Skiing Lake Louise - first visit of the season (Nov 15/15)

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Up to 80 cm of new snow in the last week at Lake Louise. As they were opening the upper lifts, we decided to make a visit. The resort is an hour west of Canmore - on a great divided highway, albeit pretty slick on the way up. Amazingly, the upper "six pack" was open, along with the Summit platter. Eight runs on the platter is enough for the legs on the first day of the season.

That said, the skis didn't record any nasty rock hits, and there was great powder to be had all morning anywhere. We noticed no traffic lookers right of the platter, and found our way down to some pretty sweet uncut powder. The lower half of the mountain got pretty warm and setup, but that's just fine for making a nice base - and the World Cup Downhill/Super G course that they are setting up for the races starting in 2 weeks.

Next storm Tuesday?

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October 2015

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As October comes to a close, we're still having lots of outdoor fun! We've been out on several hikes/scrambles, a lot of mountain biking, and a wee bit of kayaking. It has been a very dry month (not unusual), with nice temperatures ranging from daytime highs of +5 to +20C. What's not to like?

Certainly the mornings can be cool, so you have to bring along a few thin layers to shed here and there, but if you like active, it's easy to stay in a cool operating temperature. And trail conditions are excellent due to no rain.

The crowds are gone, the highways are relatively quiet: love it!




Mt Grotto scramble

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Another gorgeous fall day in the Canadian Rockies!! Instead of heading out to view the beautiful larches, we opted for a south-facing scramble up Mt Grotto, which is on the opposite side of the valley from Grandview Chalet B&B in Canmore, AB. While not a technical scramble, it rises 1425m (4675') from the start at the Alpine Club of Canada clubhouse. And it is an unrelenting pitch that you really notice on the way down!

The aspens were in full colour, as you make your way out of the valley. There are a few confusing intersections of trails initially, but you basically stay to the left of the massive canyon where the Rat's Nest Cave system is. You can arrange for guided tours of the cave system out of Canmore. They are quite interesting.

About the time you reach treeline, you've reached the NW ridge that you follow to he peak (2706m, or 8878'). The ridge is really excellent to follow, with huge views of the Bow Valley all the way to Banff, and the prairies to the east. Mt Assiniboine, at 3616m, is an obvious peak to the south.  If you keep your eyes open along the ridge, you will see Devonian coral fossils such as the one pictured below (~350 million years old). 

The route took about 6.5 hours - it will take a few days to unknot the quads!