2013 Summary and Five-Year Statistics

2013 Summary and Five Year Statistics (2009 to 2013)

These tables tell the story of an amazing five years of adventure in the Canadian Rockies, between 2009 and 2013.  At the end of 2012, I wrote: “It is probably time to ease off a little in 2013.  I still have plenty of places I want to explore, or return to, but sometimes it becomes a little obsessive.”  Nevertheless, this past year, 2013, saw some memorable highlights.

Some of these highlights of 2013 were:

• Two trips up the Highwood Valley in early June, to Lineham Ridge and Nameless Ridge, just before the devastating floods which closed large areas of Kananaskis Country for most of the year.
• Exploring the Crowsnest area of Southern Alberta in June.
• Yet more stunning hikes in Banff National Park, including Twin Lakes/Arnica Lake and Mount St. Piren in July, and Molar Pass and Bow Glacier Falls in August.
• Finding tiny fish fossils high up in the mountains at the Sparrowhawk Tarns.
• Taking pictures of the post-flood scenes across Kananaskis Country.
• An action-packed two weeks in September, during which I explored the mountains and lakes of central BC’s mining country, entered the magical kingdom of Lake O’Hara, and spent a few days camping in Jasper with M and friends.
• Late season trip to the Windy Hills, pushing my bike to the top of The Hump pass – and speeding back down again.

This first table compares the past five years and highlights in red which year holds the record for each category.  While 2013 broke no new records, the statistics are comparable with the previous years.

Category↓ Year→	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Total 5 years
Distance (km) (see details below)	970	1,099	960	1,006	848	4,883 km (3,052 miles)
Vert. Height Gain (ft.)	64,760	94,430	81,670	74,355	65,981	381,196 ft. (72.2 miles)
Max. Elev. (ft.)	8,253	8,415	8,860	9,150	8,692	n/a
Time on Trail (hrs.)	234	300	276	269	244	1,323 hrs. (55 days)
# Nights Camping	22	19	22	26	18	107

This second table breaks down the modes of transport used over the past five years, and again, in red, highlights the record year.

Distance↓  Year→ (km)	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Total 5 years
Hike	564	626	591	478	520	2,779
Bike	396	321	223	404	287	1,631
X-C Ski	9	75	77	39	5	205
Snow Shoe	0	77	70	85	36	268
Total	970	1,099	960	1,006	848	4,883

BOLD RED = record year

These statistics show that, on average, over the past five years, every week I travelled 19 km and climbed 1,466 vertical feet. 

Now, as for the future, things will look very different.  While the venues may change, you can count on The Passionate Hiker being out there on the trail, and still probably capturing the statistics!

Spike Recovery

Sat. 28 December:  Spike Recovery:  Return to Mesa Butte

My trusty MICROspikes recovered from Mesa Butte summit

A snowy cold front raced down from the North overnight, dropping temperatures down to around minus 20C.  But equally quickly it sped eastwards towards Saskatchewan, leaving only an inch or two of new snow behind it.

So I took the opportunity to return to Mesa Butte to recover my MICROspikes from the ridge top where I left them the day before.  It was a bright, crisp day with fresh snow covering the hillsides and trees.  As I parked at the upper wellsite I could see that nobody had been on the trail since yesterday, so I was confident that the spikes would still be there.

As I climbed up the hillside from the car, I was breaking trail through a wintry wonderland.  I continued up through the woods and onto the open ridge.  Although the snow now covered the summit, I found my spikes easily enough, lying under the snow where I had dropped them the day before.  I also remembered to stop at the lone pine tree to dig out the tube from under its hiding place, and to sign the log.  It made fascinating reading, with some voluminous entries of various exploits, including recent midnight hikes.

The air was crisp, and although it was around minus 15C it really did not feel cold.  There was no breeze, although ice crystals were floating past, glinting in the sunshine.  The mountains were draped in mist.

I raced back down to the car and carefully drove back eastwards on the slippery roads.  A few years ago, I managed to lose my snowshoes on Junction Hill.  They slipped off the back of my backpack as I walked through a section of trees.  It took two attempts, requiring me to climb up and down those steep hillsides from the Highwood road, before I found the ‘shoes.  This time I was much luckier. 

Now what is it about my hiking gear, that it seems to want to prolong its stay in the outdoors?!   

