Today was my first day off-shift, and I really needed to get outside. Fortunately Amanda and Sam had planned to go for a hike, so we were all set! We hit the road around 7:45 and got to the trailhead around 8:45. We were first on the trail. It was a little chilly and windy at the trailhead but once we started moving we warmed right up.
The trail was snow covered, but very well packed down. We put our micro-spikes on almost right away, which was a good choice. The route follows Galatea Creek all the way up to Lillian Lake. There were some very cool ice formations on and around the creek. I tried to capture some on the camera but they were much more interesting in reality.
The hike is a steady climb all the way to Lillian Lake. Once there we decided to push another 1.5 km to Galatea Lake. The last kilometer was a bit of a grind, and was also where most of the fun occurred:
- While crawling under a branch my bear spray got caught up in the branch, the protective cover came off, and a small squirt came out. I didn't know what was going on when Amanda started coughing, and choking, and saying something about a bear. Once she caught her breath she explained. Fortunately, she was able to continue. I guess I shouldn't call this part fun, but it was certainly memorable!
- Once we reached the top we came back down a bit to find a sheltered spot (it was very windy once we were got above the tree line) to eat our lunch - PB&M (marmalade)!! The sandwiches were super yummy and were a necessary boost for the 7 km back to the car.
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| The Final Push |
- We had a bit of bum-tobogganing before we got back into the trees:
As with almost every hike, the walk back down was much quicker than the walk up. This trail used to present a larger challenge as there is many river-crossings, including the Kananaskis. We counted nine bridges on the way down, that make this trail much more accessible than it used to be.
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| Suspension Bridge Over The Kananaskis |
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| Random Bridge |
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| Skinny Bridge |
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| Selfie Bridge! |
We were all very happy to get such a big hike in, in mid-January. The upside of not very much snowfall this winter is that these types of trails are still relatively manageable (highly recommend walking poles, and micro-spikes). We made a quick stop on the way back for some cold drinks and snacks, and Mandy and I were in the hot tub within five minutes of getting home. What a great day!! We had a great workout, spent four hours outside, and I feel like myself again.
