Contest Time!

Swing over to my Facebook page or my Instagram to check out the details on winning a pair of Keen shoes!

Its Here!

I have been asked time and again to put together a calendar with some of my photos, and recently, my facebook fans voted on the photos that they wanted included in the calendar. I ordered a prototype to see how it would turn out and….

It is beautiful! (If I do say so myself 😉 )

The calendar is now available to order here, through my Etsy shop.

 

Wildflowers and Waterfalls

I am constantly in awe of this incredible place that I call home; Kananaskis is beautiful in every season and in all kinds of weather. There is no such thing as a bad day out here. We have had a lot of rain recently (which, not going to lie, has made for a bit of a rough summer) but the rain has been really good for the wildflowers! The wildflower season out here is usually fairly short, but with the abundance of rain, the flowers just keep on coming! I did my weekly hike out to Troll Falls yesterday and snapped these photos along the way! The colour of the week for flowers seems to be purple.

The Bears of Kananaskis

If I had a dollar for every time I got asked ‘Are there bears in Kananaskis’, I would have a lot of dollars. The follow up question is usually ‘should I carry bear spray?’

Lets look at a helpful infographic:

The follow-follow up question is usually ‘But are there actually bears?’ Yes. There are actually bears in the Kananaskis area. Bears can be found everywhere in the Rockies, to be precise. Should you live in fear of bears? Heck no! There is no point in being afraid of bears, what everyone really needs is to be educated about bears, and bear safety. Carry bear spray and know how to use it. When you are buying it, the place selling it should give you a full demo on how to use it.If not, ask someone who is familiar with it. I will happily teach anyone I meet how to use bear spray so that they feel comfortable carrying it, and therefore comfortable in bear country.

Top things to remember in Bear Country: 

-Do not leave food/attractants laying around. This includes things like soap, shampoo, petroleum products, alcohol, packaged food, pet food, etc.

-Do not feed ANY wildlife. Those cute squirrels or chipmunks that take food from your hand? They’re not eating all of it, they are caching it. That means they are burying it around your campsite or picnic area. Buried food attracts bears.

-Do not approach bears intentionally; do not try to pet them, ride them or feed them. You heard me, don’t ride the bears (I saw this attempted when I was a park ranger.).

-Make noise when you hike, this way you won’t surprise wildlife on the trail. Most animals really don’t want to see us, we just surprise them when we move quietly through the woods and they are bound to react defensively. Think about times when someone jumped out at you.

-Give wildlife its space, especially bears. Its better to have to backtrack on a trail then to risk it and skirt too close to a bear.

 

Am I afraid of bears? No. Do I respect them? Yes! In my 8ish years working as a park ranger and now a guide, I have had to spray two bears. I have seen a lot of bears that saw me, and then moved off. Or I moved off. I actually love bears. I think they are beautiful and incredible animals who deserve to be respected.

Things you probably didn’t know about bears:

-Bears are not true hibernators. They go into something called torpor, where they can wake up if disturbed or if weather conditions change.

-Female bears give birth in January to cubs the size of a lb of butter.

-Bears will occasionally make ‘nests’. They will climb a tree and pick branches to eat the fresh shoots on the end and then they will drop the branches and they will collect in the tree, creating what appears to be a very large nest.

 

Bears are beautiful animals; here are some bear photos that I have snapped over the last couple of weeks.

The last couple photos were taken on my phone since I saw 7 bears on the one night I didn’t have my DSLR.

When you live out here, you see some of the same bears on a pretty regular basis; you honestly start to love them and love seeing them. You get to watch cubs grow up, bears flirting during mating season and bears fattening up during the fall. You eagerly await seeing the first bear of spring, since that means spring is really here.

What I want people to take away from this is that bears are incredible creatures that have a place here. This is their home that we are visiting and if we all follow some basic guidelines, we can live and play in bear country without being afraid.