Statistics:

Total Distance:   2.8 km (‘shoe)

Height Gain:          670 ft.

Max. Elev.:         5,520 ft.

Time on Trail:     1hr. 17 mins.

Dep. car:            12.17 pm

Top:                    12.53 pm

Ret. to car:           1.34 pm

Temp:               Minus 15 C

Weather:           Sun, cloud, ice crystals.  Hardly a breeze.  Two inches of new snow.

New snowfall last night and much cooler temperatures

Breaking trail to the summit

The "other" Mesa Butte (Deaths Head) in middle background

Front Ranges draped in mist

Foothills and prairie from Mesa Butte summit - winter storm disappearing eastwards

On Mesa Butte on a cold day (minus 15 degrees C)

The summit logbook canister - some voluminous entries!

Ideal snowshoe trail back down through the woods

Compare this with yesterday's picture - new snow overnight

Mesa Butte

Fri. 27 December:  Mesa (Square) Butte

Spectacular sunrise driving south to Millarville

Square Butte might be a good description of my anatomy after several long Holiday Season meals seated at the dining table.  In fact, this name helps to avoid confusion with the other Mesa Butte which sits right across the valley.  This neighbour of Square Butte is better known as Death’s Head.  In my opinion, Square Butte has better views and a more interesting ridge line.

Wintry weather was forecast to sweep in from the north later in the day, but there was no sign of this.  The temperatures were a few degrees above zero and a warm westerly Chinook breeze was creating interesting cloud formations above.

There’s a very good road which runs west from Millarville, servicing the gas plant.  Beyond that point, it’s hard packed gravel with a slippery snow cover.  There are several routes available to reach the flat top of Mesa Butte.  The two closest starting points to the summit can be combined into an easy circuit.  I started at the lower gas well access road which led directly up onto the ridge, returning to the upper gas well and back down the road. 

It took me only forty seven minutes to reach the top.  Despite its low elevation, this ridge has lots of character, and widespread views east to prairie and city, and west to the mountains.  The top is flat, and partly tree covered.  Apparently it is a popular destination.  There was a place for people to sit around a fire, and signs of recent footprints in the snow.

On the open ridge top was a pile of small stones, which people might have used to create a small cairn or form into letters – which I did!

It was a quick trip back down the ridge and through the trees to the road.  At this point I realized that I had left my MICROspikes up on the ridge.  I was not inclined to go back up there right away, but hoped they would still be there when I came back in a couple of days.  In the meantime I left a note on the Kananaskis Blog.

This might have been about the easiest trip of the year, but I would recommend Square Butte to anyone for a short half-day trip - especially if you have been doing a lot of sitting recently!

Statistics:

Total Distance:   3.8 km (0.3 hike + 3.5 ‘shoe)

Height Gain:          790 ft.

Max. Elev.:         5,520 ft.

Time on Trail:     1hr. 47 mins.

Dep. car:             9.00 am

Top:                    9.47 am

Ret. to car:        10.47 am

Temp:               Around +5 C

Weather:           Chinook cloudiness, almost no breeze.

A shy moose trying to hide in the undergrowth

Mesa Butte ridge top

Great views of the Front Ranges from the top

And equally good views across the prairie to Calgary

Chinook clouds:  this one looked like a smoking cigar

The flat summit is a popular overnight destination

High up in the foothills looking west to the Rockies

My new Christmas present gets its first workout (not very successfully!)

A handy pile of stones allows you to leave messages (pre-GPS style!)

An easy short-half day destination with great views

Snapshots of Home

Here's a collection of photos taken today on my stroll around the Glenmore Reservoir, starting and ending at my own front doorstep. How lucky we are to enjoy views like this, just a short distance from home.

Christmas in Calgary - city skyline across the reservoir

A new skyscraper on the left?  It's the grain elevator at Heritage Park!

I was on the lookout for wildlife.......

...and was not disappointed.

Crossing the Elbow River at Weaselhead

North Glenmore Park.  This is as high as the sun got today.

It's a steep drop down to the Elbow River as it meanders into the Reservoir

A modern design for the footbridge crossing Glenmore Trail

This looks peaceful - behind me were six lanes of traffic on the Glenmore causeway!

Breathtaking mountain views from the Rockyview outlook 

The opposite of being "on the hot-seat"!!

