Two-stepping to Tent Ridge

Lisa and Mike on the west arm of Tent Ridge looking back at our hike and scramble

Kananaskis Country - what the folks who live in south-west Alberta refer to as K-Country - is the place where the locals go to play. Full of glorious Rocky Mountains, K-Country has all the vistas, views, and trails of the Mountain Parks, but almost none of the National Park tourists.

Mary below Mt. Smuts on the ridge high point

Last year, while working with the Mountain Legacy Project (mountainlegacy.ca) I fell in love with K-Country, so, when Lisa and John arrived for a bit of Rocky Mountain hiking, I was keen to get out and try our hand at something in Kananaskis. That something turned out to be Tent Ridge (see map below). But, it did take us two attempts to actually get up on the ridge.

The first attempt saw Mike, me, John, and Lisa spend an hour in the car at the trail head waiting for the weather to clear. We didn't exactly waste our time - we played Famous People 20 Questions (pick a famous person - write the name on a piece of paper - give to friend - friend sticks paper on head without looking at it - repeat for everyone playing - everyone asks questions - guess name of famous person stuck to your head). The weather never cleared, so we left for another hike elsewhere.

 The next day was better situated for weather so we headed out again. This time to great success. Tent Ridge is rated as a challenging hike. It is approximately 11 km long, with about 780 metres of elevation gain. It does have a few airy steps where hands on the rock are required.There is some route-finding necessary, however, accomplished hikers and scramblers should have little difficulty. Indeed, all our difficulties seemed to fade away as each step along the ridge offered better and better views. As an added bonus, the approach to the ridge is via a gentle valley trail -- not your typical calf-clamping steep gasper of a trail that MOST hikes in the Rockies present.

Storm in the north over Spray Lakes

If our first attempt at Tent Ridge saw us rained out, our second saw us sheltered from nasty weather. As we rounded the western arm of the ridge huge thunderclouds gathered to the north -- and sped right past us without so much as a drop. Talk about lucky!

John and Mary taking pictures of plants - Lisa on the ridge line

The ridge presented us with some lovely wildflower shows - new plants, like Bladder Campion, and Autumn Gentian, that I had never seen before. Everyone took turns trying to get good macro photos. John capped off the day by presenting us with a wee dram of good single malt scotch - Springbank from the bonnie Mull of Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland. In fact, the entire west arm of Tent Ridge, with its wide back, sloping down towards a blue-on-blue lake, reminded me a lot of Scotland and some of the grand hill walking we all enjoyed in that fair country.

Our route down off the ridge took us steeply down through lush meadows full of Paintbrush, Arnica, and Saxifrage. We had to exercise a bit of route finding expertise to find our way, but all was accomplished in good time. We arrived back at the trail head just as the first raindrops began to fall. Another day seized traipsing around in the mountains -- I could get VERY used to this!

If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you're lucky enough!
John, Lisa, Mike, Mary

Map of Tent Ridge

View Tent Ridge - Kananaskis Country in a larger map
More pictures from the hike: Tent Ridge pictures

Cruising to Cirque Peak

Cirque Peak summit: the view looking west

July 29, 2013 : Another day in Rocky Mountain paradise! This time we decided to venture a bit further afield up the Icefields Parkway (see the map below for location). The destination was Cirque Peak above Helen Lake in Banff National Park. And what a worthy destination it was! The day, which was forecast to include thundershowers and rain, was sunny and easy-walking-warm. The bugs, after the correct application of bug-juice, were completely tolerable. The views were superlative. And, the 515 million year old fossils were purely the icing on the cake.

Huge stromatolite reef below Cirque Peak

 Mike and I joined up with Pat, Doug, and Arianne for this excursion. It was Arianne, a geologist, who put us wise to the fossils in the area. It seems that to the south of Cirque Peak, on the plateau above the Helen Lake pass, is a reef of fossilized stromatolites. Stromatolites are layered structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding and firming of sediment by blue-green algae. Stromatolites are probably the earliest lifeforms on earth, dating back to 3.5 billion years ago. The stromatolites at the base of Cirque Peak are not that old - they probably date back to about 515 million years ago in the Cambrian period. More info on the Cirque Peak stromatolites can be found in this interpretive guide to the area.

