{"id":5363,"date":"2014-10-19T22:38:22","date_gmt":"2014-10-20T04:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/evilmoose.me\/?p=5363"},"modified":"2015-07-30T11:32:44","modified_gmt":"2015-07-30T17:32:44","slug":"smuts-pass-and-birdwood-traverse-from-canmore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evilmoose.me\/?p=5363","title":{"rendered":"Smuts Pass, Birdwood Traverse and Burstall Pass"},"content":{"rendered":"

We planned a grand adventure for the day – from Canmore, then out to Smuts Pass, along the slopes of Birdwood, and over Burstall Pass, then back to Canmore.<\/p>\n

First of all to ride along the dusty roads, through biting headwinds, along rough gravel, by many cars.<\/p>\n

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We attached the magnificent velocipedes to a hidden tree, snacked and tied on some speedy shoes. <\/p>\n

Beating through the vicious creek until the valley opened, we began our ascent to Smuts Pass, where the trees finally relinquished their grasp on our flesh.<\/p>\n

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There we found snow, and trod carefully for fear of getting our shoes dampened.<\/p>\n

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We looked on the magnificent Mount Smuts and pondered the difficulty of reaching her summit.<\/p>\n

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Far below lay the Birdwood Lakes, turquoise and marvellous in their alpine splendor.<\/p>\n

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Then a small traverse, through inches of snow. We thanked the footsteps of those who had travelled before us and made our work easy.<\/p>\n

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Onwards, and under the mighty slopes of Mount Birdwood, majestic and looming.<\/p>\n

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We trod carefully as we travelled through yet more snow, our traverse continued.<\/p>\n

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And then, peering backwards, we admired our footsteps, and the slopes of Birdwood, the marvellous Smuts, and the perhaps less marvellous and certainly oddly named Smutwood.<\/p>\n

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Then finally Burstall Pass lay before us, with just the slopes of Snow Peak to sidle along before we reached the final pass of our day.<\/p>\n

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The sidling was long, hard and snowy, but then finally safely over and done. We had reached Burstall Pass and were now on a veritable highway of slush, jogging downhill and back to the flat land below.<\/p>\n

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From there, the journey to the velocipedes was long, yet not difficult. Except for the large amounts of fatigue in our feet and legs.<\/p>\n

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As darkness fell we retrieved the velocipedes, attached glowing lights to them, and soared home with a favourable wind at our backs and starry skies overhead. It was glorious.<\/p>\n

Distance travelled:<\/strong> 80km (velocipede), 27km (on foot)
\nElevation gain: <\/strong>1130m (velocipede), 1050m (on foot)
\nMax elevation:<\/strong> 2424m<\/p>\n

The foot portion of the day:<\/strong>
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