Fairview Mountain

Fairview Mountain (2744 m, 9003ft) is situated along the southeastern shoreline of Lake Louise. It was named in 1894 by Walter Wilcox, and the name reflects the view from the top. From Lake Louise the cliffs look intimidating, but the mountain is easily ascended via a trail around the backside on the southern slopes of the mountain. The trail starts in the left corner of the main Lake Louise viewpoint and goes around the mountain to the col between Fairview […]

Wind Tower

I was fascinated by the Wind Tower when I saw ascent trail to its summit (photo above) during my solo Little Lougheed hike. Since late May it was just a matter of good weather and smoke free weekend, when we finally decided to go for it. The hike turned out to be not too hard (just may be a bit steep before the summit, but totally OK if you just switch to 1st gear), and very rewarding. Allocate half day […]

Little Lougheed

Nice short trail which I tried to do in winter but turned back at the big boulder viewpoint because of deep snow. It was perfect this time. If you take 742 from Canmore, U-turn and park your car on the left side of the road, the trailhead is right there. Once you reach the fork with 2 bridges, cross the one on the left (the right bridge leads to Lougheed). Steady ascent through the forest for about 1.3 km, then […]

Ha Ling and Miner’s Peaks

Tourist, or live in Calgary, – this hike is a must. It was closed for a while, and after maintenance the trail is very popular. I normally would come early to avoid crowds. The parking seems to be large now but my guess is during summer touristy season it will be very busy. This time we had some morning issues to resolve, and started the hike only on 10:30 AM. There were a lot of people coming up and down […]

Wasootch Peak

Wasootch Peak is one of not too many hikes which are doable all year round. Small trailhead parking is on the left side of HW40 if you are coming from Calgary, about 200m before Mt. Allan Drive intersection. We always come early, so if you too come first, park your car on the road side perpendicularly. We tried it as a winter hike but too much snow and wind made it very difficult and we turned back a few hundred […]

Sarrail Ridge via Rawson Lake

Sarrail Ridge, reached via the Rawson Lake trail in Kananaskis Country, demands an elevation gain of approximately 725 meters (2,379 feet) from the trailhead. The route, often regarded as challenging due to its steep sections and rugged terrain, rewards persevering hikers with panoramic views of Upper Kananaskis Lake, Mount Indefatigable, and expansive valleys. While the ascent to Sarrail Ridge requires careful navigation and a good fitness level, the breathtaking scenery at the summit provides a remarkable reward for the effort, […]