Wells Gray

A weekend camping with the kids means time with my lovely mom, Lola as well as peaceful guitar tunes!

Watching the "Mushbowl", Murtle River

Sat. July 25

Helmcken Rim Trail

Approx 2 hours

easy level trail

soft trail bed

a few hikers and dogs

one wrong move and you're gone exposure-if you're overly frisky take a leash

shady forest

a flower

river for drinking

1 paw up

a flower

Sun. July 26

Trophy Meadows Trail

Approx. 1 1/2 hours

soft trail

clearcut, then shady forest

immense meadows of flowers and not one ground squirrel

a few streams for drinking

a few hikers and dogs, a leash would be good

be aware of unremarkable gray clouds

2 paws up

A bolt of lightning sent the humans to the ground and scared me out of my fur! We scampered a few feet out of the meadows and back into the trees to find we had nearly been the target. Glad I'm short! This blazing lightning strike extinguished quickly. We took our jangled nerves back to the parking lot.

Yikes

"K" Country

On the trails again

July 9/09

Chester Lake and Three Lake Valley

Peter Lougheed Prov. Park

4 1/2 hrs return

smooth trailbed to Chester Lake

taunting ground squrrels ( leash would be good)

rocky trail at 3 Lake Valley

streams and lakes

an umbrella could be useful

no people after Chester Lake

2 paws up

(I could use a raincoat, you know.)

July 10/09

Mt. Indefatigable, eastern outlier

Peter Lougheed Prov. Park

5 hours return

rocky, busy trail at the start

ground squirrel fiesta meadows

you may need a leash

no water until the tarn

windy up above

did I mention the ground squirrels?

3 paws up

(a grizzly discovery, it's not a ground squirrel))

July 11/09

Pocaterra Cirque Trail

Peter Lougheed Prov. Park

30 min. to scree slope and creek

mud bog supreme!

trail starts in a mossy, creek slope

uphill over a ridge

meadows and scree slope

this animal was not a ground squirrel

we left him to wander into the cirque

plan "B" as follows...

Raswon Lake Trail

Peter Lougheed Prov. Park

1 hour to the lake

smooth trail

Lakeshore walk

forest

a lake at both ends of the trail

too many people, dogs and kids

leash is essential, yuck

1 paw

(Yes, I'm coming.)

Mountain Time

The typist has been away for awhile. I never blog when she is gone. I takes me too long...the opposable thumb thing makes the space bar a challenge.

The humans packed up the camper and we headed for the mountains. I was so glad to get on the trails again.

July 1

Geraldine Lakes, Jasper NP

5 hrs return

If you love to mud bog and swim, this is the trail for you!

mud along the first lakeshore

big time boulder hopping

good marmot sniffing

pika places

streams for drinking and lakes for swimming

Not many hikers

a couple of steep parts

2 paws up

July 2

Verdant Pass, Jasper NP

6 1/2 hrs return

only 2 other hikers on Astoria trail

we had the pass to ourselves

streams for drinking

lakes on the pass for swimming

grouse, meadow birds

some blow down

no boulder hopping

cold Hooker wind in the pass

3 paws up

July 3

Wilcox Pass, Jasper NP

5 1/2 hrs return

out of the forest fast!

lots of hikers and pups

bring a leash

not much water for drinking

great meadows for exploring

some snow patches to play in

3 paws up

July 4

Nigel Pass, Banff NP

6 hrs return

a few hikers

horses!

great willowy avalanche slopes

streams for drinking

soft trailbed

sublime sniffing

lots of sky and peaks

sausage and cheese ( I like it!)

3 paws up (the good lunch figures in here)

July 5

Emeral Lakeshore Trail, Yoho NP

2 hours round trip

the water is the thing

whole lot of people on the sunny side

wear your leash for sure

swimming and creek walking

nice soft trail

muddy on the shady side

1 paw up (way too many people)