Centennial Ridge – Kananaskis, AB

Yesterday I worked an early shift and got off at 3pm, so I decided that I had enough time to hit one of my favourite trails: Centennial Ridge. Centennial Ridge is a beautiful trail that starts from the Ribbon Creek trailhead and takes you up Mt Allan, where you summit Olympic peak and then walk a ridge line over to the summit Mt Allan. If you hike the whole trail, you end up in Dead Mans Flats, off of the trans-Canada highway. It is closed from April 15th – June 21st every year to allow for Rocky Mountain Sheep lambing. So since yesterday was the first day the trail was open, it was the perfect opportunity for me to hike it. I had the trail almost to myself, only encountering three other groups along the trail, they were all headed down while I was headed up. I did however have some company in the form of a bear. On my way back down the trail (after summiting Olympic Peak) I ran into a grizzly bear on the trail. I yelled at the bear to see if I could get it to run off, since it was blocking the trail (yes, I had bear spray, but I didn’t want to use it since the bear was not being aggressive. He was just being a bear and I was in his territory, I respect that). The bear didn’t move and I was left to hike back up the mountain, and hike my butt back down one of Nakiska’s ski runs (Nakiska is the local ski hill here, it was built for the 1988 Olympics and is on one side of Mt Allan).

The ski run was pretty steep in some places and over grown with long, slippery crab grass, which left me to slide down on my butt in some sections. I was in shorts, so I ended up with paper-like cuts all down my backside. I finally made it down to the bottom, having added about 2 hours to my hike. I am happy I respected the bears space, and it was well worth hiking up the mountain twice, despite the grass cuts.

Even with the bear encounter, it was an amazing hike with incredible views. The wildflowers here are out in abundance and it was incredible to watch the species of flowers change as I hiked higher and higher. Below are some of my photos from the hike, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Remember! When travelling in bear country, carry bear spray and respect a bears space if you run into one! Do not be afraid of hiking because there ‘might’ be bears, just educate yourself, learn how to use bear spray and bear bangers and make noise while you hike so as to not surprise wildlife. I can’t say it enough, don’t give up on hiking because of wildlife, just be smart and give animals their space! Do follow wildlife restrictions and warnings, as well as other park rules. They are there to protect you and the animals.

Summer Solstice Hike On Wasootch Ridge

Wasootch Ridge is one of my favorite hikes in Kananaskis; you get most of the elevation gain over in the first kilometer and the views are spectacular. I wanted to take advantage of yesterday being the longest day of the year, so after work I threw on my hiking boots and hit the trail.

The ridge itself isn’t an official trail, so you won’t find it on a trail map; however the start of the trail is easy to find. The trail starts at the Wasootch Creek trail head (great rock climbing from here!). If you are in the parking lot, there are a number of picnic tables under the trees and the trail for the ridge starts just behind the picnic tables. It is super obvious once you are on it and it is easy to follow.

Lets Talk About Hiking

Hiking, especially in the mountains, can be a little intimidating at first. I get asked frequently ‘How do I get into hiking’ or ‘what gear do I need to start hiking’, so I decided to address these questions and more in a blog post.

 

As a hiking guide, I get asked all the time ‘How long have you been hiking?’ To me, that is kind of an odd question. Hiking, at its most basic, is really just walking outside. Since I grew up in the country, with lots of trails around my home, my answer is that I have been hiking for as long as I’ve been walking.

Basic hiking (i.e. walking outside) does not require any special gear or experience beyond good footwear and common sense. The more difficult the hike, the more gear or technical advice you will need, but hiking is very much something you can ease into. Any time spent being physically active outside is going to be amazing for both physical and mental health.

Being a good hiker means being in relatively good shape, but hiking is also a great way to get in shape. If you have never hiked before, then you should start easy. You don’t need to summit a mountain on your first time out. But if you want to improve, then you do need to push yourself a little more every time you go out; try a harder trail, or try for a better time on a trail you have done before. Above all else, enjoy yourself! Hiking is, in my opinion, one of the best things in the world to get out and do. Its an incredible stress reliever, a great group activity and a great way to meet new people.

What is the one piece of advice I would give to a new hiker?

Be stubborn. Who cares how slow you are if you are enjoying yourself; if the hill seems to go on forever, don’t give up. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

So what basic gear do you need to get into hiking? Lets start at the bottom.

Good Footwear:

The type of footwear you need varies with the type of hiking you are planning on doing. The basics of good footwear come down to comfort and support; you want a hiking boot or shoe that fits the shape of your foot well and gives your toes lots of room. Buying shoes too small is a pretty common mistake that leads to serious discomfort, blisters and possibly lost toenails. When trying on hikers, don’t try them on first thing in the morning, try them on at the end of the day. Your feet swell a bit throughout the day, especially if you are being active, so trying them on at the end of the day will give you a more accurate idea of how the shoes will fit while hiking.

