August 21, 2023 - Dorothy, Alberta

Ben and I headed out to do some exploring around Dorothy, Alberta.  He had been there earlier this summer taking pictures with a buddy of his, and enjoyed it so much that he wanted to go back and grab a few more.  I am glad he did, because it was a very cool experience with some fantastic scenery!

Dorothy, Alberta is a tiny Hamlet of about 15 people located in the Badlands, about 20 km southeast of Drumheller.  After passing Hussar we took some gravel backroads for the final approach into Dorothy.  The scenery changed dramatically as we approached the Red Deer River valley, and the final descent into Dorothy was spectacular! 

Dorothy is considered a ghost town despite the fact that there a still a few residents.  There are two abandoned churches (the Catholic one is still intact and you can actually go inside and look around), an abandoned store with dust-covered items still on the shelves, broken-down vintage cars and tractors at various locations for viewing, and a 1970s style playground complete with teeter-totters, steel slide with no railings, and an old-fashioned merry-go-round.  The old grain elevator is still in place as a landmark for the town, but looks like it has not been used in decades.  We spent about an hour walking around the hamlet looking in and around the buildings, testing out the playground attractions, and taking pictures.  It honestly felt as if we had gone back in time.

Badlands Geography

View Down To The Hamlet Of Dorothy

Abandoned But Intact Catholic Church

Abandoned Vehicle (Reliant)

Once we were done touring around the Hamlet we decided to explore the Red Der River a bit before heading back home.  We ended up stopping at a few places with beautiful views of the river and valley.  As dry and baron as the Badlands are, there is a significant amount of diversity of plants and wildlife.  In the short amount of time we were there we saw rabbits, chipmunks, and a number of different birds including a huge Osprey perched on top of one of the tall eroded hills in the area.  Ben snapped a few more shots, then we were on our way back home.

Old Man On The Banks Of Red Deer River

I would definitely recommend making a trip out to that area if you were looking for something interesting and unique to do in Southern Alberta.  I am so glad Ben took me with him.  The scenery was amazing and the town was so interesting to see.  It was a great summer experience!!

August 14 and 16, 2023 - Hiking With Ben H

We have been trying to get an old high school friend of ours to come visit for a while now, and lucky for us he decided to pull the trigger and visit us this past week.  We had a great time catching up, joking around, and getting out into Kananaskis for a couple of beautiful hikes!!

Ptarmigan Cirque, Highwood Pass, Kananaskis - August 14, 2023:

Ben had not done a lot of mountain hiking so we decided to start easy with Ptarmigan Cirque.  I had not done this one before, but Mandy had.  I think it is an excellent hike to take friends and family on - the drive out is beautiful, the trail is easy to follow and on the shorter side, and it has many amazing views.  Ben tackled this hike with energy and enthusiasm. When we got to the loop at the top we were very fortunate to see a heard of sheep grazing in the meadows, right on cue. 😂

Out Of The Trees And Approaching The Cirque

Ascent Selfie

Hard To See But There Are A Bunch Of Sheep In This Photo

Ptarmigan Cirque

Mountain Man

UFO Invasion Or Cool-Looking Lenticular Clouds??

We made short work of the descent and return to the car.  Our next stop before heading to Banff was Upper Kananaskis Lake for a quick look.  There were quite a few people enjoying the lake, trying to keep cool on such a hot and sunny day.  I am sure many people will disagree, but I think Upper/Lower Kananaskis has Lake Louise beat as a day-trip destination.  It is very beautiful and peaceful, and has a fraction of the crowds.

Pondering Life At Upper Kananaskis Lake 😃

We all agreed this was a great first day in Kananaskis for Ben, and he was already looking forward to our next excursion a couple days later!

Jumpingpound Mountain, Elbow, Kananaskis - August 16, 2023:

We decided on Jumpingpound as it is close, and we know how good the payout is once you get out of the trees.  Once again Ben attacked the climb and before we knew it we were up in the meadows, and on the peak of Jumpingpound.  Already wanting more, Ben suggested we head over to the second top, which Amanda and I had talked about a few times, but had never done.  Off we went, and about twenty minutes later we were at the second top.  After a short break, and some confusing discussion we agreed to go to top #3.  Another twenty minutes later we were on top of the Eastern summit of Jumpingpound - so cool!!  When we looked back at top #1, where we had come from, it seemed much farther than two twenty-minute legs...  With no other options we started re-tracing our steps all the way back to the car.  Although it was quite a bit more work than we had planned for, the conversation and reminiscing about old times made it all go by too fast.

