September 29, 2022 - Prairie Mountain, The Elbow, Kananaskis

Mandy and I headed out to Prairie Mountain for a quick hike.  As mentioned previously this is not our favourite hike.  Upside: close to our house (15 minutes door to trail head), decent workout, nice views at the top.  Downsides: over-popular, steep, washed-out trail.  We consider it a "utility hike" - it's a good quick hike when time is short, and a bit of a work-out is needed.  As with our luck this hiking season, the day we picked was not ideal - smokey, and overcast, with some showers on the way down.

Despite all of the above negativity we did get a good workout, we saw only one other person on the way up and three grouse on the way down, and we did spend a couple of hours outside in nature.  I still feel very lucky to be so close to all of the beautiful places in Kananaskis and to be able to access all variety of trails whether I love them or not.  All-in-all I would say a 1.5 thumbs up outing!  😉

Summit Selfie

Summit Descent - Looking Towards Iyarhe Ipan

Smokey Peekaboo View

Elbow River And Fall Colours Just Before The Trailhead

September 24-25, 2022 - Overnight Kayak - Island Lake, Deer Lake, Crooked Lake, Beaver/Swallwell Lake, BC

I was visiting some friends in Vernon in the spring when Sam had a hockey camp in Salmon Arm.  My buddy Ryan mentioned one night that he had been wanting to take his kayak out to some lakes in the back country near his place, and do an overnighter.  I thought it sounded like an amazing idea so I invited myself... 😆  After a bit of co-ordination (both of us are on different rotations in a commuting job) we managed to pull the trigger in late September, before it would start to get to cold.

After driving up on Friday, we packed up the gear Saturday morning and hit the backroads to Island Lake Recreation Site.  After a quick recce and some discussion we decided to set up camp there as opposed to lugging all of our gear by kayak to a nearby island as originally planned.  It seemed much more convenient to take a site with a fire pit and picnic table, and would give us a couple more hours of kayak time to enjoy.  Once the campsite was set up we hit the water around 1:30 and started paddling.

Initial Recce

Heading Towards The Channel From Island Lake To Deer Lake

Island Lake is the second lake of a five lake chain.  We headed south through Deer Lake, Crooked Lake, and after a short portage into Beaver/Swallwell Lake.  It was a very beautiful and peaceful experience, that I truly enjoyed.  Being on the water, at the slow pace of a paddle-operated kayak, allows you to take in the sights and sounds that a motorboat may speed by and drown out.  After a little break on an island beach at the last lake we got back into our kayaks for the paddle back.  The headwind didn't deter us, as we had a delicious hot dog dinner planned to motivate us to keep paddling. 😂

Beaver/Swallwell Lake

Crooked Lake - Just After The Portage Back

After dinner we sat by the fire ands solved a few of the worlds problems (and drank a few beer) before turning in.  It was a chilly night but about four blankets each helped us keep warm.  After a decent nights rest we got up, packed up, and headed back to civilization.  I was really glad we were able to make this little adventure happen, and it has sparked a few more ideas for some new ones in the future!

The Island On Island Lake - Sunrise Shot