Saskatoon Mountain

January 5, 2019. A straightforward winter hike to a low summit in the Crowsnest Pass. Distance: 8.29 km round-trip Total Ascent: 495 m Elevation of objective: 1820 m Round-trip time: 3h 17m As is typical at the start of the winter season, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to get […]

Southfork Lakes

October 23, 2018. A chilly river crossing followed by a steep ascent to a trio of high mountain lakes in the Castle Wilderness. Distance: 10.1 km round-trip Total Ascent: 745 m Elevation of objective: 2026 m Hiking time: 4h 39m I turned 40 on October 23, 2018. I had originally been trying to work out a way […]

North Head Trail Loop

September 15, 2018. A scenic seaside descent on Newfoundland’s most popular hiking trail. Distance: 4km loop Total Ascent: 164m Elevation of Objective: N/A Hiking Time: 1h 8m My exploration of the trails on Signal Hill felt like time well spent when I first arrived in St. John’s. However, during that outing my wanderings took me […]

Signal Hill & Quidi Vidi Harbor

September 12, 2018. Two easy hikes connected by an picturesque village stroll near St. John’s Newfoundland. Distance: N/A Total ascent: N/A Elevation of Objective: 160 m (the max elevation, attained at Ladies Lookout) Hiking time: N/A (My usual route-mapping apps weren’t working on this day) I had never been to Newfoundland before this September. […]

Guinn’s Pass via Galatea Creek

August 22, 2018. A long hike in smoky weather to a picturesque pass in Kananaskis Country. Distance: 19.2 km round trip Total ascent: 991 m Elevation of objective: 2443 m Hiking time: 5h 49m I had a free day to go hiking without the kids during our Kananaskis vacation, so I decided to explore the Galatea […]

Black Prince Cirque

August 21, 2018. A short hike with kids to a rocky cirque in Kananaskis Country. With summer holidays approaching their conclusion, the family and I have once again had a chance to spend a few days in K-country. Looking over our hiking options, it struck me that over the preceding years we’d hit most of […]

Lakeview Ridge West

July 22, 2018. An easy scramble to the summit of Lakeview Ridge at the eastern edge of Waterton Lakes National Park. Although I’ve been visiting Waterton since childhood, I’ve never explored the area around the bison paddock. This section of the park is at the eastern boundary and accessed by a different turn-off than the […]

Vimy Peak

July 18, 2018. A challenging bike-and-hike to the summit of Waterton’s iconic peak. Many (possibly most) promotional pictures featuring Waterton Lakes National Park will show the amazing views the park offers – of mountains not actually in Waterton. A common photograph is of the picturesque Prince of Wales Hotel looking south across Upper Waterton Lake […]

Loaf Mountain

July 15, 2018 – A long hike culminating with minor scrambling to the summit of the highest peak in the Castle Wilderness. Though it lacks the dramatic, rocky profile of Victoria Peak, Loaf Mountain is actually the tallest peak within the Castle Wilderness with a summit elevation of 2640 m. There are multiple possible routes […]

Iceland – The Golden Circle and Snaefellsnes Peninsula

July 8-12, 2018. I have recently returned from an excellent 5-day stay in Iceland. The island is a hiker’s paradise, and I’d planned on hiking two of the more popular trails during my visit (Mount Esja and Glymur waterfall). Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate. There was rain and low cloud in the Reykjavik area and […]