The hike was a long one - 17 km round trip and a total elevation gain of 1100 metres. The peak itself is just shy of 3000 metres (2993 m). But, it is one of the easiest accessed high peaks in the Rockies. If you can put one foot in front of the other (and repeat for 17 km) this mountain is in the bag. There is a spot of scrambling at the very top, but honestly, the views from the tippy top were no grander than those from a few metres lower down.

Mike and Mary on Cirque Peak - Bow Glacier and Bow Lake in the background

The views from this peak let us look down on the start of the mighty Bow River. In the last few weeks the Bow has been our guide looking down from the heights at landscapes that are new to us. It is always there to give a point of reference.We've ridden bikes beside it, photographed it, and drunk from it drinking water; after the floods of early July, it is a source of endless fascination and discussion for everyone who lives along its banks.

It was such a treat to see the two glaciers that are its source: the Crowfoot and the Bow. On the top image of this post the Crowfoot is on the left, and the Bow on the right. We'll be seeing more of the Bow over the next few weeks - now I know exactly where it comes from.

More pictures from this hike at Flickr

View Cirque Peak, Banff-Jasper Highway in a larger map

Queen of the Castle

Queen for a day: Mary on top of Castle Mountain, views east down the Bow Valley

Castle Mountain from just off the TCH

Castle Mountain is, perhaps, one of the most iconic symbols in the Banff National Park pantheon of peaks. Driving down the Trans Canada Highway visitors see the south west slopes of the mountain rising, like a fortified medieval castle, almost straight up from the valley.

I know I've looked up at it many times and dreamed of standing on top, but always thinking its cliffs and crags were too much for me. Imagine my surprise to find that Castle Mountain has a much gentler aspect: the north / north-east side above Rockbound Lake affords scramblers an easier route to the summit. Well, perhaps "gentle" is not quite the right description - at 28 km round trip and an elevation gain of 1400 metres it is still a bit of an excursion, but Mike and I found it well worth the effort.

Eisenhower Tower above Tower Lake

The first few km of the trip is a tad dull as the trail ascends through pine and spruce forest. Red squirrels and lovely wildflowers do hold one's attention, but when the first views of the Eisenhower Tower heave into view, sailing above the treetops, the vistas quickly open out. Soon enough we reached Tower Lake, ready to begin the final on-trail push to Rockbound Lake.

Castle was named in 1858 by Scottish geologist and surgeon James Hector. Using common Scottish good sense he named the mountain for what it looked like: a castle. But, with the stroke of a government pen, in 1946 the mountain was renamed Mount Eisenhower in honour of the US general (an soon-to-be President) Dwight D. Eisenhower. Happily, public pressure caused its original name to be restored in 1979, but the tower on the southeastern side keeps the Eisenhower moniker. 

The view from Rockbound Lake gave us a good idea as to what the 2nd half of the route had in store -- limestone galore! We went up and to the right around Rockbound and started a counter-clockwise scramble along the limestone terraces, gullies, and rocks high above the lake. What a day! We walked on ancient limestone laid down under the ocean 530 million years ago. In places the rock was so bright I had to shade my eyes to look at it -- kind of like sunning on a Pre-cambrian beach.
 

Views from the early Cambrian limestone terraces

There was a bit of optimal route-finding to be done in getting to the summit - to say nothing of some scree-slope slogging. But, once there we had some stunning views. While lounging around the top two climbers showed up. They came up the cliffs on the highway side. We chatted for a few minutes and found we had someone in common -- the lead climber knew my sister Janice back in Revelstoke. What a small world.

Summit views: Rockbound Lake

White-tailed Ptarmigan

Coming down we retraced our steps, enjoying yet more views and the golden evening light. We even came across some White-tailed Ptarmigan. Normally Mike and I would not bother birds like this, whose existence in the alpine is already quite difficult. But, these two walked right out in front of us - less than a metre away. I didn't feel too guilty about snapping a few shots before moving along.

