February 17, 2022 - West Bragg Trails - First Skate Ski - UPDATED

I recently purchased a set of skate skis.  Being out on the trails the past few years, I have really been intrigued by the apparent effortlessness and speed of the passing skate skiers.  With some birthday and Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to purchase a skate ski set-up and give it a try.  Things I learned on this first outing:

• With no technique, and little fitness, there is nothing effortless about it - I was gassed!
• A lesson or two is definitely in order, and I would like to make that happen before the end of this season
• For brief moments I understood why it is such an amazing sport - the glide component is unreal when you get going and I know it will be more and more fun once I am able to string longer sections together

It was a relatively short outing but I was more than happy to have gotten the first one under my belt - only one spill, many breaks along the way, and lots of fun overall! 😁

Gassed!!

UPDATE - Sam decided to give the skate skiing a try over the past week. He's been out a few times already and seems to really be enjoying it.  Looks like I might be buying a second set of skate skis next year...

First Outing:

Second Outing:

February 11, 2022 - Evan Thomas Creek via Old Baldy Trail, Hwy. 40, Kananaskis

Amanda, Lexie, and Mikey headed out for a morning hike last week.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to join.  By all accounts they had an amazing time and really enjoyed the hike, with some scrambly parts, and some beautiful sights.   I just wanted to capture the hike and a few pictures they shared here.

Ice Falls

Lexie and Mikey On A Chain Section

Shadowy Ravine

January (And Early February) 2022 Update

Managed four outings since our last post, which is not bad considering all of the extremely cold weather we had at New Years!!

January 8, 2022 - Chester Lake, Kananaskis

Some friends from work and I had been talking about going for a hike or snowshoe for quite some time, and we finally made it happen on January 8.  With the cold snap we were having I wasn't sure if we would be able to do it, but thanks to the hiking gods, despite -32 C on the drive there, we were blessed with a -15 C start and -12 C finish!  Being first on the trail, the conditions were perfect for a snowshoe (0.5-1.5 feet of fresh snow).  The visibility could have been better but I think everybody was fully satisfied at the end of the day.

First On The Trail!

Note The Unzipped Jacket Despite -30 C Back In Town

Snow Ghost??

In The Meadow Approaching Chester Lake

On The Way Back Down

January 21, Prairie Mountain, Kananaskis

Amanda and I mad a last minute decision to head out to Prairie Mountain for a quick hike.  Not our favourite trail, but definitely a good one for a quick workout, with lots of nice views at the top.  The trail was very icy at the bottom, and our microspikes came in handy - I don't think we would have made it the first 100m without them.  Other than that the weather was beautiful (visibility was the best I've ever seen), and we enjoyed some good discussions when our breath would allow it!

Summit Approach

Interesting Construction On Summit Approach

Summit Selfie - Moose Mountain Lookout In Background

Crazy Pic Of The Ball Of Fire In The Sky

February 4, 2022 - West Bragg Trails X-Country Ski

While enjoying our morning tea/coffee we decided we better go for a cross-country ski while there was still a bit of fresh snow left with all of the warm weather we had been having.  The 7-day forecast also looked pretty warm with no snow, so the time to go was now.  We hit the trail by 8:30 and the glide was very nice.  There were a couple of icy spots along the way, but overall I would say very good conditions.  We did the Mountain Road - Mountain View - West Crystal Line - Loggers - Sundog East - East Crystal Line loop.  The long downhill section on East Crystal was super-fun due to the glide conditions.  There were 5 cars in the lot when we left, and ~50 when we got back so we timed it just right!  I was very glad we got out when we did!

Mountain Road On The Way Out

Selfie!

Nearing The High Point

February 5, 2022 - White Buddha, Kananaskis

This was round two with my buddies from work, but we were also joined by our good friends the Mays, and Ben's girlfriend Hannah.  We met at our place around 8:15 and caravanned to the winter gate at Elbow Falls by 8:45.  We hiked up the road to Powderface Creek Trail and headed in.  The trail was packed snow, with little or no ice.  We were prepared to use microspikes, but didn't need to.  We decided to hike down to the West end of the ridge and summit from there.  Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves judging by all of the conversations that were had.  We made it back to the cars around 11:15 and caravanned back to the house for a camp fire and some lunch.  Although the hike wasn't too long or strenuous, I found myself very tired that evening and was sound asleep no later than 9:15!

Nik and Colin, With Hannah The Dog

Hannah The Person Catching Some Warm Rays

Climbing Towards The West End Of The Ridge

Almost There...

Summit Ridge Shot