the years
wandering both valleys in spring, summer and fall. I must caution those that might
be tempted to cross the Highwood in the spring. The river may be higher in the
afternoon and evening than when you initially forded its ice cold waters in the
early morning light. There's nothing more galling and potentially dangerous
than being stranded for a cold night within sight of your waiting vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eg6clrUKhmc/VWZCgiK5xnI/AAAAAAAAA78/-TpJrHPAA4k/s1600/Grass%2BPass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eg6clrUKhmc/VWZCgiK5xnI/AAAAAAAAA78/-TpJrHPAA4k/s640/Grass%2BPass.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking down Pack Trail Coulee toward Highwood River and Zephyr Creek valley.</span></td></tr>
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<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tbaaS0TGpjA/VWZCIvsy5TI/AAAAAAAAA7s/y70A5RMdOzo/s1600/Pine2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tbaaS0TGpjA/VWZCIvsy5TI/AAAAAAAAA7s/y70A5RMdOzo/s320/Pine2.jpg" width="233" /></a><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I have used the
trail to Grass Pass and beyond as an early season conditioning hike over the
years, because it is usually snow-free due to the Chinook
Winds that rip through the Highwood Gap. The Chinooks are a major component in
the shaping of the stark environment of this unique section of the eastern
slopes. The strangely beautiful and twisted limber pine that dot the summits of
the hills are evidence of the power of these warm westerly winds. The most
celebrated of these ancient trees is the "Boundary Pine", a
particularly old and gnarled specimen, which features in Raymond Patterson's
bestselling book "The Buffalo Head". It was once the southern
boundary of the old ranch that reached well into the Bull Creek Hills in older
days. We climbed up from the pass and walked along Fir Creek Point (peering
down on the previous day's setting) until we found the famous tree and I took
some time to shoot video from various angles. I plan on using the footage for a
segment in an upcoming film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCcDtYj6UDg/VWY97GPIn_I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/A4vSosCu4Vc/s1600/Pine1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCcDtYj6UDg/VWY97GPIn_I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/A4vSosCu4Vc/s640/Pine1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking toward Grass pass from the Boundary Pine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holy Cross Mountain and Mount Head in the background.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">As I drifted off to sleep that final spring night in
the Highwood, I felt an elation that has eluded me for some years. There are
so many magnificent places in the Rocky Mountains that (after a time) one can't
help becoming jaded. Life itself can tire a person and make them more cynical
about the world. Depression is like wearing blinders that shield us from the
beauty all around us. After a few days in the Rockies under azure blue skies,
surrounded by wildflowers, trees, meadows and those lovely hills and mountains,
the old thoughts and dreams began to return. Once again I can look at these
mountains and valleys and see the possibilities. Excitement is building knowing
that very soon I will be returning to these mountainous heights to begin the
journey of a lifetime.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--8zDWOwVQic/VWZMsv8qmKI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/tRYZ_eFj7-8/s1600/night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--8zDWOwVQic/VWZMsv8qmKI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/tRYZ_eFj7-8/s640/night.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-53438828903429467342015-04-25T14:43:00.000-06:002015-04-25T14:43:42.463-06:00Walls of Stone - Preparations in the Parkland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s8NB2vtGxPE/VTvzH5FLvuI/AAAAAAAAA50/jmjhCClfez0/s1600/fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s8NB2vtGxPE/VTvzH5FLvuI/AAAAAAAAA50/jmjhCClfez0/s1600/fog.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Time can be
such a funny thing. In many ways, it feels like my hike across the Rockies
can't come fast enough. In other ways, I have been afraid that I won't have
enough time to prepare. There are less than three months to go now, and April
has been a time of near-constant preparation.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yk1kAwxg-vU/VTvynLCeVEI/AAAAAAAAA5U/--K3lUE7grg/s1600/921256_10200932168327497_1896380525_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yk1kAwxg-vU/VTvynLCeVEI/AAAAAAAAA5U/--K3lUE7grg/s1600/921256_10200932168327497_1896380525_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Expert skier; Don Wales in a classic pose</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first
news this spring was good news. Somebody that I have known for quite a few
years decided that he would be able to join me on my trek. Don Wales is the
current president of the Red Deer River Naturalists and is a very experienced
hiker, skier and kayaker. In recent years he has been mounting kayaking
expeditions to various parts of the Arctic. So far he has completed trips to
Labrador, Baffin Island, Greenland and Iceland. I can't help being slightly
intimidated by the breadth of his experience. Neither one of us have ever set
out on a journey like the one we will be attempting this summer, so it will be
the "undiscovered country" for us both. Having two of us to share the
load and duties will mean that my list of "items to bring" may be shortened, but
some additional planning will be necessary.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjXkfjyEGjE/VTvyomBUgkI/AAAAAAAAA5c/7tpYyr1XemA/s1600/534698_4812562272993_156638588_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjXkfjyEGjE/VTvyomBUgkI/AAAAAAAAA5c/7tpYyr1XemA/s1600/534698_4812562272993_156638588_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Don on one of his many kayaking adventures</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A fellow
can't just walk across the mountains these days. Backcountry passes and
reserved campsites are mandatory and must be booked within a maximum of 90 days in
advance. I have had to keep one eye on the calendar this month. The bookings in
Alberta's Kananaskis Country can be made on two different websites - one for
front country and one for back country camping. The National Park back country
sites must be booked by phone. As of yesterday everything is booked - including
Kootenay Park Lodge (which I reserved in January). That means that the dreaded
bureaucratic part of my preparations is over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wz5ayWsDFg/VTvzJ7vzK3I/AAAAAAAAA58/z8hLQz5IRwQ/s1600/gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wz5ayWsDFg/VTvzJ7vzK3I/AAAAAAAAA58/z8hLQz5IRwQ/s1600/gate.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the
great things about living in the country where I reside is that there are a lot
of wild, hilly places where I can walk. The knob and kettle parkland of Central
Alberta (east of Red Deer) is reminiscent of the foothills west of Calgary. Woods
of balsam poplar and aspen remind me of some of the early season hikes that my
wife and I would do to warm up for the season's mountain adventures. Death
Valley in the Sheep River region and the Bull Creek Hills in the Highwood were
two of our favorites in days gone by. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now it is just a five minute drive to
what I have come to call my "Three Lakes Trail" in the woods and
hills that are visible to the south of my house. I have resolved to walk these
trails at least five days a week. Part of the inspiration for my new regimen
was taken from a video made by Tegan Powell; the daughter of an old friend. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="https://vimeo.com/92792053"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">"One
Month in Nature"</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> is a challenge to get out in nature for an hour
every day for a month. I have found it is good for my mental as well as physical
well being and it has been an interesting way to "walk into spring".
