Still Catching Up On My Posts

February 2013

February 2, 2013, walked in and around Cardston, with my brother and also solo.

I started at the house and walked to my brother's house. We walked east of his place, then south, then west, then north back to his house.

6.6 km with . In about 1 hr. 30 min.

MapMyHike: 10.7 km in 2 hrs. 20 min. which would mean to and from the house was 4.1 km. in about 50 min.

February 6, 2013, Ski North Wabasca Lake, solo.

Started from Wabasca between 4 and 4:30 PM, skied on the lake to Fisherman’s Wharf. Walked from the house across the road then skied down the bank to the lake. Skied mostly on latent snowmobile tracks. When I got to Fishermans Wharf I found ski tracks but it was time to turn back so I determined I would try them out tomorrow. Returned at 5:45 PM.

GPS: 5.3 km. 

Time: 1 hr. 15 min. moving.

Elev. 1842 ft.

MapMyHike: 5.88 km. in 1 hr. 30 min. 

February 7, 2013, Ski North Wabasca Lake, solo.

Started from the same place between 10 and 10:30 AM. I was able to follow yesterday’s track most of the way to Fisherman’s Wharf. On my way there it seemed like there was a fresh snowmobile track over my ski track but on the way back I found my ski track from yesterday. At Fisherman’s Wharf I followed a ski track around the 2.8 km triangle. I took a break and then went around again the other way. I returned to the house at a little after 2 PM.

GPS: 10.6 km.

3 hours 20 min. moving, 30 min stopped.

Max elevation 1899 ft.

MapMyHike: To Fisherman’s Wharf plus the loop clockwise, 5.71 km in 1 hour 51 min.

MapMyHike: The loop counter clockwise and back from Fisherman’s Wharf, 5.27 km. in 1 hr. 27 min. 

Total =   10.98 km. in 3 hrs 19 min.

February 8, 2013, Skated with my granddaughter.

MapMyHike: 2.56 km in 30 min.

February 9, 2013, skied the Mini Birkie. Start Time was at 1:30 PM.

Skied 13.3 km in 2 hrs. 10 min. stopped time was 12 min.

Ascent 751 ft. max. elev. 2546 ft.

February 10, 2013, walked in Tofield, likely with my sister and her husband.

MapMyHike: 1.75 km in 21 min.

February 11, 2013, skied Campbell’s Lake with my sister.

Started at around 10:30 AM. And finished at around noon.

6.45 Km. 1 hr. 29 min. moving time, 20 min stopped time.

February 12, 2013, skied Campbell’s Lake with my sister and her friends. Started at about 10:30 AM and finished at well before noon. My sister kept up a brisk pace this time.

6.29 Km.

1 hr. 3 min. moving time, 3 min stopped time.

Moving average was 6 km/hr. which is a fast pace for me.

February 13, 2013, ski Muriel Lake Municipal Park with my sister. We started at around 11:30 AM and finished at around 2 PM. Temperatures were around 0°C and there was a light covering of fresh snow so we had a problem with the snow sticking to our skis.

9.15 km but 8.4 km might be a more accurate measurement.

2 hr. 14 min. moving time, 34 min. stopped time.

Ascent 477 ft, max. elev. 1957 ft.

February 14, 2013, ski Campbell’s Lake with my sister. Started at around 10 AM and finished at just after 11 AM. There was a fresh snow cover on a well groomed track so conditions were ideal.

6.09 Km.

1 hr. 3 min moving, 11 min. stopped.

We can’t seem to break the 6 km/hr speed.

February 15, 2013, Skate in Cherry Grove with my sister.

MapMyHike: 2.24 km in 1 hour 25 min. 

February 17, 2013, hike Johnson Canyon in Banff National Park with my nephew. Started at around 12:30 PM and finished at about 3 PM.

6 km in about 2 hours.

February 22, 2013, walk in Cardston from the Cardston house to my brother's. 

MapMyHike: 1.55 Km. in 20 min.

Then walk with my brother.

MapMyHike: 7.3 km in 1 hour 56 min.

February 24, 2013, ski Akamina Pass and to within 300 M of Wahl Lake, solo. Started at around 11 AM and finished at about 3:30 pm.

