It's been quite a while since I made the easy hike along Canyon Creek road to Ings Mine and the ice cave there (those seeking directions to the trailhead can see it in full here from my first hike to the location) Cecil came along today having been unaware of the cave he was keen to explore it.
It was a beautiful day which made for a nice easy stroll along Canyon Creek road to the base of Moose Mountain where the cave is located, a short ascent of 298m (977 feet) gets us to the entrance where we meet a young couple also seeking to explore the cave. Click the gallery below for captioned shots from the cave.
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I took advantage of the still warm temperatures this week to make a summit that is new to me at last. It seems like a long time since I trod new ground to a summit. This one was a steep thigh burner but ultimately provided some wonderful images from the pinnacle like submit, there's a small gallery below showing a few shots or you can Click here for full hike and photos.
We enjoyed another fantastic sunset tonight, temperatures continue to be spring like at 15C allowing me to wander around the balcony chasing shots. I like this one with the living room windows reflecting the sunset, and in the gallery below there's one I like of a flight of geese that passed over; shame I had on my 50mm lens which prevented me getting a great shot, but I think I got a good one.
Cecil and I took a walk around Fish Creek Park today in the south of the city, we had hoped to find plenty of wildlife and perhaps a few reasonable landscapes too. As it was we were a little disappointed, winter has reduced the wildlife availability and landscapes are not really an option here in winter either. We did see a nice bald eagle and what I think is a golden eagle (though it was a very long way off)
Still, we were out and wandering and we learned something more about the city so it was another great day, even if we were somewhat lacking in photographic opportunity.I think a return in spring will yield better results. After 2 weeks of Chinook winds and high temperatures I noticed Loader Peak looked decidedly spring like and thought I'd have a go at making a good summit. I did this lump in April 2012 and mistakenly took the climbers path making really hard work of the ascent, I said I would never go back but there are few mountains snow free in January, so with 918m (3011 feet) of actual ascent over a nice 11 km round trip that tops out around 2286m (7500 feet) I had to do it.
I'm so glad I did, I took the scramblers route this time and it was much more manageable (I think I'm also fitter and more acclimatised now too) Anyway, check out the gallery below for captioned shots. A few shots from a nice short wander with Cecil up Cox Hill in Kananaskis today. Really warm temperatures at lower levels but the cold still bit into the ears toward the top.
One of our last stunning winter sunsets from our house on Valley Ridge, this time the street lamp I hate so much actually adds something to the image. It's one of our last because we have found a new home. Note that I said home not house, that's because we are buying rather than renting and it will be our 'home'. We hope to move in by March 1st and we are both really happy about the decision, though views like this will always be missed.
I returned to Grotto Creek again today to show my friend Cecil the lovely little area so close to home, luckily there were more ice climbers out and about so we grabbed some shots before heading off up the canyon. It was a great steady afternoon in good temperatures though a strong wind made the final leg of the route out very chilly.
We have had a lovely quiet christmas before receiving news that the owners of the house we currently rent are returning and we have to move on, something we were planning to do anyway so it's no hardship. We are actively house hunting but still have to allow some time for a hike. I set out to revisit Grotto Creek and after waiting quite a while for a CP Train to pass, I spent a nice easy 3 hours exploring winter through the canyon. Click small images for captioned versions.
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AuthorWe arrived in Calgary, Canada on 29th December 2011 to continue our journey. This blog is intended to keep our family and friends informed whilst we explore Canada.You can use the RSS feed below to stay updated. Categories
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January 2024
The Shaman, West Texas
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