Little Lougheed (winter hike)

Nice 4.5 km hike featuring approximately 685 m elevation gain. This time the entire trail to the very top was well packed. Steady moderate ascent, a bit steeper before the summit. The trail head is right on the left side of 742, if you are coming from Canmore. Once you reach the fork with 2 bridges, cross the one to the left. Can be sections with more snow here and there, especially after the big rock viewpoint. Take a look […]

Mount Pigeon (winter hike)

The North Peak of Pigeon Mountain offers a strategic vantage point, presenting an extensive panorama of the Canadian Rockies and numerous well-known peaks visible from this location. From the North Summit, you can see a broad array of peaks including: The views of nearby Mount McGillivray and Skogan Pass are particularly remarkable, offering a unique perspective on these areas. The South Peak (with the weather station) is optional but offers some additional views. These expansive views make Pigeon Mountain a […]

Pigeon Mountain (solo)

After my off-trail Collembola solo I was exhausted, but sunny days with no wildfire smoke were literally a treasure this Summer, so next day I decided to ignore all knee pain and to take advantage of the weather and do something long enough for a nice day but easy and adrenalin-free. Pigeon Mountain totally fits this description: very moderate but steady incline, no scrambling, no loosing shit, no exposure, but very rewarding all the way to the summit once you […]

Mount Collembola (South Route, solo, summited from 3rd attempt)

I tried to summit Mount Collembola two times before. My attempt via North route from Dead Man’s Flats failed because I could not find a safe way to climb up the summit block (23 m of elevation left but hiking solo this time, I was not comfortable with exposure and turned back with tail between legs). My second attempt via Marmot Basin and Fisera Ridge also failed because I could not find a safe way to climb down from the […]

Wind Ridge

Wind Ridge Trail in Exshaw surprised us pretty much with everything: well maintained, not too long, challenging enough, with a little bit of scrambling fun, shady forest, almost no people, and most importantly, incredible views of our favorite Kananaskis peaks from totally unexpected angle, impressive and intimidating. We started early (we always do) and air was more or less clear in the morning, but then wind from the West started to bring lots of smoke from BC fires, and unfortunately […]

Mount Sparrowhawk

Mount Sparrowhawk is a 3,121-metre (10,240 ft) mountain summit located in Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Sparrowhawk’s nearest higher peak is Mount Bogart, 3.6 km (2.2 mi) to the southeast. Mount Sparrowhawk was named in 1917 for HMS Sparrowhawk, a British destroyer that sank during the Battle of Jutland in World War I. This mountain’s name was officially adopted in 1922 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada. The first ascent of the peak was […]

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 […]