I personally prefer hiking boots over hiking shoes because I like the added ankle support and coverage. If you are going to be carrying a pack, then ankle support is definitely recommended.

Only buy as much boot as you need. If you are planning on doing only day hikes, then don’t buy a pair of super stiff, super expensive, multi-day backpacking boots.

Some good brands to check out are Keen and Salomon. Keens have always been my personal preference; they fit my foot perfectly and have no break-in period. They are good to go, right out of the box.

So now that you have a good pair of hikers, don’t go and undo the work of picking a good pair of shoes by wearing bad socks. High quality socks will change your life. If you are only going to buy one good pair of socks in your life, let them be for hiking. I suggest buying merino wool socks, from either Darn Tough or Icebreaker. Both companies guarantee their socks for life and will replace them if they wear out. Why merino?  Merino wool is a natural fibre from sheep that live in the mountains of New Zealand. It breathes and insulates, keeping your feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It is not itchy and it is naturally anti-microbial which makes it anti-stink. The wool fibre and construction of the socks also helps stop blisters from forming.

Hiking Clothing:

Now that we have covered footwear, lets talk about the rest.

So. Pants. While yes, you can technically hike in anything that covers your butt (or not, your preference ;), some pant choices are better than others.I typically hike in pants year round (as opposed to shorts) because  I like to avoid roughing up my legs any more than I have to (the whole firefighter/guide combo leads to a lot of unavoidable bruises and scrapes). Also, ticks. Enough said.

I can pretty much guarantee that you have a pair of pants in your wardrobe that will work well for hiking. Unless you only own Armani suits. Any sort of athletic pant will do, pants with stretch are great. Leggings? perfect! You know what’s not cool for hiking? Jeans. Or jeggings. Denim is just a terrible fabric to hike in. It doesn’t breathe well, it doesn’t insulate well, its gross when it gets wet and I’m not even going to go into chafing… In general, jeans just aren’t designed for athletic motion and wearing them hiking won’t make your hike enjoyable.

Now onto the top half. Gentlemen, look away for the next paragraph.

A lot of women like to hike in a sports bra. Hiking can be vigorous exercise and a little extra support goes a long way. Icebreaker makes a great Merino wool sports bra that will help eliminate boob sweat and will keep the girls feeling light, breezy and well supported through a long hike.

Okay guys, come on back. When it comes to tops, just be comfortable. Athletic and technical fabrics and styles will definitely be the most comfortable, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with hiking in your favorite old tshirt. Keep in mind that getting a little grungy on hikes is inevitable, so don’t wear your brand new white top out.

For the purpose of this post, I am not going to get into seasonal layering, I am just sticking to the basics. I will be working on a winter layering guide in the fall. However, there is one piece of outerwear that everyone should carry year round: a good waterproof shell.You can spend as much as your bank account will let you on a shell, but you honestly do not need to spend a fortune. A good hardshell jacket will protect you from winds at high altitudes as well as surprise rain storms.If something goes wrong, and you end up in
a situation where you are stuck outside over night or through bad weather, a good shell can save your life.I am in love with my Patagona Torrentshell (yup, thats a pun). Its a great jacket for under $200 and packs up small in my backpack. Plus mine is lime green. Brighter colours are ideal for outdoors gear to make sure you are always visible.

 

And that brings me to my next point; every hiker should carry a daypack with some essential safety items in it.

Backpacks and Supplies: 

A good pack will fit comfortably on your back and have a waist strap to help support the weight. Some packs come with hydration packs built in, or rain covers and once again, you can spend as much as you like on your pack, the options are endless. You can also pick up a basic hiking pack for around $70 (check out the Osprey Daylite).

In your day pack, you should carry some items for just-in-case scenarios. You should always have water, whether it is in a hydration pack or a water bottle is up to you. You should also have enough snacks to get you through a 24 hour period, a small first aid kit, an emergency blanket and a map of the area in which you will be hiking. If you are hiking in bear country, then you should also always carry bear spray. Always, no exceptions.

As you can see, you probably have most, if not all, of what you need to start hiking. All the rest can be purchased at your local outdoors store. Is there more gear you can buy? Definitely! There is always more gear to buy. But you do not need to buy it all at once. A good collection of gear is built over time.

