tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014Tue, 16 Dec 2025 01:11:03 +0000Elbow ValleyBanff National ParkKananaskisBanffHighway 40Fullerton LoopBow ValleyCanmoreSafetyHiking NewsPeter Lougheed Provincial ParkDiamond TFord KnollNewsDrumhellerHighway 66Sibbald FlatsBarrier Lake DamEnvironmentGrassi LakesJohnston's CanyonSnowshoeingTunnel MountainYamnuskaChester LakeHighwood PassHistorical HikesMiningMoose MountainNihahi RidgeSulphur SpringsTrail UpdatesAnnouncementsBearsElbow Valley TrailHiking CoolnessIdahoJumpingpound CreekTrail AdvisoryBankheadBarrier Lake TrailBeaver FlatsBragg CreekCentennial RidgeEast KootenaysElbow FallsFloodGetting startedHeart Creek TrailHoodoosIcefields ParkwayInk PotsInkpotsKananaskis LakeLake LouiseLake MinnewankaLink LoveLower Kananaskis LakePeter Lougheed Visitor CentrePrairie CreekSheep RiverSite NewsSundance CanyonTravelTravel AlbertaTroll FallsWorkoutsglaciertestAlberta GovernmentAlder TrailBadlandsBarrier Forestrry TrailBarrier LakeBarrier Lake LookoutBluerockBook ReviewBritish ColumbiaBrown-LoweryC-Level CirqueCanoe MeadowsCascade MountainChristmasColumbia IcefieldDeer RidgeExshaw TrailFenland TrailFire BansFrank SlideGadgetsHa Ling PeakHummingbird-Plume LookoutKananaskis CanyonKananaskis RiverKimberleyLittle Elbow TrailLocal AttractionsLost Lemon MineMarsh Loop TrailMoraine LakeMountain Film FestivalsNakiskaNihahi CreekOld Buck LoopPowderfacePtarmigan CirqueQuotesRae GlacierRawson LakeRock GlacierSandy McNabbSouth AmericaStewart CanyonSulphur MountainTurner ValleyUpper Bryant Creek ValleyWedge PondWidowmakerWildlifebow fallschild carrierskayakingtwins... or mostly just the Western Canadian Rockies ...https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Michelle)Blogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-9217172348935736354Mon, 08 Jul 2013 21:55:00 +00002013-07-08T15:55:38.660-06:00Bow ValleyBragg CreekElbow ValleyFloodHighway 40Highway 66KananaskisTrail Advisory More rain to the Kananaskis region has definitely hampered repair efforts, but some progress is being made, especially on Highway 40, where the road is now open to Wedge Pond. Most recreational areas however are still shut. While the Delta Kananaskis remains open, the surrounding area is mostly still closed -- Mt. Kidd RV park, the golf course, the Evan-Thomas bike path and the majority of https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2013/07/southern-alberta-flood-trail-updates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-8720366046568939899Sat, 29 Jun 2013 04:40:00 +00002013-06-28T22:40:04.771-06:00Some updates to yesterday's post about hiking, road and campground closures: Banff has reopened a lot of areas in the past 24 hours! Most useful is the excellent new Banff National Park flood update page. This page lists highway conditions (currently 4 lanes open through all of the park, with some detours in place), local road updates (most local roads open, Sunshine Road and parts of the https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2013/06/southern-alberta-flood-trail-update_28.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-5210309340329973768Fri, 28 Jun 2013 06:27:00 +00002013-06-28T00:32:53.391-06:00BanffCanmoreElbow ValleyFloodHighway 40Highway 66Hiking NewsKananaskisPeter Lougheed Provincial ParkSheep River Unless you've been living under a rock (or perhaps outside of Canada), you'll know that the worst flooding in the recorded history of the region occurred on June 20-22, 2013. As a result, the mountains, recreational areas, roads, and rivers are a mess. Bridges are gone, campgrounds are flooded and trails are washed out. In the grand scheme of things, personal property and major road repairs https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2013/06/southern-alberta-flood-trail-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-6656294626644555773Fri, 17 May 2013 04:36:00 +00002013-05-16T22:36:40.940-06:00Elbow ValleyMoose MountainThe gates on Highway 66 opened yesterday and the boys were on the verge of a nap, so I steered the RAV4 out for a look at the familiar haunts. Spring may have come late this year, but we're finally through the worst of it, and the late spring/early summer hiking can begin in earnest. God, I love living here. (Photo actually taken April 18, 2010)https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-view-from-moose-mountain-road.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-1319095827749002735Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:03:00 +00002013-04-01T23:05:29.944-06:00Highway 66This is what it looks like when you take your two year old twins on their first "hike". No child carriers, no wagon, just their little feet. And a highway closed until mid-May.... One day I hope the surroundings will be more interesting than the stuff painted on the road.... https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2013/04/highway-66-near-elbow-falls-april-1-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-1145500670190597530Fri, 09 Nov 2012 04:36:00 +00002012-11-08T21:36:46.100-07:00It's coming.... 15 cm of snow and counting.... https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/11/west-bragg-creek-snowshoe-loop-january.