From the near silence of winter to the increasingly busy landscape and
soundscape of spring, I have noticed the subtle changes in nature every day. I can't help but appreciate the
sights and sounds of geese, swans and red tailed hawks overhead, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the ruffed grouse drumming in the trees and
the wood and boreal chorus frogs croaking away in the many ponds - all building
toward the crescendo of spring.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wRZOrYHe2SM/VTvy2X67SrI/AAAAAAAAA5k/ghAvzY8JxDU/s1600/crocus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wRZOrYHe2SM/VTvy2X67SrI/AAAAAAAAA5k/ghAvzY8JxDU/s1600/crocus1.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The walking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">seems</i> to be working. There are good days
and bad days, but my legs are definitely developing some muscle and are
noticeably tighter. The plans are to throw in some more difficult climbs now to
build up my calves. The hill from the bottom of the Red Deer River valley at
Dry Island Buffalo Jump will do nicely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now I just need to keep moving, but that
won't ultimately be enough. Nothing can compare to actually hiking the
mountains.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nF3gKTawzH8/VTvy2zpfLlI/AAAAAAAAA5o/C12QI58EmHM/s1600/3lakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nF3gKTawzH8/VTvy2zpfLlI/AAAAAAAAA5o/C12QI58EmHM/s1600/3lakes.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Reaching the summit of Three Lakes Trail</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Hummock Lake in the background</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-36240937661073824822015-03-01T16:00:00.000-07:002015-03-01T16:00:51.323-07:00A Brief History of Video - Part 2: The Panasonic Lumix GH4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"...yes, there are two paths you
can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're
on." Led Zeppelin <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had never
owned a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. Any money that I had
available <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>went to my camcorders and
accessories. I knew that some stills cameras had video capability, but until
recently, I turned my nose up at them. I had always preferred purpose designed
video camcorders rather than even the full sensor 35mm that I noticed some film
makers were going to. I asked Collin Orthner (of McBain Cameras in Red Deer) if
he could shoot some video of a saw whet owl<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for me with his Canon DSLR and I was
impressed by its quality. I began to have second thoughts... If you are a
beginner film maker, I definitely recommend thoroughly investigating both
routes. What spurred my quest however was the issue of weight. </span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qTYOhwq2frU/VPOLEOkycZI/AAAAAAAAA3w/n1KFEgo7Ih8/s1600/20150228_162657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qTYOhwq2frU/VPOLEOkycZI/AAAAAAAAA3w/n1KFEgo7Ih8/s1600/20150228_162657.jpg" height="582" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GH4, Rode microphone with"dead kitten" and 100 - 300mm lens.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I began to
research the possibilities of DSLRs for video. One site that was very helpful
was <a href="http://nofilmschool.com/" target="_blank">http://nofilmschool.com/</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and their "DSLR
Cinematography Guide". Some browsing and talk with Collin Orthner led me
to the Panasonic Lumix GH3 that some film makers were using. Collin introduced
me to its smaller micro four thirds format. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I found out about 4K and UHD (Ultra High
Definition) formats that were rumored, then confirmed to be coming in the new
GH4. I put my money down and waited for my new camera to arrive and I haven't
been disappointed. It isn't the total revelation that converting from SD to HD
was, but it has been close to that experience.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having a
light weight rig was my goal and I have managed to achieve that. The GH4 body weighs
in at a mere 560 grams (about 1.25 pounds). I bought two lenses - a Lumix Vario
G 14-140mm /F4.0-5.6 which weighs 460 g and a 100-300mm/f4.0-5.6 lens, which weighs
520g. With both lenses, I am looking at a total of less than 3 and a half
pounds and I have the option of just taking the one wider lens which would make it only
two and a quarter pounds. There is a 2x crop factor involved with the micro
4/3 sensor which makes (with both lenses) my effective <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">focal length </span>28 mm to
600mm <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhusbMFl-f0/VPONOHfuvfI/AAAAAAAAA4M/PsRw5ijKydc/s1600/P1030084a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhusbMFl-f0/VPONOHfuvfI/AAAAAAAAA4M/PsRw5ijKydc/s1600/P1030084a.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The GH4 is a decent stills camera, too.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not
going into a lot of detail here, but the Ultra High definition 4:2:0<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>video can be saved to the new high speed SD
card (class 10, UHS 3) in either AVC, MP4 or MOV formats. At 24 frames per
second you can shoot true 4K (4096 x 2160). I will probably be shooting
in 30 fps UHD (3840 x 2160). The versatile camera has many excellent features which I won't go
into here. I recommend that you check out Dave Dugdale's great review if you
are interested at <a href="http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/gh4-review/" target="_blank">http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/gh4-review/</a></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MRbjZ0RJf28/VPONKZyDSbI/AAAAAAAAA38/Fl3py8P4lB4/s1600/P1030107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MRbjZ0RJf28/VPONKZyDSbI/AAAAAAAAA38/Fl3py8P4lB4/s1600/P1030107.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The GH4 takes photos in jpeg and raw formats of various quality or both at once.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUp1H3F4zDE/VPONM7LIV2I/AAAAAAAAA4E/OxbwqTpfI6k/s1600/P1000550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUp1H3F4zDE/VPONM7LIV2I/AAAAAAAAA4E/OxbwqTpfI6k/s1600/P1000550.jpg" height="320" width="282" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The GH4 also
is a decent still camera but it is heavily designed around the video side,
which suits me. Moving from a video camcorder to a DSLR means that I will need
to modify my shooting style and some beloved features have been surrendered
(though some of them may be retrievable with options). For one thing, I don't
have a power zoom (a feature standard on any camcorder). For wildlife video
this is a bit awkward and makes it harder to remain still while filming. I have
worked at this though and still managed to capture some good video. I have
purchased a tablet and downloaded the excellent free app which allows you to
remotely operate and view the GH4. One major change involves the use of neutral
density filters, which is a necessity when shooting video. It has devolved from
flicking a switch (with my camcorder) to physically having to mount one on the
lens or remove it depending on the lighting. I have managed to whittle my kit down
to an ND8, circular polarizer and UV filter with a couple of adapter rings to
get the combinations I want. </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMNBnN-3yOs/VPOQh3DsTqI/AAAAAAAAA4g/_MonkL2yy3M/s1600/nuthatch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMNBnN-3yOs/VPOQh3DsTqI/AAAAAAAAA4g/_MonkL2yy3M/s1600/nuthatch1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With practice, I have managed some wildlife footage (still taken from UHD video)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Suffice to
say that like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> of my video
cameras, I will have a light setup and a heavier setup (in the future) if I am
to continue to use my GH4. I can think of many configurations. For my crossing
of the Rocky mountains, I have bought a small Rode stereo microphone which
mounts in the hot shoe. I am looking at a very lightweight fluid head and
carbon fiber tripod to complete my rig. Some extra batteries and some extra
memory should complete this simple setup.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VXJkria5p5I/VPOQjTZsztI/AAAAAAAAA4o/fNc9dMp7yYY/s1600/fortress1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VXJkria5p5I/VPOQjTZsztI/AAAAAAAAA4o/fNc9dMp7yYY/s1600/fortress1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ultra High definition video is great for landscapes (still taken from UHD video)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am confident
that the added bonus of UHD quality will allow me to capture the plants,
animals, geology and beautiful landscapes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in a
manner that will do them justice. I'm looking forward to sharing my
experiences. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DB5o8tE1FgM/VPOQcCUta0I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/PaYMwBp1xxE/s1600/headwall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DB5o8tE1FgM/VPOQcCUta0I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/PaYMwBp1xxE/s1600/headwall1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-46957549746604335142015-02-28T17:36:00.000-07:002015-02-28T17:36:19.460-07:00A Brief History of Video - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As detailed
in several of my blogs, I have been on the hunt for various pieces for my ultra-light
backpacking trip (which is to happen this July). In the past, video gear has
been problematic. A dozen years ago I hauled my heavy Canon XL1s through the
front ranges of Banff National Park. With the lens, extender, batteries etc. I
was forced to carry at least another ten pounds in addition to my already too
heavy backpack. Luckily for me, "the times, they are a changin". To
an outsider my choices might look somewhat like a devolution, but the output
tells another story. I will give you a brief history of my video cameras.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Standard definition beginnings</span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-atIvNaeBUY4/VPJXzzW1btI/AAAAAAAAA3A/bS16kxwBL1A/s1600/P1090094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-atIvNaeBUY4/VPJXzzW1btI/AAAAAAAAA3A/bS16kxwBL1A/s1600/P1090094.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 2002, I
purchased my first camcorder (the<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Canon
XL1s</b>). It was expensive, but quite a good camcorder for its day. It's
highlights included interchangeable lenses, magnesium alloy body, balanced
microphone inputs, Firewire capture and digital video format(which was quite
new at the time). I fell in love with the XL1 when I saw it staring back at me
from the cover of Videomaker Magazine in the late 90's. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weak points of the
camcorder were its viewfinder (definition too low and hard to tell if you were
in focus) and the medium ( the mini DV tape and transport were high maintenance
and unreliable). It recorded decent 4:3 (720 x 480) standard definition NTSC
interlaced video. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just think of the
old television you had in your living room (your old CRT) and that will give
you an idea of what the output was like. It produces DVD quality video. The Canon was a good camcorder for its
time, which was all too brief or perhaps not brief enough - depending on
whether you are looking at money to replace it or the quality of video. It
has now become an expensive paper weight, but it still looks very cool!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">High definition age</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3bxIBlUTj4/VPJXzyJI4CI/AAAAAAAAA3E/901r0lcdI38/s1600/P1090100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3bxIBlUTj4/VPJXzyJI4CI/AAAAAAAAA3E/901r0lcdI38/s1600/P1090100.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the
happy advent of high definition video, I eventually was able to purchase my
very capable <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sony PMW-EX1r</b> camera.
