Larch season is here again! This is the much anticipated, most cherished and sought after, hiking season for your average Albertan. Prepare for hordes of cars at Highwood Pass and overflowing parking lots at Lake Louise! Everyone wants to get their annual fall photo with the iconic golden larch (including yours truly!). Going for a … More A ‘Larch March’ in Skoki Valley
On September 17th, I enjoyed a mid-week hike with friends Trish and Peishan in Highwood Pass, aiming to see Alberta’s golden larches. Although the fall foliage was not yet out, the day turned out to be one of my top scrambles. We tackled Mount Lipsett, then spontaneously scrambled to Mist Mountain, navigating challenging terrain and celebrating our achievement at the misty summit before descending through beautiful valleys. … More Mount Lipsett to Mist Mountain Loop
On Friday, August 9, 2024, my dear friend Victoria and I embarked on our much-anticipated 4-night backpacking trip for our annual friend-venture. This tradition started in July 2016 as a front-country camping and day hiking trip, but has evolved into a grand backcountry trip over the years. Some of our most memorable trips include exploring … More 2024 Friend-venture on the Sawback Trail (Johnston Canyon to Badger Pass)
The phrase “get your pink back” has become trendy online, thanks to mommy blogger Lindsey Gurk. If you haven’t heard of it, it refers to the phenomenon where flamingos, both male and female, often lose their pink color when raising chicks. Because raising their young is so intensive, and they give so much of their … More Getting my ‘Pink’ Back: Helena Peak via Rockbound Lake
I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to convince my husband Ryan to go on any mountaineering or climbing trips, but he loves camping and backpacking! Let’s be honest, climbing is hard and it takes a certain special (potentially masochistic?!) kind of person to tolerate the mental and physical demands of mountaineering. We also generally … More A mini-backpacking trip to Ribbon Lake
Mount Joffre is an impressive, glaciated mountain located in Peter Lougheed Park that stands at 3,450 m tall! It is generally known as one of the “easier” 11,000ers of the Canadian Rockies, and it was our selection for the first summer mountaineering trip of the year. Hannah, Trish and I met during a Women’s Introduction … More Mount Joffre, the 5th AAWSOME Summit (nope, not a typo)!
I wasn’t originally going to write a trip report on this relatively uneventful weekend, because this Bow Hut trip was really supposed to be a training weekend for doing the Wapta Traverse, which got cancelled due to the Coronavirus. So, I spent some of my extra time writing this little summary reminiscing on a time … More Thoughts on a Lifetime of Loving the Mountains (Bow Hut Winter Edition)
In July 2016, I took an Intro to Mountaineering Course through Yamnuska Mountain Adventures as I was keen to develop some alpine skills so that I would be able to start climbing taller and more complex mountains. On that trip, I met a handful of awesome women who have since become dear friends and adventure … More North Victoria – Kicking off 2019 Summer Mountaineering
Trip Stats! Round trip time and distance: Approximately 5-7 hours and 13 kms Elevation Gain and Max Elevation: 1,196 m; 3,054 m If you live in the Calgary or the surrounding area, it’s likely that you’ve hiked or snowshoed to the incredibly popular Chester Lake in Spray Valley Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country. It’s an … More Mount Chester Scramble
Christina Lives Freely 