<The safety essentials.

One other vital component of hiking? Friends, or people to hike with. Hiking is something that is more fun and safer when done in a group. If you do hike alone, make sure to tell people where you are going, the route you are taking and when to expect you back. That way if something goes wrong, people will know where to find you.If your friends or family aren’t into the great outdoors, then this is a great way to meet new people! There are all sorts of outdoors groups and clubs that you can join for free to get outside and make new friends. Check on community events boards or Facebook for a group near you!

 

 

Highwood Pass

On June 15th, at 12:01am, the gates to the Highwood Pass are opened. The Highwood Pass is the highest paved road in Canada; it is over 7000 feet in elevation at the top of the pass. The road can’t be maintained over the winter (you know, avalanches and all), so it is closed from December 1st to June 15th.

This road is known as a hotspot for wildlife activity and offers breathtaking views. There are amazing hikes, great fishing and unlimited adventure opportunity.

While I didn’t line up to drive the highway at midnight when the road opened, I did wake up early to drive  it. 7am found me piling my camera gear into the truck and heading out. Because of where I live, the Highwoods pass is only a 20 minute drive from my house. I just drove up to the top of the pass and back, not going all the way to Longview since I had to work that day.

The drive definitely did not disappoint; there were bighorn sheep galore and alpine wild flowers out en masse. I highly recommend making a day-long road trip out of the Highwood Pass; if you do it right you, you can make a big loop that takes you to and from Calgary, passing through Kananaskis, Longview, High River and Okotoks, with the highlight obviously being the drive over the pass. There are lots of view points to take in the stunning panoramas and lots of great spots for picnics and hikes along the way.

The best part of my drive yesterday was actually on the way home. Spring and early summer is the Grizzly Bear mating season, and I got to witness two gorgeous bears going through their mating rituals. I was even luckier to be able to photograph the event.

Here are some of the highlights of my drive yesterday:

Cathedral Grove

If you ever want to realize just how tiny you are, all it takes is a visit to Cathedral Grove.

Cathedral Grove is a truly magical place; this forest, in the heart of MacMillan Provincial Park is home to a grove of  giant Douglas Fir and Cedar trees. The ground is covered in beautiful, feathery ferns and everything is coated in a thick layer of moss and lichen.

When you enter the grove, a curtain of hushed silence seems to fall over the world. The noise from the nearby highway seems to fade away and you are able to wander in peace and awe beneath the towering trees. 

Gear Review: Keen Uneek Sandals

I have lived in Keens forever. My first pair of hiking boots were keens and I have been wearing Keen Newports for as long as I have been canoeing. I have always loved the quality of Keen footwear, as well as the fact that it all looks great. I have big feet (size 10 womens) so I have always been pretty cautious about what I put on my feet because I really don’t want them to look any bigger than they already are. I also work jobs where being on my feet is critical and blisters or sore feet would be detrimental.

I love my Keen Newports (you know, the classic canoeing sandal with a hard toe that makes them great for hiking and saving your toes from encountering hard objects) but they can be heavy and not the prettiest for wearing off-trail.

Let me introduce you to my new favorite light summer shoe:

The Keen Uneek. These sandals are very different looking, but I have to say I love them. They are two pieces of paracord and a sole. End of story. They are incredibly light weight, but the foot bed is super supportive and comfortable. I started out just wearing them around casually, but have since started doing light hiking in them. They are the perfect all around summer shoe for non-technical wear. Since I got these, I get complimented on them every time I wear them (I also get a lot of people who want to touch them and tell me how odd they are). In my opinion, they are super photogenic and make a great ‘I was here’ photo since they are such a distinctive shoe.

For example, I snapped this from the lookout over Banff on the way up to Norquay. I needed something to put everything into perspective, and my feet were about all I had. The day that I took this, I was touring friends around Banff on their first ever visit. It was a long day of walking and exploring (and also one of the hottest days of the year so far!) so these sandals were the perfect shoe for the job. They also make it super easy to stick your feet in a stream or lake to cool down without the effort of peeling off shoes and putting socks back onto wet feet.

I am definitely looking forwards to lots of adventures in these adorable, funky shoes! Watch for my feet in my photos 😉