It has an excellent quality flip-out monitor (as well as decent EVF) and the
days of tapes were gone. It shoots to interchangeable SxS memory cards. The HD
format was like a dream for me! It was much more filmic in its look and feel.
The 16:9 (1920 x 1080) high definition progressive video (think of your newish
flat screen TV) was like a dream, after the limitations of shooting in standard
definition. It outputs Blu-ray quality video. It also is a much more complicated camcorder and it took a great
deal of time to master all of its settings, features and possible color
profiles. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I can't recommend Doug Jensen's
(Vortex Media) guides and video enough for anybody who wants to delve into
these sometimes muddy waters.</i> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are so many excellent features with the Sony
that it is hard to know where to begin; time lapse, cache recording, focus
peaking, zoom focus, shot transition, zebra pattern, color profiles to name a
few... I managed to integrate most of its features into my shooting style over
time. Its weak point is the slower bit rate of its 4:2:0 35 Mbps data rate and
its MP4 encoding, which isn't quite up to broadcast standards. However I have
realized that for a relatively small investment, I could purchase an Atomos
Ninja and take advantage of the EX1r's 50 Mbps 4:2:2 10-bit output and record
to industry standard Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD HQ codecs. That would substantially increase the
lifespan of this excellent product. Unfortunately weighing in at almost 7
pounds, my Sony isn't conducive to a good ultra-light weight backpacking
experience! So I had to look further afield for a solution.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> next time Part 2 The Panansonic Lumix GH4 UHD camera</span></div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-9309504530016119582014-12-20T10:59:00.000-07:002014-12-20T10:59:55.123-07:00Walls of Stone - Ultra Light Backpacking Technology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> <strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Often I would feel ok, but it would only take one slip or lift to set my back off again. That's what happened before I set out on my Red Deer River trip, but I had committed myself so off I went..."</span></strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HmB64oT0CUI/VJWvHEmfHUI/AAAAAAAAA1M/6zAiUnfvpMk/s1600/DSCN3255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HmB64oT0CUI/VJWvHEmfHUI/AAAAAAAAA1M/6zAiUnfvpMk/s1600/DSCN3255.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been
over ten years since my last backpack trip. That probably sounds like a prologue
for an address at a meeting of "Backpackers Anonymous", but it is a
sad truth for someone who says he is crossing the Rocky Mountains in 2015. In
2003, I had decided that my backpacking career was over, but I am hoping that
technology can overcome some of my physical issues and allow me to make this
one last great trip.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6iBKSFK_Q8/VJWzGZxo6yI/AAAAAAAAA1o/MXtezPTm8l0/s1600/red%2Bdeer%2Briver2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6iBKSFK_Q8/VJWzGZxo6yI/AAAAAAAAA1o/MXtezPTm8l0/s1600/red%2Bdeer%2Briver2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fledgling Red Deer River</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I made
my "Red Deer River Journey", it began with a lengthy hike via Skoki
Lodge in Banff National Park and into and along the headwaters of the Red Deer
River to the grassy plain at the front of the Rockies known as Ya Ha Tinda. During
the ten years that preceded my journeys, I suffered from the effects of a torn disc
in my lower back, which (in the beginning) had knocked the legs out from under
me. I remember getting out of my pickup truck and my legs buckling. I lay helpless
on the ground while my two dogs jumped on me and licked my face. At the time, I
didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The rest of that Thanksgiving long weekend
was spent lying on a mattress in excruciating pain. In many ways, <strong>I think that
day was the end of my youth</strong>. What followed was physiotherapy, lost time off of
work and continuous back pain of various intensities. Often I would feel ok,
but it would only take one slip or lift to set my back off again. That's what
happened before I set out on my Red Deer River trip, but I had committed myself
so off I went...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yspSABudYm0/VJWvIlGm7oI/AAAAAAAAA1c/2mQTNNkdZYg/s1600/phil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yspSABudYm0/VJWvIlGm7oI/AAAAAAAAA1c/2mQTNNkdZYg/s1600/phil.jpg" height="320" width="301" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weight
of the sixty or so pounds of gear that I packed through the front ranges
compressed my torn disc causing it to herniate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first it actually felt better, but upon my
return home I developed sciatica. That was the worst pain I have ever
encountered and I have no desire to ever go to <em>that</em> place again. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been
ten years free of back pain since then and I have done plenty of excellent day
hikes in that time. I often carry daypacks of perhaps 20 to 30 pounds without
problems, so that got me thinking about the possibilities of a phenomenon known
as ultra light backpacking.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is some
of the gear that I am planning to take with me:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Western
Mountaineering ultralight -7<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>820g<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Therma-rest
neoair slite sleeping pad<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>350g<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Big Agnes Fly
creek UL1 tent<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>930g<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Video gear:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Panasonic Lumix
GH4 body<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>560g <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Panasonic DMWBLF19 Lithium Ion Battery<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Lumix® G VARIO HD 14-140mm /
F4.0-5.8 ASPH.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>460g<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Go Pro Black<span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span>
136g<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Maybe:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">LumixVario
100-300mm/f4.0-5.6 lens<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>520g<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I haven't
decided on a backpack yet. All or most of my food is going to have to be of the
dehydrated variety. There will also be caches of food and fuel at two places
along the trail to ease the weight of my pack. The bare necessities of sleeping
gear and tent weigh in at a mere 2.1 kg (or 4.6 pounds). I will also need a
campstove. I am considering bringing my trusty old Coleman Peak1.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to
make a film of my experiences, but this time the video gear weighs in at 1.2 kg
(or 2.6 pounds). A small carbon fiber tripod will weigh an additional pound or
two. That is a very low weight for video gear that will capture excellent ultra-high
definition images compared to the twenty pounds plus of standard-def gear that
I lugged along the Upper Red Deer River!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There will
be food and clothing of course, but I think that keeping the bulk of my equipment
around ten pounds is a very good start. There is also the issue of my own 50+ year
old girth. Last New Year's, I resolved to lose thirty pounds of my own unwanted
fat and I achieved that goal. I have managed to maintain this new leaner weight
and I am hoping to drop another ten pounds after this year's holiday season (to
get me in fighting shape).</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RpbsvT5KbYQ/VJWvH02N3_I/AAAAAAAAA1U/1oajRAb-LLg/s1600/DSCN4887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RpbsvT5KbYQ/VJWvH02N3_I/AAAAAAAAA1U/1oajRAb-LLg/s1600/DSCN4887.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kenner and me at Elbow Pass </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(a place I will be revisiting on my Rocky Mountain traverse)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I received
the news this week that my three week vacation has been approved (beginning on
July 10). I am not taking this lightly (ha!), so I will begin a regimen that I
hope will leave me ultra-light and ultra-fit.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-59338158822033854552014-12-06T09:26:00.000-07:002014-12-06T09:26:25.914-07:00Walls of Stone - Waterton and the Fourth Dimension<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">"There
is absolutely nothing in the city to give us the same feeling as the great,
mysterious things of nature even though they be stone and ice. It is only among
them that we feel the utter helplessness and insignificance of ourselves."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Jimmy Simpson<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ojRZj1UGUY/VHpKYXRkCVI/AAAAAAAAAzo/b-AnDgzrvGo/s1600/P1040365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ojRZj1UGUY/VHpKYXRkCVI/AAAAAAAAAzo/b-AnDgzrvGo/s1600/P1040365.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Waterton Lakes bison paddock</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The fronts of the Rocky Mountains were covered in snow
as we headed south along Highway 6 to Waterton Lakes National Park. It was mid-September
and the previous week had seen an early fall snow storm wreak havoc in southern
Alberta, especially in Calgary. Now the summits stood out like diamonds against
the azure blue backdrop of a typical autumn Alberta sky. It was a little early
for snow, but I did appreciate the beauty of the scene (though I was hoping the
snow in the high country would melt away quickly). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BG8Xexba9rs/VHpJoLCaGYI/AAAAAAAAAyo/4uV1UkfyFDk/s1600/P1030630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BG8Xexba9rs/VHpJoLCaGYI/AAAAAAAAAyo/4uV1UkfyFDk/s1600/P1030630.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We set up our trailer in the busy town site campground and took a walk over to nearby Cameron
Falls.</span><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> I thought about how many
times I had stood on this spot. It had been almost 50 years since I first laid
eyes on the falls - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which seemed like a long
time by human standards, but nothing compared to the age of the rock<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which makes up the falls. The limestone of the
Waterton Formation is thought to be slightly less than 1.5 billion years old.