That Is A Big Root Ball!

Summit #1 - Checking Out The Views From An Outcrop

Summit #2 With Summit #1 In The Background

Summit #3 With Moose Mountain In The Background

I was quite pumped thinking back on the hike, which started out as a nice repeat hike for Amanda and I, and turned into a new adventure that we hadn't planned on, thanks to our good friend who pushed us all to go further.  I was also very happy that we were able to share some great hikes with somebody who hadn't had the opportunity before, and who truly enjoyed it all!!

July 31, 2023 - Banded Peak, Elbow, Kananaskis

This has been on our list of peaks to hike for a few years now.  Unfortunately we were only able to make it a group of four, as Ty had to work. 😡 Ben was able to grab us some e-bikes from work which is really the only way Amanda and I could have done this without expiring...  The ride in is 14.5 km with about 450 m of elevation gain.  The e-bikes were a life-saver!!  The hike was everything we hoped it might be, and a whole lot more work. 😂 Sam has done another amazing job writing the adventure up on his blog, which you can find here.

Today was one of those experiences I will never forget, and that I will always feel proud about.  It might be a little vain, but it will be special for me when I see the recognizable silhouette of Banded Peak in the distance, to know that we were up there for a brief moment in time.

Big Elbow Trail Approach

Looking Back Towards The Trail Head, Cougar Mountain In The Background

Still Looking Fresh About Thirty Minutes In...

Sam And Ben In The Distance, Outlaw In The Background, Banded Peak Hidden On The Right

Looking Back Again As We Approach The Col

Sammy - Summit Shot

Benny - Summit Shot

Me On The Descent - Looking Fresh But Feeling Weary 😂

Mandy, How Did You Feel About This Hike?? 😆

July 15-18, 2023 - The Phillips Come To Visit

As with many stories lately, this one starts with COVID...  During the lockdowns Mandy and some high school girlfriends of hers started meeting on Zoom, after many years of being busy with family, work, life.  From these get-togethers, Mandy and the girls hatched a plan to organize our 30-year high school reunion, which Mandy made happen in June of 2022.  While we were in Ottawa at the reunion, I was able to connect with one of my closest buddies, who I had gone to school with from Kindergarten through Grade 13.  We hadn't seen him in a very, very long time, and it was so amazing to catch up and re-connect.  Fast forward to July 2023, and Mike and one of his sons Oliver, pulled the trigger on a last minute trip out to Alberta to visit us.  We decided to make the most of the visit and pack as much fun and reminiscing in as we could.  Mike and Oli were amazing guests, and if they went home half as tired as we were once it was all over, they definitely would have slept the whole way there! 😊

Jumpingpound Mountain, Elbow, Kananaskis - July 15, 2023

Mike and Oli landed at YYC around 11:00 a.m., and we whisked them home for a quick charcuterie-style lunch before dragging them out to Jumpingpound Mountain for a late-afternoon hike.  We were worried they wouldn't get any views as the forest fire smoke had rolled in pretty thick.  Fortunately it cleared up a bit and they were able to take in some of the surroundings.

Twilight Zone Pano 😁

Summit Shot

Lake Louise, Banff, Moose Mountain - July 16, 2023 

Today was a very full day!!  We spent the morning and afternoon being tourists, and the evening as backpackers.  It was a day I think we will all remember for a long time.

We tried to get out fairly early so we could beat some of the other tourists to Lake Louise.  Although we did get  out early, we did not manage to beat the tourists...  After a bit of figuring, we managed to get Mike, Oli, and Amanda out by the lake for a quick look around and some pictures.  We didn't waste any time and immediately headed back towards Banff where we would check out some of the shops and stop for a delicious lunch at the Three Bears Brewery.  Once again wasting no time, we headed back home mid-afternoon for a quick rest and to get ready for our Sunset hike to the summit of Moose Mountain.

Sam has written up our Sunset/Sunrise overnighter in another great blog post, which you can find here.  All I will say was that it was a very special moment on Moose Mountain summit watching the sun go down with my old buddy and some of our kids.  Wow!!