13.2 km

3 hr. 44 min moving, 47 min. stopped.

Ascent 1306 ft., max elev. 5963 ft.

February 27, 2013, walk in Rexburg, solo. Started around 8:30n AM and finished at 10 AM. 

6.6 km.

1 hr. 25 min moving, 15 min. stopped.

February 28, 2013, hiked with my brother in the Arches National Park in Utah. We hiked to the Delicate Arch and back. Then without realizing it we hiked to a view point of the Delicate Arch.

Total hiking 7.9 km.

Total Km walked, hiked and skied in February was 102 km.

Where Oh Where Has The Foot Loose Been?

Whether anyone has noticed or not I have not made a Blog entry since early January. The truth is I would rather be in motion than entering text at a keyboard. That said, truth is a Blog is not a Blog unless I make some sort of entry. I keep notes of most of my walks, hiking, bicycling and paddling so what you will get here are my raw notes. At least you, the follower, will know that I am out and about and sooner or later I will again treat you to a titillating account of my treasured adventures.

January 2013

January 5, 2013, hike at Police Outpost Park, solo (mostly). 

I started out at about 3:30 Saturday afternoon, the park is closed so I had to park my vehicle at the park gate and walk in. It is only a few hundred  metres to get to the trail which goes to the International Border. I walked the trail to the Canada-US boundary and I found things have changed a little since I was there about a year ago. The fence style where people could walk through to look at the boundary marker now has a barbed wire fence through it. I muttered things about the absurdity of the 49th parallel and climbed the fence anyway. I snapped a couple of photos then hopped back over the fence to my own country. Then for some reason I decided not to walk the path back. Instead I walked west along the boundary fence down to the Outpost Wetland. I had started to walk on a frozen pond going back toward my vehicle when I heard something so I looked around but saw nothing so I kept going. Then I heard someone shout and I turned and saw a person and a dog. He motioned to me to hold up so I thought, "I could be in trouble". I started walking toward the guy so he soon caught up with me. Sure

enough he was US border patrol. He had a few questions about where I came from and which way I was heading. I was more puzzled by where he came from because I had not seen a vehicle or a fresh track at all. The border guy said they have caught people smuggling guns at this place. Sheeze I  sure don't want to bump into any gun runners. It seemed like I was out in quiet solitude but I guess not. So I chatted about my other hikes in the area and seeing a helicopter on patrol when I hiked that way in 2005. He was pretty courteous and listened to my stories. Then I hoofed it back to my van. I got some nice photos of Chief Mountain. When I got to my van there was a black 4X4 with tinted windows which seemed to be lurking around while I made notes about the hike. I found it very mysterious and of course after talking to the border patrol every vehicle I see around there is a gun runner.

5.09 km.,

1 hour 21 min. moving, 23 min. stopped.

Ascent 387 ft

Max. Elev. 4751 ft.

January 6, 2013, ski Cameron Lake, solo.

Started at around 10:30 AM, skied to Cameron Lake, then to Akamina Lake and back, then to the Akamina Pass Trail Head. At Cameron Lake I spoke with a guy and 2 ladies who were out skiing. I realized I had met the guy while skiing at Cameron Lake a couple of years before. He was the guy who was talking to Demitre the first time I ever met him. It turns out this fellow works with some of the same people I worked with in Public Lands. I had a good chat with him, as we skied to the Akamina Pass Trailhead. Then I skied over the Akamina Pass to where my grandson and I camped last summer. At the pass I met 5 or 6 snowshoers. On the way to the camp I met 3 ladies on skis. Skied on to the Forum Falls, met the ladies again coming back from Forum Falls. Took photos of the falls. The falls are frozen and much subdued compared to their summer flow. The snow deadens all sound giving the place the quiet ambiance of a temple. The snow conditions were weird, in that, a little fresh snow was falling and it would stick to the bottom of my skies like wet snow would. Skiing down from the pass is always an easy fun glide. Met the snowshoers again just past the bridge. I tried to stop gracefully but I fell instead. Visited a bit the finished my glide to the Cameron Lake road then took the old road back to parking. At Forum Falls I was starting to feel tired and by the time I got to my vehicle at about 3:30 PM I was tired.