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-5551094617736510372Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:45:00 +00002012-10-23T13:46:39.290-06:00Chester LakePeter Lougheed Provincial ParkSnowshoeingWith 10-20 cm dumping in the city, and so much more white stuff falling in the mountains (Burstall Pass had over 25 cm base before this most recent storm even hit!), it's time to start dreaming about snowshoeing! While there's still not enough of a base in the mountains for winter recreation yet (and it's still expected to be a snowless Halloween in the city -- with temperatures back up to 9C by https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/10/chester-lake-snowshoeing-february-7.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-9017487473595197401Mon, 15 Oct 2012 04:16:00 +00002012-10-14T22:16:41.308-06:00There's still too much of a taste of fall in my mind. Maybe it's because hiking has suddenly opened itself up to us again, maybe it's because fall can be such a fleeting season in the rockies, summer one day, snow the next, or maybe it's because there still seems to be so many trails left unhiked and life moves so quickly now. Normally the first look of snow has me thinking about snowshoeing, https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/10/bow-valley-dreaming.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-6783400456518106305Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:49:00 +00002012-09-27T13:49:41.571-06:00Grassi Lakes There's snow on Centennial Trail. It won't be long before our hikes and trails and looking more like this... https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/09/grassi-lakes-from-archives-november-13.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-7733431784855877816Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:52:00 +00002012-10-14T21:21:41.957-06:00Banff National ParkInk PotsInkpotsJohnston's CanyonInk Pots - take the Bow Valley Parkway turnoff from Highway 1, west of Banff. The Ink Pots can be accessed via the very popular Johnston Canyon trail, but if it's summer and you want a little peace and quiet, the Moose Meadows trailhead is usually much quieter and doesn't add much distance to your hike. The parking lot for Moose Meadows is about 2-3 minutes past Johnston Canyon. There should behttps://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/09/ink-pots-june-30-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-2713750898987597460Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:47:00 +00002012-10-14T21:23:42.368-06:00glacierHighway 40Highwood PassRae Glacier Rae Glacier trail details: Take Highway 40 to the Elbow Lake Day Use Area. First 1.5 km or so of the trail is to the Elbow Lake campground. Go through the campground along the south side for the trail to Rae Glacier. Trail is about 3km with an incline of about 425m.. not for the faint of heart! Usually Nat leaves the trail selection to me. I'm a bit of a trail geek, I like https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/08/rae-glacier-september-18-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-1339016508391102741Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:39:00 +00002012-07-19T12:39:22.779-06:00KananaskisSnowshoeing It's been pretty warm and humid (for Alberta anyway) and it seemed like a nice time to revisit the cold, chilly climbs at the other end of the calendar. You know, to remind us why we look forward to summer so much. I present Hogarth Lake last December. https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/07/hogarth-lake-december-28-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-5554786232401502856Fri, 06 Jul 2012 02:39:00 +00002012-07-05T20:39:06.650-06:00Elbow ValleyFullerton LoopElbow Valley - Fullerton Loop - The Particulars: Trailhead is located at the East side of the Allen Bill Pond parking lot (off Highway 66). Take the path under the overpass along the river to the gate. Loop is about 6.1km including the hike back to the trailhead (loop actually starts a good 1km into the hike). Trailhead elevation is about 1430m. High point is about 1585m. Loop takes about https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/07/fullerton-loop-august-7-2011-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-2293910632015344771Tue, 26 Jun 2012 04:56:00 +00002012-06-25T23:03:35.827-06:00BanffBanff National Parkbow fallschild carrierstwins It was a banner moment for the HipHiker household. The moment when our family hiking group no longer consisted of two pairs of feet along the dusty trail... but four. Ok, so at 14 months (at the time), the boys weren't going to be kicking up too much dirt in their Stride-Rites, but it was time to see if they wanted to come along for the ride, so to speak. Buying child carriers was a foregone https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/06/bow-falls-may-5-2012.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-8681603016461036354Thu, 21 Jun 2012 03:34:00 +00002012-06-20T21:34:29.570-06:00Elbow FallsElbow ValleyHighway 66Not every venture out to the mountains is for hiking. Sometimes we just want to take in the scenery with friends. I didn't know it at the time, but this would be my last hike pre-babies, and it wasn't even a hike. Some friends were here from Winnipeg. One had grown up in Calgary and wanted to see some of the old sites. So Elbow Falls, Forget-Me-Not-Pond, some rock skipping into the Elbow River, https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/06/drive-along-highway-66-july-11-2010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-6142915028316516285Thu, 14 Jun 2012 03:01:00 +00002012-06-13T21:01:08.693-06:00Elbow ValleyFord KnollWe rarely ever see anyone else on Ford Knoll, even though it's right next door to a very popular campground. We never see a single soul on cloudy and rainy days. But the world never looks as vibrant as it does on a rainy day.... https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/06/ford-knoll-july-2-2010-from-archives.