We got back to our car around 8:00 pm that evening, after spending about 11 hours on the mountain. I can say without a doubt that Castle Mountain left me feeling like a queen for at least one day. I give our time on Castle my royal seal of approval.

Map of our route:

View Castle Mountain via Rockbound Lake, Banff National Park in a larger map  

More images on Flickr

 

A different kind of Eiffel Tower

Hike and scramble up Eiffel Peak: Eiffel on the left, Pinnacle Mountain in the middle, Temple Mountain on the left.

Mike and I did our first over 3000 metre peak of the summer: Eiffel Peak in the Lake Louise area, Banff National Park. It was a moderate scramble with a few moves that were made a bit more difficult because of the weather -- nothing like two cold runnels of water running from your hands into your armpits and out your pants to get you moving!

Eiffel Peak is 3084 metres high and affords outstanding views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks (the image that used to be on our - Canadian - $20.00 bill). Temple Mountain, Pinnacle Mountain, and the popular Sentinel Pass are also right in your face on this scramble.

Valley of the Ten Peaks

The day started out overcast and cool, and we did get some rain at about 1:00 (just in time for the hard stuff). The trail up was challenging, especially the interminable switch backs up out of Moraine Lake, but once on the mountain the views opened out beautifully. I stopped about once every 100 steps, let my heart rate settle for a moment, and gulped down some water.

We were a group of six, with Rick, a nurse from Washington state, joining us for the majority of the hike. Doug and Pat - our hosts from Canmore - along with their daughter Arianne and her boyfriend Gijs completed our group. This was a fit group and we moved along smartly. Sadly, I was the caboose on this hike, but I don't think I held the group up too much. And besides, someone has to be last.

This hike and scramble were exactly what I hoped our sojourn in the Canmore area would yield: great views, interesting terrain, some physical challenges, new wildflowers, wildlife sightings, and good times with friends. Here's hoping our Eiffel day will be the start of more to come.

More pictures from the day: Eiffel Peak Scramble.

Map of the route:

View Eiffel Peak via the south east slope in a larger map

Are those nymphs I see in that pool?

The East Charters River, just before joining the West Charters.

Last weekend Mike and I, along with Jan, Judith, and Alan, got out for a 14km hike that took just about the entire day -- and what a well-seized day it was! After a convivial breakfast at our usual haunt (Cup of Joe), we headed west to the Sooke Hills. Our  destination: Charters River off Sooke River Road. We parked outside the hatchery and set off on a lollipop hike (a hike with a small circular route at one end and an out-and-back at the other -- see the map below for a "visual").

We headed up the Grassy Lake trail - a wide and well travelled route - for about 3.7 km. Then followed a small trail off the right of the main track. This took us down to to the West Charters River (some maps call it the North Charters), which was easily crossed at this time of the year. If you check out the OpenStreets map of the Sooke Hills Wilderness , you'll see this trail. It is called the Chimney Trail. From here we joined the Lower Rampart trail, but then carved our own way down the cliffs to the Charters River.

Although Mike had been here before, we were still a bit unsure about how to get down the cliffs, and indeed followed some false leads. But, we got it dialed in and had a fun scramble. The views on the Ramparts made the scrambling well worth it. We got to look back at some of our more familiar routes from a different vantage point. As well, this hike got us into one of southern Vancouver Island's most seldom-visited provincial parks: Sooke Mountain Provincial Park. While on the Ramparts and in the East Charters River bed we were actually in the Park. I've spent a lot of time in the Sooke Hills, but this was the first time I've ever been in Sooke Mountain Park.

On the Ramparts

Perhaps the high point of the day was not time spent up on the Ramparts enjoying the view, or the stimulation of route finding, but the time spent down in the bed of the East Charters River (some maps call it the South Charters). This is not something that could be done at any other time of the year: winter and spring have the river flowing wildly, and in fall the chance of a quick cloudburst is too great. But, even with reduced flow I still had to watch my footing as I scrambled up and around huge boulders and clambered over and under logs and trees. All of us took our time on this section.

