Category: hiking

It was a miserable weekend, but come Sunday afternoon the cabin fever outweighed the desire to avoid the weather, so we headed up to the teahouse on Lady Mac.

 

The trail started getting snowy about half-way up

 

 

Deep snow along the final ridge to the teahouse, and a nice cool breeze, so we didn’t hang around for long

 

 

From the summit

 

Although it’s right next to Ha Ling Peak anyway…. the East End of Rundle (EEOR). It’s a slightly longer hike than Ha Ling, and I always put off doing it as I didn’t want to do it solo, as I’d heard plenty of reports of people losing the trail, or having issues on the final scramble to the summit.

 

Zara and Brendan, heading up the scree above the treeline, Ha Ling (Chinaman’s) Peak and Mt Lawrence Grassi in the background

 

The trail really isn’t that bad though! It’s pretty obvious most of the way, although when you get above the treeline a few options open up in the scree. It starts up above the Goat Creek parking lot, so best option is to park at the end of the artificial lake at Whiteman’s Gap. A bit of back and forth in the trees and then you hit a rocky spur and start heading directly towards the summit. You mostly stay on top of the spur, and near the right where the cliffs lurk below, and the trail isn’t too hard to follow as long as you’re paying attention. Eventually the trees thin out and you set off through a mix of scree and some meadow terrain (apparently packed with bears and wildflowers during summer). Final summit options are to head to the right (apparently sketchier), or across to the left, then back right to the summit. The main problem on that final section is people trying to kick rocks on you from above.

 

Photo from Alex – Brendan, Zara and Megan hiking up in the warm

 

 

Up and up on the scree, summit sort of visible on the horizon

 

We did the return trip in 4.45hrs – with a fairly slow pace and lots of breaks, but no getting lost. The downhill takes about half the time of the uphill journey though.

 

Canmore from the summit of EEOR

 

 

Ha Ling (Chinamans) and Mt Lawrence Grassi from the summit of EEOR

 

 

Looking across to the rest of Mt Rundle, and the very cool ampitheatre – not sure if that’s the Banff-end summit of Rundle visible in the distance

 

 

The ridgeline leading away from EEOR summit

 

 

Back down the trail through the scree

 

 

Running over to look off the edge of the EEOR cliffs (Jeff, Val and Andrew)

 

Weather was variable too – warm when the wind dropped and the sun was out, cool when the sun disappeared and the wind picked up. It was even graupelling on us for a good chunk of the descent, but the sun kept peeking out, so we couldn’t really take it seriously.

 

Hiking down into the trees again, and Ha Ling covered in clouds and probably snow

 

It’s that time of the week again, that time honoured tradition of a hike up Ha Ling Peak. Trail conditions are getting faster too, with a bare (albeit slightly muddy) trail until 2/3 of the way up, followed by a series of slushy snow patches.

 

From the summit

 

 

From the summit

 

(Sixth ascent for 2010)

The sun is hanging out for long enough now that it’s not too hard to fit in a Ha Ling Peak hike after work – although a run of cold weather and some precipitation means that everything is pretty snow covered. But no evil ice patches! Also no bears. Just the usual hoards of chattering squirrels, and some crazy cloud action.

 

Still snowy as we cross the final scree slope

 

 

From the summit, looking down to Canmore – weird light and weird cloud layers, and some nasty weather lurking around

 

 

Heading back down again

 

 

Surprisingly warm up there – barely a breeze blowing (and a huge tummy)

 

(5th Ha Ling ascent for 2010… it feels like more somehow)