In his "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies", author and geologist Ben Gadd
talks about how limestone is formed as the result of cyanobacteria living in
warm shallow seas. It really boggles my mind to even consider that most of the
rock in the Canadian Rockies is the result of microscopic algae-like bacteria
and has been deposited going back that far in time. The rock of the falls is
the oldest rock that one is likely to see in the Rockies, though I'm sure most
people don't think of this while they take selfies on their smart phones.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMlXGvjQ_Zg/VHpJorRgJII/AAAAAAAAAyw/jh9Ju_m7WNU/s1600/P1030677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMlXGvjQ_Zg/VHpJorRgJII/AAAAAAAAAyw/jh9Ju_m7WNU/s1600/P1030677.jpg" height="400" width="362" /></a><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The rock and mountains of Waterton/Glacier are
different than the rest of the Rockies. The older Purcell Group rock* gives the
mountains a distinctive look. Waterton is famous for its red and green argillite,
such as can be found at Red Rock Canyon. As kids, my sisters and I used to
start at the shallow end of the canyon and rock hop our way deeper and deeper
into the canyon. The game was to see how far we could go without getting wet.
Inevitably one of us would fall into the ice cold water.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TYrwjU7OYjc/VHpJ458wGSI/AAAAAAAAAy8/BhxHqQvl69w/s1600/P1030715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TYrwjU7OYjc/VHpJ458wGSI/AAAAAAAAAy8/BhxHqQvl69w/s1600/P1030715.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mount Dungarvan and ridge</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It had been half a dozen years since our last visit and
my wife and I were there to hike. Most of the high country was covered in wet
snow, so we decided to explore the open south-facing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>grassy slopes below Mount Dungarvan, ascending
the ridge just south of the rocky summit. The view was excellent from the ridge.
To the south we could see the mountains of the Akamina parkway with the
intervening land containing Crandell Lake. To the right of Crandell I could see
the enigmatic meadows around Ruby Lake to the east of the summit of massive Mount
Blakiston (an unofficial trail that I hope to visit one day). To the east, the
valley opens up into the Waterton Lakes valley. To our north, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the castle like summit of mount Dungarvan
towered over us. It was a bit disconcerting to see vehicles stopping below us
on the Red Rock Canyon road . Their inhabitants getting out no doubt to look at
and photograph the many bears in the valley.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D5OmWp6FqeU/VHpJ4qq5vgI/AAAAAAAAAy4/TqW_ksiEdUg/s1600/P1030806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D5OmWp6FqeU/VHpJ4qq5vgI/AAAAAAAAAy4/TqW_ksiEdUg/s1600/P1030806.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crandell Lake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The following day, we took the short muddy hike to Crandell
Lake from the Akamina Parkway to have a picnic lunch. We could look back at
Mount Dungarvan and the ridge we had stood on top of the day before. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tUKWsRMUCOg/VHpKR269rLI/AAAAAAAAAzg/RUYZMjJQgrQ/s1600/P1040022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tUKWsRMUCOg/VHpKR269rLI/AAAAAAAAAzg/RUYZMjJQgrQ/s1600/P1040022.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bertha Lake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
looking like most of the snow had melted over the first few days, so we did the
hike from our trailer to Bertha Lake. It was my fourth visit to the Lake since
1977. Two of my trips there had been overnight backpack trips. The first time
there, I visited with a group of school-mates and had a frightening experience
when gas being poured into an overheated Coleman lantern caught fire, engulfing
us in flames. We managed to put the fire out in a frenzy of activity. Once I swam
in the cold waters of the lake during a lengthy rain storm. This time, the
trails around the lake were wet and muddy, but the sound of cascades pouring
off the surrounding mountains filled the high cirque.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nwGctKskQUE/VHpKbAK0HII/AAAAAAAAAzw/XIcLI4_6juQ/s1600/P1040375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nwGctKskQUE/VHpKbAK0HII/AAAAAAAAAzw/XIcLI4_6juQ/s1600/P1040375.jpg" height="348" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summit lake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We saved a classic hike to Carthew Summit for the last
day of our visit. I had hiked the entire length of the Alderson- Carthew trail
over twenty-five years earlier and I was keen to revisit the summit. The trail
begins at Cameron Lake in the very South West corner of the Province of Alberta
and winds its way over the summit, past the scenic Carthew Lakes, down to
Alderson Lake and eventually emerges in the town site right next to Cameron Falls.
This time however it was a return trip beginning Cameron Lake. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jENJknrOpNw/VHpcYhNzVeI/AAAAAAAAA0s/nLFf-EAAKSg/s1600/P1040410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jENJknrOpNw/VHpcYhNzVeI/AAAAAAAAA0s/nLFf-EAAKSg/s1600/P1040410.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bev sits on the remains of an ancient sea bed </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">which is over a billion years old at the Carthew Summit</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">There were many
people on the trail that sunny Saturday. We ascended through the jungle-like Columbian
forest usually reserved for parts of British Columbia to the ridge and Summit Lake.
It is surrounded by Engleman spruce, bear grass, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and alpine larch. We stopped briefly to drink
some water and take some pictures for a boisterous group of athletic looking
young twenty-somethings and set out onto open rocky slopes which eventually led
to the scenic Carthew Summit. Once at the top of the ridge we made our way
south to the high point and stopped to have lunch. there were quite a few
people coming and going from this point while we had lunch and we noticed that
one group was singing Happy Birthday to an older looking though obviously fit
gentleman. Someone asked how old he was and he replied that he was 86 years
old. I was inspired to see a man over 30 years more senior still enjoying a
hike in our Rocky Mountains.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qOICbVamqo/VHpKo_qoTXI/AAAAAAAAAz8/xtdqUsO2G5E/s1600/P1040403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qOICbVamqo/VHpKo_qoTXI/AAAAAAAAAz8/xtdqUsO2G5E/s1600/P1040403.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The view from the summit is one that I will never
forget. Lakes Nooney and Wurdeman, each set in their own bowls can be seen just
across the U.S. border to the South. Summit lake is visible on the ridge to the
West and tthe bowl containing Cameron lake is behind that - bordered by the
summits of the great Divide to its West and on the South by Mount Custer. Looking
east from the ridge is a sight that took my breath away the first time I laid
eyes upon it - the three Carthew Lakes all in a row nestled by a summit of
pink-red argillite, behind them a drop off between mountain summits and a gap
that looks out onto the prairies that abut the mountain park. It had been a beautiful day and it was the perfect culmination of this year's hiking season. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-75X9zkWfSy0/VHpJhSmerRI/AAAAAAAAAyg/XDIs8GosZIQ/s1600/Image6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-75X9zkWfSy0/VHpJhSmerRI/AAAAAAAAAyg/XDIs8GosZIQ/s1600/Image6.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carthew Lakes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When I'm in the mountains, I find myself not only pondering the size and height of the mountains and distances that I need to cover, but the fourth dimension of time. In my many (but intermittent) visits to Waterton, I have had many guises; newly immigrated schoolboy, Canadian teenager, single twenty-something, newly wed and middle-aged man. When I look at the walls of stone that surround me in a place like Waterton, I can't help but be aware of the millions of years of life that created the material from which these mountains are built. Our lives seem minute compared to that, but yet here we are. We aren't the pinnacle of creation, but the result of natural selection and chance. I can take a strange sort of comfort in the comprehension of just how insignificant <em>my</em> life really is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Gadd, Ben; Handbook of the Canadian Rockies (Corax Press)</span></span></span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </h3>
</div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-35961692378787318682014-11-26T20:02:00.000-07:002014-11-27T08:18:42.476-07:00Walls of Stone - The Fortress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h9OzODjTw0U/VHZqeFHXCrI/AAAAAAAAAxw/K5IKNfYrFpc/s1600/trinity095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h9OzODjTw0U/VHZqeFHXCrI/AAAAAAAAAxw/K5IKNfYrFpc/s1600/trinity095.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Fortress from the front side - circa 1987</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">"The Fortress" is an imposing looking mountain
near the old Fortress ski hill in Alberta's Kananaskis Country. The front side
of the mountain is part of an iconic scene. It appears in everything from
Jackie Chan movies to truck commercials, though I don't think most Albertans
realize what they are looking at when it appears on their screen. From the
front side the peak looks like an unassailable cliff which climbs to a flat
topped summit. Non-climbers like me would never dream about reaching its upper
heights except for the fact that (like many front range mountains) the back
side is a quite reasonable scramble. I didn't have a set agenda for this year's
Kananaskis trip, but the one thing that I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i>
want to do was scramble to the summit of The Fortress.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aY0I7vHtDxA/VHaIM4OdziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/iYynk2z103c/s1600/3%2Blakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aY0I7vHtDxA/VHaIM4OdziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/iYynk2z103c/s1600/3%2Blakes.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Lakes Valley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">August is usually a dry month in Alberta, but this year
it rained on and off for the entire two weeks we had in the mountains. One
rainy day we did the entire loop around the Upper Kananaskis Lake. Even though
it rained, we wore our short sleeved shirts for most of the hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the final galling 4.5 kilometres
between the Upper Lake and Interlake parking lots it poured down, forcing us to
don our hoodies and "Mac in the Sacks". We were soaked by the time we
got back to the truck. On another rainy day, we revisited a few shorter walks -
King Creek Canyon, "Canyon" and Marl Lake (where we saw the usual
family of common loons). I was just winging it this year - hiking whatever took
my fancy on a particular day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_WbTA0PO_ew/VHZpUfG7QZI/AAAAAAAAAxc/_ObB_HBw_-0/s1600/fossil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_WbTA0PO_ew/VHZpUfG7QZI/AAAAAAAAAxc/_ObB_HBw_-0/s1600/fossil.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fossilized coral in Three lakes valley<br />
Possibly Southesk Formation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">On the last sunny day we visited pretty Marushka Lake.
It was only Monday of the second week but I began to realize that the window
was already closing on any opportunity to reach my goal of summiting this
season. All weather reports indicated that a major weather system was coming in
on Tuesday and the resulting deluge would last for the entire rest of the week.
It was disappointing news, but I decided to get up early Tuesday and
attempt the scramble up The Fortress before the bad weather arrived.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MHzDce2pl64/VHZpXCPEwLI/AAAAAAAAAxk/hEIGIJKkBX4/s1600/spruce%2Bgrouse%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MHzDce2pl64/VHZpXCPEwLI/AAAAAAAAAxk/hEIGIJKkBX4/s1600/spruce%2Bgrouse%2B2.jpg" height="400" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spruce grouse</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I got up very early the next morning and filled my
to-go coffee cup, grabbed some food, jumped in the Jimmy and headed up the
Smith-Dorrien Road to the Chester Lake parking lot. it was about 7 a.m. when I
headed up the trail. My dog, Kenner scattered a flock of spruce grouse. I'm
sure he would have liked to pursue them, but I had him on a long protractible
leash. I started out huffing and puffing a little bit, but the further I went,
the better I felt. I passed the old larch that I remembered from years earlier.
Once I got to Chester Lake I was feeling good about things. I took a brief
foray into the pretty three lakes valley, then I crossed a talus slope and into
the upper Chester creek valley. It was cloudy but I had made a deal with myself
that if I could see the summits of the surrounding mountains, I would keep
going and I still could... It was warm enough that I was just wearing short
sleeves. <o:p></o:p></span>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K504JB6rMxA/VHZo8QUWQzI/AAAAAAAAAxM/v1bKOYXBRhw/s1600/fortress1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K504JB6rMxA/VHZo8QUWQzI/AAAAAAAAAxM/v1bKOYXBRhw/s1600/fortress1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upper Chester Creek valley. The Fortress center top.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In front of me was a familiar sight - a limestone
headwall guarded the upper valley. I made my way to the top of the headwall and
found myself in an incredible "valley of stones". All around were
walls of limestone. At the very head of the valley I could see the backside of
the Fortress. It was divided from Mount Chester by a high col. One would have
to scramble up a loose looking talus slope to the col and then make their way
up to the summit from there. It all looked very doable and I was starting to
feel excited about the prospect. I could still see the summits surrounding the
high rocky valley, but then I looked back toward the headwall. The summits
across the valley were gone - all obscured in cloud. My heart sank. A stiff
wind was blowing above tree line and it was beginning to get cold. I had no
sooner got my hoodie on that it began to rain. Just that quickly I needed to
turn around from this beautiful, but exposed spot and retrace my steps down the
headwall. By the time I got back to Chester Lake, The Fortress and Mount
Chester were obscured by cloud. Kenner and I headed back to the Jimmy. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6h_Nvg5pCiI/VHZo-SJ4DEI/AAAAAAAAAxU/8NLKWZGm6To/s1600/fortress2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6h_Nvg5pCiI/VHZo-SJ4DEI/AAAAAAAAAxU/8NLKWZGm6To/s1600/fortress2.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Descending the headwall</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">As the
forecast predicted, it did begin to pour rain. The next day we packed up in a
downpour and headed home early. The summit of The Fortress would have to wait.
I am usually philosophical about these things. It <em>had</em> been a good day out in the high country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
I can't help but notice just how t</span>he days and years fly by and I know it will be a long while before I get
the chance again. The one thing that consoled me was the upcoming trip to
Waterton Lakes National Park that loomed several weeks in my future. I already
couldn't wait!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MHzDce2pl64/VHZpXCPEwLI/AAAAAAAAAxk/hEIGIJKkBX4/s1600/spruce%2Bgrouse%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-82080610130956509012014-09-10T20:21:00.000-06:002014-09-10T20:21:01.828-06:00Walls of Stone - Tryst Lake Baptism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have always said that there are two kinds of hikers - those that hike to get
fit and those that keep fit to hike.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> I fall under the latter
category. I've never been much of a jock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When my wife and I were younger we would start each season with weekend
or day trips in the spring (wheezing up the foothills and mountain slopes) and
by the time summer came, we were in prime hiking condition. Several times, I
caught people looking at us (when we passed them on a trail) in wonderment.