In the river bed

The atmosphere in the river bed was green and still, with the river gurgling and springing from pool to pool. We stopped at one of the kettle holes Mike noticed last time he was here. Since we were taking our time, we decided to spend some time taking off our clothes and jumping in. The water was decidedly brisk, but the day was warm and I, for one, was ready for a dip. It was such a "BC moment" to find a secluded spot, shuck off the shorts and splash about. Classic summertime in BC!

I won't offend anyone's eyes with photos of the five of us snorting and blowing like baby Belugas (our ages combine to give 287 years of experience here on Earth -- enough said), but rest assured, photos were indeed taken. Actually, the plants and flowers in bloom along side the Charters were the stars of the show. Delicate Maidenhair ferns turned cliff sides into lacy green grottoes, orange and yellow Sitka columbines nodded brightly at us from rocks and crevices, and many different types of Streambank alums peeked out from under trees and branches. Big Western Red cedar trees drooped huge roots into the water, keeping everything cool and shady. This part of the hike was less than a kilometre long, but it felt like walking back in time. The cliffs and boulders are made of basalt created more than 54 million years ago from underwater volcanoes. They tower above the river bed, but have a softness to their form -- kind of like huge pillows. This effect is caused by the quick cooling of lava being exposed to seawater.

Jan, Judith, Alan, and Mary

A few cautions about this trip:

• Firstly, DON'T attempt it if there has been a very recent rain, or if the river is running high;
• Secondly, DON'T rush the river bed. It can be very easy to turn an ankle here, or worse;
• Thirdly, if the ages in your party of five add up to more than 280, be VERY careful about who you let see your skinny-dip pictures!  

View The Ramparts and East Charters River in a larger map

More photos from this trip:
Mary and Mike's photos .
Alan's photos .

2012: Mountains and roofs ... oh my!

Another year gone and I think I can safely say that Mike and I are starting to feel our age! A few new creaks and groans – it is just like that old roué Leonard Cohen says “I ache in the places I used to play”. But, the wheels haven’t come off the Mike and Mary wagon yet. We still manage to get out into the hills for a hike and scramble among the peaks and glens, or hop on the bikes for a ride into the great outdoors.

Admittedly, this year was long on mountains and short on multi-day bike trips, but roads and bike trails are calling too. We are not sure yet what 2013 will bring, but I’m certain it will involve out-walking or out-riding the furthest city lights!

Alan, Mike, Mary, Jan:
Quadra Island

Some of our outdoor highlights for 2012 included a February stay on Quadra Island with friends Jan and Alan. Hiking, hot-tubbing, and beachcombing were the order of the day. Quadra, which is on the north east side of Vancouver Island, is usually busy with visitors in the summer, but in the winter we had the place to ourselves – as you can see from Alan’s picture of Mike and me on Wa Wa Kie Beach.

Mike, Roxanne, and Dave on Mt. Klitsa. The view
is southwest to Nahmint Mountain and the West Coast.

Mike and I enjoy our association with the Alpine Club of Canada. Mike especially has been out on lots of mountaineering adventures with Roxanne and Dave, friends from the ACC. Indeed, I think Mike knows more about the hills, peaks, lakes, and valleys of southern Vancouver Island’s Sooke Hills Wilderness area than anyone. Not content to rest on Sooke Wilderness laurels, Mike and company have been out in the mountains towards Port Alberni and the West Coast of Vancouver Island too.

I spent a good portion of the summer working with The Mountain Legacy Project (mountainlegacy.ca). MLP is a research project out of UVic that seeks to re-photograph 100+ year old survey photos of the mountain environment in Western Canada. We find the exact spot that the original surveyors stood and re-take the same image. Then, back in the lab, we overlay the new image on the old and look for signs of landscape change. The results are amazing – especially in showing dramatic evidence of ecosystem and climate change.

Mary on Mt. Shatch: amazed
this spruce tree is alive at
9000 ft.

The work was as exciting and as fun as anything I have ever done. I spent July and August in Alberta on the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains travelling from Kananaskis Country (a bit south and west of Calgary) to the Willmore Wilderness west of Grande Cache. We also made a stop in BC’s Mt. Robson Provincial Park. I was part of an all-woman team of three and we always got our photo – even if it involved jumping out of hovering helicopters, epic bushwhacking in the dark of night, and scrambling along high-mountain ledges.