The familiar sign marking Heritage Park

Relaxing beside the reservoir below Heritage Park

Ranger Hill Circuit

 Sun. 15 December:  Ranger Hill Circuit

Dramatic cloudscapes in the strong Chinook winds

The winds were tugging at the trees today.  Overnight, under the onslaught of a full Chinook, several trees on our trail had toppled over.  It did cross my mind that more could fall on J and myself, so we kept a close eye on the swaying branches all around us.

I had travelled this same route back in March 2012, but it’s such a well-graded and intriguing route up the ridge and back down again, that it was just as enjoyable second time around.

West Bragg Creek badly needed another snowfall.  The trails were icy and covered in debris from the winds.  Nevertheless, we saw several people venturing out on cross-country skis.  Our route took us up the lower ski slopes onto Boundary Ridge trail, leading to Strange Brew all the way up to the summit of Ranger Ridge, then back down on Ranger Ridge trail.  It was snow covered the whole way, but well packed, except in the exposed open sections where the whistling winds were drifting the snow.  The trail is almost entirely forested, with just a few viewpoints.  They are worth waiting for, as the mountains to the west looked wild and lonely, with Moose Mountain prominent.

I had forgotten about the false summit.  Finally arriving at the ridge top, we still had work to do.  Ranger Ridge summit lay across a forested col.  It was an easy plod up the nicely graded trail to the gap in the trees that marked the top of the hill.  Three snow-shoers had arrived from the “easy” Elbow Valley side of the hill just a few moments ahead of us, and were relaxing on the stone seats that mark this hilltop.  The sun was shining and the trees gave some shelter from the winds, so it was a pleasant place to linger.  We enjoyed the views to the Front Ranges, which were partly hidden beneath a low line of cloud.  Above us a low sun shone out of a clear sky with a partially formed Chinook Arch overhead.

A little further along the ridge we found a geocache site, well hidden under a tree stump beneath a layer of snow.  We were first to find it since June, according to the log. 

We continued along the gently sloping ridge, in the trees, to the point where the trail takes an abrupt right turn and starts to descend back down to the valley floor.  Here we were surprised by a group of four bikers on special “fat tire” winter bikes.  This is the first time I had come across them on my winter wanderings.  The guys seemed to be having a good time, although they were finding it hard work riding or pushing their bikes through the snow.  We warned them of the fallen trees on the east side of the ridge.

Halfway down Ranger Ridge, the trail skirts an open knoll giving great views covering the northern half of the compass, from the majestic Moose Mountain peak in the west to the prairies in the east.  This would be a good place to bring a person who wanted to understand what “foothills” look like.

As we reached the lower slopes of Ranger Hill, we passed through meadows of aspens and above wooded creeks.  This was a cross-country skier’s paradise.  Finally we arrived back at the West Bragg Creek trail system, and an overflowing car park.  We had met only a handful of people on our journey, but there were hundreds of people out there somewhere. 

The weather was alive today, with swaying trees, strong winds, and extravagant clouds changing shape every minute.  It was a great day to be out in the Alberta foothills.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 2.0 km (hike) + 8.0 km (‘shoe) = 10.0 km

Height Gain:       1,200 ft.

Max. Elev.:         5,650 ft.

Time on Trail:    4 hrs. 38 mins.

Dep. car:             8.49 am

Strange Brew:     9.34 am

1st Summit:       10.48 am

Ranger Summit: 11.15 am

Lunch:                12.13 pm

Ret. to car:           1.27 pm

Temp:                 +6 C

Weather:           Strong Chinook winds, sunny

Our route from West Bragg Creek trailhead:
Boundary Ridge=>Strange Brew=>Ranger Summit

West Bragg Creek ski trails badly in need of a new snowfall

Moose Mountain (7,995 ft.) from Boundary Ridge Trail

This long trail twists and turns its way to Ranger Hill summit

Lot of recently fallen trees along the trail - high winds last night

Ranger Hill summit (5650 ft.) -
another party had just arrived from the "easy" side of the mountain

Grand mountain views from the summit

Geocaching in winter is close to impossible; but we found this one!

It was all happening up there on Ranger ridge!!

Magnificent view of Moose Mountain from our lunch-stop

Fanciful shapes in the sky - this one looked like
some sort of bird with a large tail feather