A drive along Highway 66 -- July 11, 2010 (from the archives)

Not every venture out to the mountains is for hiking. Sometimes we just want to take in the scenery with friends.

I didn't know it at the time, but this would be my last hike pre-babies, and it wasn't even a hike. Some friends were here from Winnipeg. One had grown up in Calgary and wanted to see some of the old sites. So Elbow Falls, Forget-Me-Not-Pond, some rock skipping into the Elbow River, and a memorable day was made...

Ford Knoll - July 2, 2010 (from the archives)

We rarely ever see anyone else on Ford Knoll, even though it's right next door to a very popular campground. We never see a single soul on cloudy and rainy days. But the world never looks as vibrant as it does on a rainy day....

Tunnel Mountain - June 26, 2010 (from the archives)

Banff National Park tweeted earlier this week that a number of Banff area trails are now snow free, including Lake Louise Shoreline, Glacier Lake Trail, Johnston Canyon, Bow River Loop, and Castle Lookout. This got me thinking about Tunnel Mountain Trail, a good trail for getting the hiking blood flowing and getting your first good views of the post-winter Banff landscape.

It's a great short hike, especially if you haven't warmed up those hiking legs yet. Even if you're not in peak form, it takes about 45-60 minutes to reach the top without pushing you beyond your limits, and gives you a little bit of rocky terrain near the top to whet your appetite. There's lots to room to stretch out in the sun at the top and enjoy the views.

I can never get enough of the views of Mount Rundle... right next door.

Barrier Lake - May 16, 2010 (from the archives)

Spring in the mountains...

Little Elbow Trail -- May 16, 2010 (from the archives)

I find spring to be the toughest time for hiking, for any outdoor activities. It's no longer possible to snowshoe, but deep in the mountains pockets of snow and ice make hiking difficult if not outright impossible. Plus, I'm impatient to get the season started. Often I find we're hearing about bugs and ticks long before we've even had a chance to go for a proper trek. If you do manage to catch a nice day, mud becomes your constant companion. Then the next day it's all turned to ice again.

And don't get me started on those thick, wet, late spring snowstorms so common in this region.

So often we stick to the trails we don't get to during the season, those flat ones, the popular ones, just to get our feet wet (so to speak), take a stroll, try to satisfy those hiking urges. Summer will be here soon enough...

That's how we wound up along Little Elbow Trail, a wide, multi-use trail that normally sees backcountry campers and mountain bikers during the summer months, or the hikers headed for Nihahi. Perfect for a spring stroll...

Ah, but there's one other sign of spring hiking that needs to be noted, and observed at all costs.... those grumpy, hungry bears...

When lined up against the hiking pole, you can see these were not insignificant prints... over 40 cm long by the adjustment markers on my collapsible poles...
 

The prints were a little too fresh and the trails a little too isolated for us to continue along the trail (the bear was traveling in the same direction we were), so we opted to save this hike for another cool spring day and leave the bears to their forest.

Snowshoeing - Kananaskis Lake (Lower Lake Trail) - January 24, 2010 (from the archives)

Sometimes you have no idea the hike you're about to take will turn into a classic....

Lower Lakes is fairly simple, flat terrain with plenty of chances to turn around or turn it into a partial loop.

Nat and I were still breaking in our new snowshoes and a simple lakeside trek in beautiful Kananaskis seemed like the perfect way to get our feet.... er, wet?

Only a few minutes into our trail, these friendly little whiskey-jacks made their presence known.

They had no fear of humans. 

Absolutely none....

Nat quickly found herself outnumbered...

A bird on the head is worth two in your hand?

Even your intrepid writer found herself targeted.

Once it was established we had no food, our new found friends cried fowl (heee!), and left us to our hiking. Fair-feathered friends indeed.

But still some beautiful sites to be seen.

Snowshoeing -- Kananaskis Village Loop -- January 10, 2010

It was almost two years ago, but what we saw still applies today. This isn't a terribly popular trail, likely because almost every time we've set out, there hasn't been enough snow. We've learned to stick with the north side of the trail that leaves from the NW side of the village parking lot, and only attempt the south half of the loop when there's plenty of snow cover to be found.