His first time trying out the swings at the park.
Category: canada
Another K-Country hike which is absolutely amazing (although around this time of year, just about everything is).
Buller Pass starts with wending through a mossy forest trail, passing a mushroom which Alex thinks is edible (and which we pick up on the way back, google intensively and then throw in with the BBQ dinner that night). There’s a waterfall, lots of trees, less trees… then a lunch stop. We spent a good chunk of our time trying to identify trees and flowers with the help of a couple of laminated guides that Joel and Kristy had brought along with them. Unfortunately all I retained from the whole experience was that there are some white/pink bell shaped flowers that grow on a knickers plant.
There was still some snow lying around on the final portion of the hike through the amphitheater and up to the pass – as a result we didn’t do the sneak around the back to make a loop via North Buller Pass. Instead there was just some lazing in the sun and a trot home again (via the edible mushroom)
Distance: 13km return
Elevation gain: 671m
Featuring plenty of biking and hiking adventures, and some speed crawling.
I’d been led to believe Wasootch Slabs in K-Country were an awful festering pit of slick slabby awfulness. In reality, it’s really not that bad out there. Sure, they’re slabs, and maybe the top-roping area is a bit polished, but it’s a pretty nice option for climbing with a Cragbaby.
However, the day we chose got kind of cold and windy, so we didn’t last long. And when I say windy, it was windy enough to blow over babies, and to make climbers cling to the wall like frightened geckos. At least there were still rocks to be eaten though.
This is where we went to test out the brand new down quilt and brand new tent.
Not to the middle of that lake, but to the Okanagan, camping in a friend’s backyard. We did things like cycle around to wineries…
Leading to a stash in the Chariot looking a little something like this…
The tent worked a treat (although we really have to remember to seam seal it)…
And the down quilt worked too…
We also did things like play in one of those splash park things that are a fantastic idea and I guess the only reason they were never around in Australia was water shortage issues. And enjoy the hot weather. And had fireworks. And ate proper home-made sorbet. And went and saw some goats. Then got stuck in traffic for an extra four hours on the way home due to an accident. But, we were in the middle of Yoho National Park, so the scenery was lovely, and we made it back to Canmore just ten minutes before the pizza place closed, just in time to pick up the pizza we’d cunningly ordered.
[Gah, finally the domain is up and running again – anyone reading on RSS will have no idea what I’m talking about. Everyone else, we’re back to regular service now I hope]