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-4380090245599575862Sun, 03 Jun 2012 02:45:00 +00002012-06-03T19:58:25.293-06:00Banff National ParkTunnel Mountain Banff National Park tweeted earlier this week that a number of Banff area trails are now snow free, including Lake Louise Shoreline, Glacier Lake Trail, Johnston Canyon, Bow River Loop, and Castle Lookout. This got me thinking about Tunnel Mountain Trail, a good trail for getting the hiking blood flowing and getting your first good views of the post-winter Banff landscape. It's a great short https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/06/tunnel-mountain-june-26-2010-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-415299924055477000Sun, 27 May 2012 03:13:00 +00002012-05-26T21:13:53.762-06:00Barrier LakeSpring in the mountains... https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/05/barrier-lake-may-16-2010-from-archives.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-7574039223460637936Thu, 24 May 2012 19:10:00 +00002012-05-24T13:15:17.385-06:00Elbow ValleyLittle Elbow TrailI find spring to be the toughest time for hiking, for any outdoor activities. It's no longer possible to snowshoe, but deep in the mountains pockets of snow and ice make hiking difficult if not outright impossible. Plus, I'm impatient to get the season started. Often I find we're hearing about bugs and ticks long before we've even had a chance to go for a proper trek. If you do manage to catch a https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/05/little-elbow-trail-may-16-2010-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-4675305625371699297Tue, 15 May 2012 19:43:00 +00002012-05-15T14:15:23.552-06:00KananaskisKananaskis LakeLower Kananaskis LakeSnowshoeing Sometimes you have no idea the hike you're about to take will turn into a classic.... Lower Lakes is fairly simple, flat terrain with plenty of chances to turn around or turn it into a partial loop. Nat and I were still breaking in our new snowshoes and a simple lakeside trek in beautiful Kananaskis seemed like the perfect way to get our feet.... er, wet? Only a few minutes into our https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/05/snowshoeing-kananaskis-lake-lower-lake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-1073484671721206320Mon, 02 Jan 2012 03:14:00 +00002012-05-15T14:15:09.536-06:00KananaskisSnowshoeingIt was almost two years ago, but what we saw still applies today. This isn't a terribly popular trail, likely because almost every time we've set out, there hasn't been enough snow. We've learned to stick with the north side of the trail that leaves from the NW side of the village parking lot, and only attempt the south half of the loop when there's plenty of snow cover to be found. https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2012/01/snowshoeing-kananaskis-village-loop.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-1615099762112385209Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:57:00 +00002012-05-15T14:15:45.849-06:00Fullerton LoopEvery year I forget how late the snow comes to the mountains. Fall hiking is probably my favorite time of year. Once the snow hits, I'm barely able to wait until there's enough for snowshoeing, but it's always nice to sneak a late fall hike in a familiar spot and see the brown and yellow fall colouring for the last time that year... https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2011/12/fullerton-loop-trail-nov-16-2009-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-1447907294835458983Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:23:00 +00002012-05-15T14:16:15.933-06:00Site NewsWhile HipHiker the geek has been sucked into the Twitter vortex for some time, HipHiker the blogger hasn't really committed to it... until now. Find and follow us at @HipHiker. I think it could be a lot of fun.... https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2011/12/putting-hip-in-hiphiker.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-4565644392400182530Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:36:00 +00002012-05-15T14:16:29.653-06:00Site NewsHello old friends. It's been a while since I've last updated this site. Real life took over for a while. Family health issues led to a decline in available time, and blogging was something that had to be put on hold. That temporary hold led to a much longer one as my own medical issue developed, but that was a much nicer situation. Our twin boys were born in March of 2011. ;-) So for now the https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2011/11/and-were-back.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137487295108281014.post-8761036283430525522Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:39:00 +00002010-04-21T08:39:00.236-06:00CanmoreGrassi LakesGrassi Lakes in fall. One last hike before the snow took hold in the Rockies.Nature photographers will tell you the best days for shooting photos are the overcast days. The gray tones will bring out the colours of your natural subjects so much more. The pools at Grassi Lakes show how true this tip really is:Looking back toward the town of Canmore, with the clouds hanging low over the valley, yet https://hiphiker.blogspot.com/2010/04/grassi-lake-october-18-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michelle)3