Sometimes they would comment about how fast we walked. To us it just seemed a
normal pace.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CkGC5nxW4uQ/VBD18bhTjjI/AAAAAAAAAvU/jvSHVPGYyLc/s1600/trinity092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CkGC5nxW4uQ/VBD18bhTjjI/AAAAAAAAAvU/jvSHVPGYyLc/s1600/trinity092.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spring conditioning hike among the limber pines of the Bull Creek Hills with our old dog "Flip"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQpKaOHbzgs/VBD17EN5v9I/AAAAAAAAAvE/GfR0eYJykms/s1600/trinity094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQpKaOHbzgs/VBD17EN5v9I/AAAAAAAAAvE/GfR0eYJykms/s1600/trinity094.jpg" height="640" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lower Tombstone Lake August, 1988</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I once did a solo trip along the headwaters of the
Sheep and Elbow Rivers. I camped for a day at Tombstone Creek backcountry
campground. A party of dudes arrived on horseback and waited while the crew set
up camp. I chatted to their guide about the surrounding country, which of
course he knew very well. That evening <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
decided<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to do the side trip to pretty
Tombstone Lakes. I arrived back at the campsite just before dark and I noticed
some of horse party looking at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
guide approached me with a funny grin on his face. I'm sure I didn't look the
part with my long hair and no doubt a bit of a gut on me (I drank a lot of beer
in those days!). I was probably wearing ratty jeans and a t-shirt and I had a
cheap backpack and a tent that I bought for 30 dollars at Costco. He wanted to
shake my hand. He said that the party of tourists had sat around the fire and
watched as I ascended the ridge to the lakes or "almost ran" as he
put it. I'm not sure what was said while they watched, but apparently they were
impressed by my speed and agility. I took this as a high compliment from a
cowboy and experienced mountain guide. I had a lot of respect for anyone with
the fortitude to be a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mountain guide,
but it was probably the first time that I felt the respect was mutual. I was
twenty-eight years old and that was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>over
25 years ago! I do remember that there were many times that I did struggle and
I never felt like I was ever doing something exceptional, but those were the
days...</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v3oQrljgRBc/VBD17jLxq1I/AAAAAAAAAvM/Xa0ouqrr-tQ/s1600/trinity093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v3oQrljgRBc/VBD17jLxq1I/AAAAAAAAAvM/Xa0ouqrr-tQ/s1600/trinity093.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Younger, fitter days. Grueling spring hike to Guinn's Pass.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I enjoyed this past summer, as I usually do. The "best
part" however didn't turn out quite as well as I had hoped for. There was
the August long weekend, then a four-day work-week to be followed by two full weeks
holiday at a campsite in Alberta's Kananaskis Country. <em>What could be better?</em> </span><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Mid July began two weeks of neck pain and then on the
Friday of the August long weekend my scalp felt numb. By Friday evening the
back of my head felt like somebody had hit me with a baseball bat - with
intense and shooting pain that radiated across my skull. I had no idea what was
going on. I decided that I would try and tough it out (with the help of pain
killers and booze) until the doctor was back at work on Tuesday. I lasted until
Sunday morning then headed to emergency. No I didn't have a tumor, infection,
or aneurism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had what is called a
"tension headache", which was due to strained nerves in my neck. I
wasn't dying , but the doctor said that it could last two weeks. So medication,
chiropractic care and massage therapy were on the agenda <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the week before our Kananaskis hiking
trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSB-d2ETSxc/VBD8Fg2vN1I/AAAAAAAAAv0/-WSDaJ45xb8/s1600/P1030084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSB-d2ETSxc/VBD8Fg2vN1I/AAAAAAAAAv0/-WSDaJ45xb8/s1600/P1030084.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foothills-like hiking terrain near where I live</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Good exercise, but nothing like the mountains</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Walking around the country where I live is good
exercise, but is never an adequate preparation for hiking in the Rocky
Mountains. I usually do some shorter hikes for the first couple of days of my
mountain vacations with at least one that takes me to tree line. I find this
gets me acclimatized and ready for a few more challenging hikes. This year I
decided to make the first hike up to pretty Tryst Lake. I thought the initial walk
in along an old logging road, followed by a stiff (though not too long) climb up
through a forested trail to the lake would be a good warm-up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I got up about half way up the hill when I began to
overheat. I took a break, sat down and drank some water. I wasn't concerned,
but when I went to continue I found that my legs didn't have much strength. I
went a bit further and discovered that I had nothing left. This was a new
experience for me and I was concerned. I tried to continue on for short spells,
but I ended up sitting down and drinking more water. My head felt hot. it was a
hot day and I was carrying two bottles of water. I finished the first and went
to drink from the second, but it was the water from the campground which was so
full of chlorine that it was undrinkable. With my wife's help, I managed the
final portion of the hike to the lake and found a place to rest and have lunch.
I figured that I would feel better after eating and resting for a bit. Even
after lunch, I still wasn't feeling right, so I took things in hand. I stripped
down and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>waded into the cold waters of
Tryst Lake. Almost immediately I began to feel better and after a soak, I
climbed back out and got dressed. I felt fine! I shot some footage around the
lake, while my wife scrambled up a ridge to the south. It was a beautiful day
and I was finally beginning to enjoy it. My baptism in the freezing subalpine
waters among the larches and heather had apparently wiped away my ailments.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f0IoBviqUw8/VBD6Fy2mS4I/AAAAAAAAAvo/zDptDHErwro/s1600/Tryst%2BLake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f0IoBviqUw8/VBD6Fy2mS4I/AAAAAAAAAvo/zDptDHErwro/s1600/Tryst%2BLake.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tryst Lake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SKqpSf7QJk/VBD_BPhdBII/AAAAAAAAAwA/gYYIR1wX8JU/s1600/P1030471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SKqpSf7QJk/VBD_BPhdBII/AAAAAAAAAwA/gYYIR1wX8JU/s1600/P1030471.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Highwood - Wash-out at Lineham Creek. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is still plenty of damage from last year's flooding</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">That evening I decided that I needed to get off of my headache medication. The next day we took a leisurely walk along the Highwood
River. The following day I did the hike to the fire lookout over 400 meters above
Boulton Campground and managed it easily. Young couples with bikes passed me on
my way back down - huffing and puffing. "Is it this steep all the
way?!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I</span><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> just smiled and said honestly, " it gets a bit
steeper near the top".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt good
and I knew that I was once again ready to hike my Canadian Rocky Mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7kzE7NR8hA/VBEBqq8AOHI/AAAAAAAAAwM/fP_HtGbQgD8/s1600/DSCN9813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7kzE7NR8hA/VBEBqq8AOHI/AAAAAAAAAwM/fP_HtGbQgD8/s1600/DSCN9813.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Kananaskis Lakes from the lookout</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-27808725429312066472014-07-27T11:38:00.000-06:002014-07-27T11:38:17.617-06:00Walls of Stone - Across the Canadian Rocky Mountains (Introduction)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">"I grew up in Calgary and I
got used to seeing the fronts of the Rocky Mountains along the western horizon,
beckoning me."</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;"> That's how I began my last story,
but then I proceeded to go on about the prairies. This time I want to talk
about the mountains. The mountains have always held a deep fascination
for me and I am preparing for a hiking trip-of -a-lifetime that will take me
across the Canadian Rocky Mountains, from east to west. Over the next year or
so I will share the preparations, obstacles, technologies utilized and the story