Sunset Summit Shot

Watching The Sun Go Down

Ben And Sam Enjoying The Sunrise

Kananaskis Golf Course, July 17, 2023:

When we got home from our sunset/sunrise hike Mandy had prepared an unbelievable waffle breakfast with fresh fruit, whip cream, hash browns, and bacon.  We were starving from all the hard work of camping out, and did our best to consume everything on the table!!  After we were able to move again, we took our time unpacking, cleaning up, and getting ready for our 3:45 tee-time at the Kananaskis Golf Course.  Mike and Oli are avid golfers and were really looking forward to the round.  Unfortunately some weather rolled in as we were driving out to the course.  We fought it off for six holes, but when the lightning came we decided to call it a day.  Despite the early exit we were able to take in the beautiful backdrop of the course for a couple of hours, and I think we all had a really fun time.  The one upside of the short round was that we could head back to the house for some more visiting, a few games, and one or two beverages.😁

Sam And I, Weather On The Way...

On Tuesday morning we headed back to the airport to send Mike and Oli back home, after a busy, super-fun, amazing time.  I really appreciated that Mike made the effort to come out to visit us.  Life is busy and it's easy to say "maybe next year".  Mike and Oli made it happen, and we have some very special memories as a result.  We laughed a lot, reminisced, caught up, got to know each other again, and had a really great time.  Thank you, Mike and Oli!!!

July 19, 2023 - Mount Ware, Sheep, Kananaskis

Sam and I decided to head out and try Mount Ware on the day before I had to go back to work.  We decided to bring bikes to make the 5 km approach and 5 km exit much quicker.  It was a great bike-and-hike with some spectacular views of Blue Rock Mountain, Mount Burns, and even Outlaw and Banded Peak in the distance.  Sam has done an amazing job of writing the hike up on his blog, which can be found here.

Biking To The Start Of Our Climb

On The Col With Little Ware In The Background

Me Headed Towards Our Final Objective - Mount Ware

Summit Shot With Bluerock Mountain In The Background

2023 - Update #2

Well, I didn't do much better of a blogging job in months 4,5, and 6...  Here is what we got up to the last few months:

Mandy and I both went on big trips in April/May.

Mandy visited Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre, and some others) and Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia) with some of her highschool girlfriends.  She journaled her trip in a blog which you can find here.  I went a pretty amazing trip of my own with my dad to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and a quick side-trip to Scotland.  I also kept a blog which you can find here.

As for the hikes here is what happened:

White Buddha, Elbow, Kananaskis - June 21, 2023:

Mandy and I headed out for a quick hike.  We decided to do the White Buddha Alt Route, which heads up the hill beside White Buddha, then becomes a ridge walk to White Buddha itself.  We descended the normal way and headed back to the parking lot.  It was a very fun walk, with a bit of bushwhacking and a ruffed grouse mating ritual demonstration!! 😂

Heading Up The First Hill

Somebody Was Decorating This Tree

Dew On A Plant - Took Me Five Tries To Get This Picture Right 😂

Prairie Mountain From White Buddha Summit

Summit Selfie

Little Ware, Sheep, Kananaskis - June 30, 2023

Mandy, Hannah, and I headed out early to attempt Little Ware off the Gorge Creek Road in Kananaskis.  It is an area I have been wanting to do for a while now.  The approach is pretty long, and the ascent gets quite steep, but the payout is 360-degree views.  It was a beautiful sunny morning, and we had the summit to ourselves.  We decided to head down via the Eastern ridge, which was all easy bushwhacking, and made quick work of the return leg.  Our customary stop for a pop and a bag of chips in Turner Valley, and we headed home three happy hikers!

Three Musketeers!

Starting The Approach

A Beautiful Indian Paintbrush

Summit Shot, Looking Towards Bluerock Mountain

A Little Chippy Checking Out My Poles

Summit Shot - Mount Burns, Bluerock Mountain In Background

Mount Burke, Lower Cataract, Kananaskis - July 2, 2023:

Mandy, Sammy, Professor Lexie, and I headed out early on a Sunday to beat the crowds and the heat.  Sam and I had done this one last year, and were excited for Mandy and Lexie to experience it for their first time.  The weather was gorgeous, and our timing was great - had the summit to ourselves!!

Check out Sam's amazing blog here for a better trip report on this hike.

Out Of The Trees, And Onto The Scree

Mount Burke North Peak

Mandy Coming Over The Rock Ridge

Lexie Opening The Window To Get A Better View 😂

Abandoned Fire Lookout At The Summit

Mandy Bundled Up At The Summit

Lexie Above The Clouds!!