Mike on Richard and Melanie's
roof.

While I was gallivanting in the Rockies, Mike was working as a roofer back in Victoria. He helped our friends Richard and Melanie re-roof their home. It was difficult work, but did Mike ever look buff and tanned when I got back! I guess hoisting those huge sheets of plywood around was better than spending time in the gym.

Fritz in Janice's garden.

On the family front Mike’s Mom Marion and brother Dave became temporary residents of Victoria when they moved here for five months over the summer. As well as spending time with Mike, Marion also got to spend time with Eoin, her youngest son who also lives in town. I paid a flying visit to my sister Janice this summer – just time for lunch, a quick catch up on all things Revelstoke, and a chance to play with Fritz and Amy, Janice’s adorable pug-dogs. Janice’s home and garden are her pride and joy, and so they should be: her place is a classic mountain chalet – cosy and comfortable with stunning mountain views

Fall was glorious this year with late September and early October presenting some outstanding light. I made it to Banff for a photography workshop.

Lake Louise

Moraine Lake - Larch Madness in Sept.

Oak Bay waterfront - October, 2012

  

John, Lisa, Mary, Mike: East Sooke Park

Back in Victoria Mike and I got out with friends Lisa and John for some local rambles. We walked in the Sooke Hills and hiked the Coastal Trail in East Sooke Park. 

The new year is here in a few days. Mike and I hope it holds health, happiness, and heaps of adventure for you and yours. Here’s to 2013 – and another chance for us to get it right!

All the best
Mary and Mike

Flowers and more

It has been a LONG TIME since I've written or posted pictures here on The Back of Beyond. It's not that I've forsaken the great outdoors, but I did toy with the idea of simply leaving this site as an homage to our time in Bonnie Scotland. I went so far as to get another web address and start up a new site -- however, something about this one just kept calling me back. So, here I am, ready for another season of being amazed by the beauty and diversity in our environment.  Needless to say, I don't think I'll be disappointed!

This spring I've been focusing on wildflower photography -- yes, even MORE than usual. Although I have many shots of native wildflowers, I thought I would try to create special images that shine a light into the heart of the flower. Images that reveal the intricate structure and beauty of the plant: a kind of visual exploration of  "wildflowerness".

So far it has been a deeply rewarding process -- I spend hours tramping through the hills with friends, stopping to get photos where I can. This works very well because everyone on the hike is another set of eyes on the look out for wildflowers, lichen, moss, shrubs, trees, views -- you name it. But, this spring I've been looking on these rambles as flower reconazance missions. The true intensity happens when I head out by myself, spending hours schlepping tripod and camera into the back of beyond and focusing on a few species of flowers.

I've been very pleased with the result, and feel like I am coming to learn more and more about native wildflowers, especially those found in Southern Vancouver Island. I mean to create a special set of pages on this site with pictures of all I find separated by colour, family, size, and blooming time frame. But, for now, I thought I would highlight a few of the flowers that have really stirred my imagination.

Gold Star -- Crocidium multicaule I caught this early spring arrival on April 15 up on On Jocelyn Hill, in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. This lovely little annual is an infrequent visitor here in Victoria. It is common on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island and on the adjacent Gulf Islands. One of the few places to see it in Victoria is up at "Crocidium corner" on Jocelyn Hill. View Crocidium Corner, Jocelyn Hill, Gowlland Tod Park. in a map.

Naked Broomrape -- Orobanche uniflora What a strange common name! This parasitic herb doesn't photosynthesize. Instead, it sends out root-like growths, which attach to the roots of nearby sedum, saxifrage, sunflowers, or other plants. Once attached to a host, the broomrape robs the host of water and nutrients. In this case the O. uniflora plants are parasitizing sedum. We came upon this plant in early May out on the McDonald "Bumps", on John Peak. View a map of Mt. McDonald

Other wildflowers of note (thus far!)

Native wildflowers of Southern Vancouver Island slide show: