Temple Mountain

I told you I was coming for you Temple...

Cascade Mountain

Stop looking at me Cascade! Seriously, this peak has been staring me down for a long time now and I have just plain had enough of it. This typically isn't prime trail running territory, however my legs were barking and needed to be let off leash. Was able to run the whole way to the Amphitheatre and combo run/ scrambled to the summit in 1hr 57min! For some arbitrary reason, I wanted to beat the 2hr mark, not like it means anything. Time for a granola bar and back to the car in 3hrs 45min. Legs and lungs felt amazing today and back to Calgary before my wife noticed I was gone.

Rockbound Lake - Castle Mountain

Today's route took me from Castle Junction, up to Rockbound Lake and up to towering Castle Mountain. Seeing as it was a Monday of a long weekend, I was startled that there were only found 5 cars in the parking lot when I arrived. I think a lot of people are put off by this trip due to the fact that it includes 16km's of trail in tree cover. I imagine the trails surrounding Lake Louise would be littered with day-trippers already.
Some quaint little trail details along the way. As I trotted by my attention was drawn to this young Aster getting to know this crotchety old tree stump.
As the trees break, you are faced with a shear wall of what I found out was primarily limestone. Impressive and menacing staring down on you.
Rockbound Lake is obviously a fitting name here. You as a visitor also feel bound to the lake by the cliff faces infront of you. Just off of camera right is a scree slope that you can use to ascend the rock wall.

Once I gained access to the cliff band, the fun began. It was running hedonism along the limestone and quartz shelf all the way to the summit. Here the whole route is exposed. The highway/ parking lot is just visible camera center. The route follows the valley up through the trees and deposits you at the lake. From there you ascend a steep scree slope camera left and gain the shelf. The summit of Castle mountain is camera right just before the isolated cone of rock named the Eisenhower.

Tried a pano here but my memory card wasn't cooperating and this is the only image I recorded from the summit. A good chunk of the Bow Range is in view and memories of past adventures at Lake Louise, Borgeau, Taylor Lake and Lake O'hara come flooding back as I refuel.
Temple Mountain is has pulled a cloud in front of it's east face hiding it from view. I think in my mind it's scared knowing it's next on my list. You can't hide Temple. I'm coming for you.

Healy Pass

It's official, the high alpine trail mashing season is here once again! I've been creeping on the webcams at Sunshine Village over the past 2 weeks and the meadows has gone from completely snow covered to open for business in that amount of time!

Got on the 8am Shuttle bus at Sunshine Village and gained my altitude the American way today. My route took me through Sunshine Meadows, along the Monarch Ramparts, up Healy Pass, down to Egypt Lake and return. Weather was perfect and some wildflowers were already out. I'm usually pretty nervous about Healy pass on my own, but I had my bells and whistle glowing red after a few km's. Great intro to what will hopefully be many trips into the high passes this year.

Rock Isle Lake is the destination for most on the bus. I felt guilty pulling the camera out this early into the run.

Of course the Prairie Crocus' are the first flowers to chase the summer snow away.

A look back down from Healy Pass towards Monarch and the Ramparts.

My destination for the day: Egypt/ Scarab Lakes

This proud little Glacier Lilly wins the blue ribbon for dopest flower of the day.

Inversion

36 and improving HS form! Maybe by 50, I'll have my one arm HS. Ya right.

Summit's of Mount Borgeau left and Heart Mountain Right. Granted it's pretty difficult to HS on sharp rocks. Well, that's my excuse for not extending my elbows and flexing my shoulders properly.

Lake O'hara

Bit of a risky adventure this time as I headed up the Lake O'hara access road in the moonlight. My 5d and tripod strapped to my running pack. My whistle, bear bells and my hunting knife were little re-assurance as I spotted a pair of glowing eyes behind me in the moonlight as I headed up the trail. Thankfully this time it was only a deer. But those were the eyes I spotted. The ones to really be afraid of are the eyes you don't see.

Anyways it was worth the extra anxiety. Just as I arrived at Lake O'hara, some little fluffy clouds revealed some early autumn alpenglow.

Sunlight begins to clear the massive peaks as I reach the holy land: The Opabin Plateau.

I could have spent all day exploring the little collection ponds leading up to Opabin Lake. This image seems fake to me. It's impossible for a place to be this extraordinary. Emerald blue lakes, Fire yellow trees resting beneath the shear faces of the peaks in Yoho National Park.

Cabo... again.

Annual trip to Cabo with fam.

Foothills

Restless at 5am once again so I headed out to Springbank to catch a late summer sunrise. That late summer sun doesn't disappoint. Once it crosses the horizon, it wraps you like a warm blanket.

Lake Magog

Diamond in the Rough

I seem to have an abundance of images crowding my memory cards and hard drives these days. Settling back into my passions after the initial chaos of welcoming Benson into this world is a welcomed change.

Growing Like A Weed

9lbs of hair and lungs.