of my journey.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SPLA5l8bixo/U9Uz45CBg1I/AAAAAAAAAug/iS04dAv-jKY/s1600/lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SPLA5l8bixo/U9Uz45CBg1I/AAAAAAAAAug/iS04dAv-jKY/s1600/lake.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">Childhood Dreams<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">My father
did something when I was five years old that changed the lives of everyone in
my family. He moved us from England to Canada and took a job in the oil
business. I have heard Calgary called a "prairie town" many times,
but to me that isn't what makes Calgary the city that it is. It is the close
proximity to the Rocky Mountains from which it derives its fame. Being
immigrants in a new land, both my parents were interested in exploring their
new surroundings and the mountains were both close-by and novel. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s3AB67taTYo/U9Uz5D2tF5I/AAAAAAAAAuk/qrPBEjwtDN0/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s3AB67taTYo/U9Uz5D2tF5I/AAAAAAAAAuk/qrPBEjwtDN0/s1600/Image1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">We made
trips to nearby Banff and Canmore. Waterton Lakes National Park soon became one
of our favorites. I remember enjoying the many day hikes that we embarked on,
but I would find the low-level hikes to be a bit disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hoodoos near Canmore, the "paint
pots" in Kootenay National Park, Crandall Lake in Waterton and the
inevitable Johnston Canyon in Banff were all enjoyable walks, but I did
find them to be a bit of a yawn... It wasn't until we took a family trip to
Banff and beautiful Moraine Lake that I "got it".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DcMAOisKljE/U9Uqt4vcmrI/AAAAAAAAAtk/TpV7qcdb9sg/s1600/DSCN4481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DcMAOisKljE/U9Uqt4vcmrI/AAAAAAAAAtk/TpV7qcdb9sg/s1600/DSCN4481.jpg" height="262" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">I can
remember exactly when it was that I fell in love with the mountains. That day
we did a popular hike called "Larch Valley" which took us up into the
subalpine and alpine zones above the forested valley. The unusual alpine larches
were just some of the unfamiliar living things which inhabited this alien
landscape. The sounds of marmots whistling form the scree slopes and the pikas
scurrying about collecting vegetation, the sight of open meadows with rivulets
of water, small tarns among the limestone boulders reflecting the blue sky and the
sight of hanging glaciers across the valley all contributed to my growing sense
of euphoria at every turn. I could see the switchback trail climbing to a high
alpine pass (Sentinel Pass) and I wanted to push on, but my parents (perhaps
wisely) said that it was getting late in the day and that it was further than
it looked. I remember that feeling of disappointment,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but when I became a young man I was able to
go further - across those passes and into the high windswept places of my
imagination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89SifYfGxis/U9UqxXeBTXI/AAAAAAAAAts/bi2Nb0M-sZc/s1600/DSCN4411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89SifYfGxis/U9UqxXeBTXI/AAAAAAAAAts/bi2Nb0M-sZc/s1600/DSCN4411.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">My childhood
dreams of the savannah of Africa, the rainforests of South America, the Gobi
desert and sailing the oceans were replaced by a new, more plausible dream - one
of the Rocky Mountains. This was a dream I could see every day. Whether I was
driving, going to school or building high rises in Calgary's downtown core, I
could look to the west and see those limestone peaks. I got to know all of
their names and where they were situated. I spent hours perusing topographic
maps and reading guides. I did as much hiking as I could afford , but it never
seemed enough. When I met my wife, we spent much of our free time exploring the
Rockies (mostly in nearby Kananaskis Country). We have enjoyed the beautiful
locations and many adventures that have happened along the way. This summer we
will return to both the Kananaskis and Waterton regions. For me, it will be
part of my preparations for a bigger adventure <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">next</i> summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfgPUU5zKks/U9UqzKYjoOI/AAAAAAAAAt0/KV59XLEi9qg/s1600/DSCN6243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfgPUU5zKks/U9UqzKYjoOI/AAAAAAAAAt0/KV59XLEi9qg/s1600/DSCN6243.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">I am definitely closer to the end
of my hiking career than the beginning, so I have resolved to make this one
last journey.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;">
The plan is to complete a hike from the eastern front of our Canadian Rocky
Mountains, through the Front Ranges of Alberta and across the Great Divide.
Then I will cross the magnificent Main Ranges of British Columbia. The finish
will include a traverse of one of the less traveled Western Ranges and in to
the Rocky Mountain Trench, ending at the banks of the Columbia River. I have
the route planned, after many winter nights pouring over maps and playing with
Google Earth. I won't go into the details, but it comprises the absolute
minimum of front-country road bashes and contains several classic hikes.
Somebody mentioned that there is a bike path that I could take across the Rockies,
but that doesn't interest me in the least. It isn't about me or saying I made
the journey. it is about the journey itself and the places I hope to see<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. It is about the mountains.</b></span></div>
</div>
Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200010788780871896.post-90422196317895174272014-03-28T18:23:00.003-06:002014-03-28T18:49:33.958-06:00My Sacred Places - Part Six<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Great
Sand Hills<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5x4G1jEQjg/UzXrcivaMfI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/93J7jd5tf9M/s1600/dune4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5x4G1jEQjg/UzXrcivaMfI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/93J7jd5tf9M/s1600/dune4.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NPNRGDVPYSg/UzXrY-elN4I/AAAAAAAAAnw/MNTOg3vrwFg/s1600/DSCN5682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NPNRGDVPYSg/UzXrY-elN4I/AAAAAAAAAnw/MNTOg3vrwFg/s1600/DSCN5682.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sound of the wind and the song of the meadowlark<br />
are constant accompaniments during the prairie springtime</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I grew up in Calgary and I got used to seeing the fronts of
the Rocky Mountains along the western horizon, beckoning me. On the eastern
horizon there<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> were </i>no mountains just
empty skies. I suppose it was no wonder that I focused most of my energy (as a
young man) exploring the Rockies, never giving a thought to the vast prairie
region to the east. There <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> a year
however that my family had lived near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. I was a
boy of 7 and we were new immigrants to Canada. In two years we had moved from
London, England to Calgary, Alberta to Burstall, Saskatchewan. That was my only
experience of living on the prairies. I remembered little of it, but I know
that my parents had fond memories of our time spent in that surprisingly interesting
part of Canada.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PAFcS7bUF4o/UzX2qMep6xI/AAAAAAAAAq4/Sq8cRqKZgzQ/s1600/boots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PAFcS7bUF4o/UzX2qMep6xI/AAAAAAAAAq4/Sq8cRqKZgzQ/s1600/boots.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Boot Hill" - one rancher's tribute to the Great Sand Hills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Fast forward 37 years to my journey along the length of the
Red Deer River. I had a pretty good idea what to expect for the first three
quarters of that expedition, but the last part of the trip into the “Palliser
Triangle” was a mystery to me. It was the “Undiscovered Country”. That section
of the river and the land around it made such a mark on me that I decide to
return there the following autumn. I have been back to this part of the
prairies many times in the ten years since.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b-exruH61zo/UzXripe10jI/AAAAAAAAApc/N-DyiBh_WfQ/s1600/skull1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b-exruH61zo/UzXripe10jI/AAAAAAAAApc/N-DyiBh_WfQ/s1600/skull1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kangaroo Rat skull</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I usually camp at Sandy Point campground – a spot on Alberta’s
Highway 41, where it crosses the South Saskatchewan River. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This provides me with a central place from
which I can explore the large area that surrounds the Great Sand Hills. From
there it is a quick drive across the border into Saskatchewan and east to the
sand dunes. The Great Sand Hills is very large in area, but only a small