12.8 km., in 3 hours 53 min. moving, 1 hr. stopped.

Ascent 1224 ft.

Max. Elev. 5954 ft.

January 8, 2013, walk  in W Lethbridge, solo.

Walked to the store and back from my daughter's.

MapMyHike; 2.69 km., in 1 hour 11 min.

January 12, 2013, ski in Cardston, with my brother.

Started at my brother's place and skied down to Lee Creek. Skied along Lee Creek to past the Hwy 2 bridge. There was water on top of the ice in several places and the ice popped and crackled but it seemed solid enough. Past the bridge we ascended the bank and skied beside the walking trail. The walking trail already had the snow ploughed off. Then skied back down the bank to Lee Creek and under the 9th Ave. bridge, then back up the creek bank and along the trail by the Golf Course. Saw one Flicker, maybe a fox and as always Magpies. Skied until about 2:10 PM and then returned the same way. Finished at about 3 PM

MapMyHike: 5.13 KM. in 1 hour, 42 min.

January 13, 2013, ski Cameron Lake, solo.

By the time I arrived at about 10 AM the parking lot was already mostly full. It wasn’t as wind on this day as it was on last Sunday. Started skiing a little after 10 AM. Skied to Cameron Lake and noticed tracks, maybe snowshoe, going toward the east shore so I followed them for about 400 M then I lost the track so I turned toward the east shore and skied around in the trees. Large blowdown and a creek so at about 11:45 I skied back to the lake and back to where the trail follows the west shore. Followed a track along the east shore to the end of the trees. On my way I met 3 skiers returning. Talked to 3 snowshoers at the trees. Followed some tracks up into the trees which turned out to be tracks the alpine skiers made when coming down. Stopped for lunch at about 12:30 then skied back to the lake and back to my vehicle. Saw a Stellar’s Jay and a Gray Jay. Not much for tracks, just squirrels.

Returned to my vehicle at about 2 PM.

10.7 km. in 3 hr. 4 min. moving and 45 min stopped.

Ascent 421 ft. Max Elevation 5555 ft. 

Total Distance under my own power 41.19 – 3.5 = 37.69 km. 

January 15, 2013, walk in Tofield, with Matty the dog.

MapMyHike 3.07 km in 57 min.

January 18, 2013, walk from Rundle Park to Hermitage Park and back, solo.

Because of warm temperatures and rain conditions for skiing were not the best and the ice on the Rundle Park Pond was closed so the only thing left to do was to go for a walk. I started sometime after 3 PM at the pond in Rundle Park and walked to the of leash area in Hermitage Park and back to Rundle Park. I was back at Rundle Park a little after 5 PM.

10.3 km

2 hr. 19 min. moving, 3 min. stopped.

338 ft ascent, max elev. 2133 ft.

MapMyHike: 10.61 km. in 2 hr. 20 min.

January 22, 2013, cross-country skied around Campbell’s Lake with my sister and my cousin.

Started a little after 10 AM at the Hamilton House B&B and skied clockwise around the lake. Heard a Pileated Woodpecker.

MapMyHike: 6.91 km. in 1 hr. 30 min.

January 23, 2013, walked from house in Cardston to the Extra Foods and back, solo.

It was so cold my romaine lettuce got frozen.

Started at about 4 PM and finished at about 5:30 PM

MapMyHike: 5.3 km. in 1 hr. 24 min.

January 29, 2013, walk from the house in Cardston to the Superstore and back, solo.

MapMyHike 5.31 km in 1 hour 24 min.

January 30, 2013, ski/hike to Lower Bertha Falls with my brother.

We started out on the Bertha Lake trail at about 10 AM on our skis but I broke a binding so we continued on to the falls by hiking. Returned to the vehicle by about 1:30 PM.

MapMy Hike: I didn’t start MapMyHike until my binding broke, 5.99 km. in 3 hr 9 min.

On the GPS, which was started at the vehicle: 6.3 km.

2 hours 33 min. moving, 1 hour stopped.

Ascent 737 ft. Max elev. 4782 ft.

At 4:30 PM walked to Ken’s and back around 8 PM.

MapMyHike: 6.44 km. in 50 min.

Total distance recorded walking and skiing in January is 84.86 km.