Sunday, October 16, 2005
Kate and the Moose
Kate and I wanted to get out one more time before the cold hits. She really enjoyed Grotto Canyon, and was ready to go again. So we looked over the Gemtrek maps, and considered a suggestion from Nony to try Johnston Canyon. But in the end, Kate voted for Moose Mountain. Given how close it is to the city, and how slow she is to get going in the morning, it was a good choice.
We were at the trailhead about 10:00, still not seeing that clear sky and warm temperatures that Environment Canada had promised. But we had the layers, so it wasn't a concern. Only one other vehicle in the parking lot, too. Off we went.
I forgot to start the GPS timer so had no record of the hike until about 2.7 km in, were we stopped for break, and to enjoy the silence.
The way up to the tree line is a fire road, full of washouts in a couple of places but still passable with a beefy 4x4. As we continued, the wind began to pick up in places, but the trees kept us well out of it.
Another couple of kilometres and we began to get out of the trees. The approach to the first real climb had some snow, but not really enought to cause any problems. At that time of day, mostly it was crusty would support our weight. We could dig toes and heels in if we had to.
We continued to about were the path got really steep, and the switchbacks began (you can see those in the picture above). At that point, Kate was about pooped, so we found a large rock to the left that was big enough to be a bench, and sat and had a snack.
In front of us was the whole western horizon. And if you know where to look, you can pick out Calgary from here. The downtown skyline stands out, though it's nearly lost in the haze.
As the wind picked up and it got a little colder, we started down. This was one spot where the peak was nicely framed by the trees, so one more picture.
The trees stopped the wind nicely, and with the sun finally starting to come out, it warmed up considerable so we could doff a couple of layers. The squirrels were busy chattering and tearing around in the tree tops. This guy seemed to want our attention, and actually followed up a little as we passed. Mostly I think he just wanted to pose.
In the end, we passed 20 people as we headed down, still a pretty good crowd given the time of the year. Nice to get back to the car and head home.
We were at the trailhead about 10:00, still not seeing that clear sky and warm temperatures that Environment Canada had promised. But we had the layers, so it wasn't a concern. Only one other vehicle in the parking lot, too. Off we went.
I forgot to start the GPS timer so had no record of the hike until about 2.7 km in, were we stopped for break, and to enjoy the silence.
The way up to the tree line is a fire road, full of washouts in a couple of places but still passable with a beefy 4x4. As we continued, the wind began to pick up in places, but the trees kept us well out of it.
Another couple of kilometres and we began to get out of the trees. The approach to the first real climb had some snow, but not really enought to cause any problems. At that time of day, mostly it was crusty would support our weight. We could dig toes and heels in if we had to.
We continued to about were the path got really steep, and the switchbacks began (you can see those in the picture above). At that point, Kate was about pooped, so we found a large rock to the left that was big enough to be a bench, and sat and had a snack.
In front of us was the whole western horizon. And if you know where to look, you can pick out Calgary from here. The downtown skyline stands out, though it's nearly lost in the haze.
As the wind picked up and it got a little colder, we started down. This was one spot where the peak was nicely framed by the trees, so one more picture.
The trees stopped the wind nicely, and with the sun finally starting to come out, it warmed up considerable so we could doff a couple of layers. The squirrels were busy chattering and tearing around in the tree tops. This guy seemed to want our attention, and actually followed up a little as we passed. Mostly I think he just wanted to pose.
In the end, we passed 20 people as we headed down, still a pretty good crowd given the time of the year. Nice to get back to the car and head home.
# posted by Kelly @ 2:12 p.m. 
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Had you decided to go all the way, the warden station would have been closed, but still a great view, as you know. So, Kate can get herself conditioned over the winter so she can tackle it again after the snow melts!
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