percent of the sand hills are actual exposed dunes. Most visitors go to the
dunes east of Burstall and south of Sceptre, which is the most accessible spot
to visit. One can wander the dunes looking for signs of the resident, but
nocturnal kangaroo rats (which are at the northern limit of their range). I
have never actually seen one, but their trails and holes are everywhere.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T2tGm4M_aPs/UzXri8dC0YI/AAAAAAAAAp0/_HZB6hCQYqo/s1600/skull2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T2tGm4M_aPs/UzXri8dC0YI/AAAAAAAAAp0/_HZB6hCQYqo/s1600/skull2.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PqReiXYZx0U/UzXrWkI6leI/AAAAAAAAAnk/myA39l6geYE/s1600/DSCN5733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PqReiXYZx0U/UzXrWkI6leI/AAAAAAAAAnk/myA39l6geYE/s1600/DSCN5733.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy owl along Old Millie Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">There are many other
less visited places in the sand hills of course and I have some much-loved ones
of my own. My favorite drives is via the “Old Millie Road” which (along with the
New Millie Road) traverses the sand hills and leads to other roads which branch
out in different directions to hidden gems – dunes, small lakes and quiet, secluded
places miles from anywhere, where ferruginous hawks soar above you and deer and
pronghorn run free. There are even moose in the sand hills, or so I am told. I
have seen them in the area, but not actually in the sand hills themselves. In
the spring and fall, tundra swans can be found along with numerous other
waterfowl in the few lakes and ponds that can be found near the heart of the
region. Sandhill cranes migrate through the area in the spring and fall in
large numbers as well as Canada, snow and greater white fronted geese. In the
fall one can find thousands of migratory waterfowl around ponds and in the
fields. Seeing them suddenly all take off at once is one of the great natural
spectacles that you will ever see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0KJr0ryaSNk/UzXrEp7BlPI/AAAAAAAAAms/DylnCSNI3sg/s1600/DSCN0738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0KJr0ryaSNk/UzXrEp7BlPI/AAAAAAAAAms/DylnCSNI3sg/s1600/DSCN0738.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The scent of sage is in the air and the ground cover mostly
consists of fescue and juniper. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>There are sheltered
stands of aspen and balsam poplar in places that we sometimes like to stop and
have lunch. In spring we look for the prairie crocus (anemone) peering out of
the otherwise drab-looking turf. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7F098Mti8I/UzXrGQKl6WI/AAAAAAAAAm4/a-sHedF1ElU/s1600/DSCN0705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7F098Mti8I/UzXrGQKl6WI/AAAAAAAAAm4/a-sHedF1ElU/s1600/DSCN0705.jpg" height="486" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The Great Sand Hills is a massive area and
exploring its reaches is not something that can be treated lightly. It involves
lots of driving and hours and hours of exploration, map reading and
speculation. Days can go by quickly and I have to be careful not to run out of
daylight, especially in the shorter days of late autumn around Thanksgiving .</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cFqqOagfVTE/UzXrfD9o0rI/AAAAAAAAAo0/gXJEGh-6L5E/s1600/rock3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cFqqOagfVTE/UzXrfD9o0rI/AAAAAAAAAo0/gXJEGh-6L5E/s1600/rock3.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing rock - a large glacial erratic near Hazlett</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The larger area around the sand hills also includes the
valleys of the South Saskatchewan and Red Deer Rivers, which both include some magnificent
vistas of their own. The forks of the two rivers is a place that I return to
often, because of its natural beauty and its personal significance. One of my
favorite places is the "Bulls Forehead", a high grassy hill opposite
the confluence of the two mighty rivers. I will often sit up there for hours,
while remembering my journeys on the two rivers and taking in the ambience of
the surrounding valleys, poplar groves and grassland. If you're a birdwatcher this
is a spot that you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i> visit in the
summer. Bluebirds, king birds, thrashers, towhees and many types of
sparrows can be found in the grasslands and river-side thickets. Along the
river's edge there are ducks, geese and wading birds (such as the ever present willet)
along with flocks of white pelicans on the sandbars. A pair of bald eagles nest
on one of the islands and there is a great blue heron rookery. Prairie falcons and
swallows nest along an area of sandstone cliffs. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4wY61o_n-sA/UzXrh1Urk5I/AAAAAAAAApQ/OMMZ0oZly88/s1600/sask+river2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4wY61o_n-sA/UzXrh1Urk5I/AAAAAAAAApQ/OMMZ0oZly88/s1600/sask+river2.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The South Saskatchewan River</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NtbY3itZHPw/UzXuqe6W7OI/AAAAAAAAAqg/q6zO000iR4o/s1600/DSCN4354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NtbY3itZHPw/UzXuqe6W7OI/AAAAAAAAAqg/q6zO000iR4o/s1600/DSCN4354.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wandering garter at Sandy Point</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">There are also four types of snakes common to the region;
bull snakes, wandering and western garters and the prairie rattlesnakes, which
radiate from some large hibernacula near the two rivers. I understand that
there are no snakes in the actual sand hills themselves, which may be a comfort
to some. On wet years the evening chorus of frogs on the highlands is almost
deafening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-va1hwsZwvxM/UzXrRj1E20I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/SyOdrni1gzg/s1600/DSCN3546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-va1hwsZwvxM/UzXrRj1E20I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/SyOdrni1gzg/s1600/DSCN3546.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">There is a great deal of historical significance to this
region of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Western Canada. The river
valleys and forks were important to the tribes of the plains. The Blackfoot people
believed that the souls of the dead wandered the Sand Hills. Around 1800, Peter Fidler
established the Hudson Bay Company's ill-fated Chesterfield House at the forks. I once
climbed the hill (on the tongue of high land) between the two rivers and stood
in the spot where explorer John Palliser had been a hundred and fifty years
earlier. In later times, there was a Métis settlement near the forks. Paddle wheelers once plied the tricky waters of the South Saskatchewan as far as Medicine Hat. There are old cemeteries
and stones that mark the places that once held long forgotten settlements and
towns. Some of them were abandoned when their young men failed to return from horrors
of the Great War.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DcDb0ub9Zs/UzXrdtcUWAI/AAAAAAAAAog/mrRLM6mwxi8/s1600/monument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DcDb0ub9Zs/UzXrdtcUWAI/AAAAAAAAAog/mrRLM6mwxi8/s1600/monument.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial to local war dead at a lonely crossroads east of the sand hills</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">So why the Sand Hills? Or why the prairies at all for that
matter? I have lived in the parkland region of Central Alberta (at the edge of
the great plains) for almost twenty years now and I remember a conversation
with my old neighbor and Cowboy Hall-of-Famer, Bill Greenwood. He had noticed
that we were away for a few days and enquired about where we had gone. I told
him enthusiastically that we had been up to the Ghost River country and had hiked
to the summit of Blackrock Mountain. He just snorted and said, "why would
you want to go up there? There's nothing but rocks..." Bill was a man that had
grown up on and learned to love the open country of the prairie. He said the mountains made him feel claustrophobic.I have come
around to his way of thinking over the years. Though I will never apologize for
my love of the mountains, I can see what he was talking about on our drives and
in our many conversations. Among the Great Sand Hills and the breath-taking open country
around them, I can get a glimpse of what the prairies must have been like
before the arrival of the European settlers. There is a certain light and aura about that whole part of the country. I am sure that it is an acquired taste,
but the prairies have become a part of who I am.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hK4v1EElSOQ/UzXrkYcBTeI/AAAAAAAAAp8/gNdr4bw9nas/s1600/sunset2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hK4v1EElSOQ/UzXrkYcBTeI/AAAAAAAAAp8/gNdr4bw9nas/s1600/sunset2.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Freefight Lake, in the heart of the Great Sand Hills</td></tr>
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Phil Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116457869944944323noreply@blogger.com3