Well, I still haven’t finished unpacking from our move and I’ve been filling in a ton of hours for all of my vacationing co-workers on top of my regular shifts (which is why the unpacking isn’t progressing)…but some much-longed-for hiking in the mountains is finally happening this summer! My brother and my hubby and I recently did a short trek to Ptarmigan Cirque, in Kananaskis Country. My hubby and I had been up there twice before, and I am always awed by the scenery. This go-around, the water pools were dried up from the heat and the waterfall was a bit on the skinny side; we also missed the peak wildflower bloom, but the place simply cannot ever disappoint. This is an immensely rewarding short hike for families and anyone who doesn’t want to tackle a difficult trek. The challenging part is completed first thing: you’re in the Highwood Pass*, so you start out at an elevation of 2,206 metres (7,239 feet) and then climb up – very quickly, pretty much all in the first kilometre – to 2,414 metres (7,923 feet). It’s a bit hard to breathe up there, plus there’s all that exercise you’re doing…
…and then you get to see views like this. Breathtaking, indeed!
One of my favourite places in the Rockies! The diversity of plant life up there is incredible….
*Which has the distinction of being “the highest paved pass in Canada.” Meaning, there is a really good road up there, a highway that is open to traffic only six months of the year, to protect critical wildlife habitat. The rest of the time, we can snowshoe and ski on sections of it (see here and here).
Flowery Prose. 