The West Coast Trail – Part 2: Camper Bay to Cribs Creek

July 7-8, 2023. The second part of a 7-day trek along the world-famous West Coast Trail You can read part 1 here. Day 3: Camper Bay to Walbran Creek Everyone in the group was up bright and early. Once everyone’s morning routine was complete and we’d packed up, it was time for one more thing: […]

The West Coast Trail – Part 1: Gordon River to Camper Bay

July 5-6, 2023. The first part of a 7-day trek along the world-famous West Coast Trail This past spring, out of the blue, I was offered the chance to hike the West Coast Trail. This wasn’t something that was ever on my radar, being a Rockies hiker and scrambler. A 7 day long coastal trek […]

Ninastako (Chief Mountain)

June 17, 2023. An ascent of the most iconic peak in Blackfoot Territory. The flat mountaintop could be seen from many locations, and it became one of the main landmarks Jerry Potts used to confirm his bearings as he travelled the prairie. He, like many Blood warriors, had climbed the slopes and rested his head […]

Deadman Peak

June 7, 2023. Scrambling on a clear day to an impressive peak in the Crowsnest Pass Deadman Peak is an unofficial summit that’s described by Nugara in More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies 3rd ed. Dave McMurray and So Nakagawa seem to have pioneered this trip in the scrambling blogosphere and their reports remain useful […]

Bertha Peak – “Gullies” route

June 3, 2023. Route finding and moderate scrambling to the top of Bertha Peak. Alan Kane’s Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies describes a route to the summit of Bertha Peak which involves scrambling up gullies on the east face beginning at a spot somewhere behind the backcountry campground. On previous visits to the lake I’ve […]

Forum Peak & Akamina Ridge

October 8, 2022. A scramble to a summit on the Alberta/B.C. boulder followed by an iconic Southern Rockies ridge walk. Akamina Ridge is one of the premier hikes the Southern Rockies. The usual route involves following a well-maintained trail starting in Waterton Lakes National Park which passes over Akamina Pass and enters British Columbia’s Akamina-Kinishena […]

Anderson Peak and Lost Mountain

August 6, 2022. Visiting a pair of summits near Waterton’s Red Rock Canyon. Region: Waterton Lakes National Park. Traditional territory of the Blackfoot, Tsuu T’ina and Ktunaxa First Nations Distance: 18.2 km round trip Total Ascent: 1325 m Elevation of Objective: 2692 m (Anderson Peak), 2513 m (Lost Mountain) Total Time: 7h 16m Safety and […]

Mount Sparrowhawk

August 3, 2022. Straightforward scrambling to above 3100 metres. Region: Kananaskis Country. Traditional territory of the Stoney, Tsuu T’ina, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 10.8 km round trip Total Ascent: 1410 m Elevation of Objective: 3151 m Total Time: 5h 18m Safety and Disclaimer My smoke-free 2022 hiking season came to an end with this […]

Laughing Falls

August 1, 2022. Fun family hiking along the Yoho River. Region: Yoho National Park. Traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Stoney, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 11.4 km round-trip Total Ascent: Approximately 200 m Total Time: 3h 20m Safety and Disclaimer The family and I paid another visit to Takakkaw Falls this summer. Last time we […]

Mount Chester

July 31, 2022. Scrambling a K-country 3000’er next to a hugely popular lake. Region: Kananaskis Country. Traditional territory of the Stoney, Tsuu T’ina, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 13.5 km round trip Total Ascent: 1140 m Elevation of Objective: 3054 m (the official summit elevation, my apps gave wildly different readings) Total Time: 5h 8m […]