Hiking the trails in 2006!

 
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Location: Sawmill   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: Dec 31, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   200 metres
Distance:   8 km.
Trail Time:   4 hours
Total Ascent:   200 metres
Location:   Smith-Dorrien  
To Trail:   1 1/2 hrs from Calgary
Temp:   -8°C
Details: Lots of trails with plenty of solitude and great snowshoeing!
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Location: Chester Lake Christmas   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: Dec 26, 2006
Rating: *****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   300 metres
Distance:   9 km.
Trail Time:   4 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   300 metres
Location:  Smith-Dorrien Rd. 
To Trail:   1 1/2 hrs from Calgary
Temp:   -10°C
Details: Another awesome snowshoeing trip to Chester Lake A true winter wonderland!
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Location: Parker Ridge   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: Oct 8, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   270 metres
Distance:   5 km.
Trail Time:   2 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   270 metres
Location:   Hwy 97 Athabasca Glacier 
To Trail:   10 min from Athabasca Glacier
Temp:   5°C
Details: Best bang for the buck. Short trail, beautiful ridge!
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Location: Wilcox Pass   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: October 7, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   350 metres
Distance:   12 km.
Trail Time:   5 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   375 metres
Location:   Athabasca Glacier 
To Trail:   Athabasca Glacier
Temp:   0°C
Details: So beautiful in the fall! Crisp clean air, deep blue skies, peace and tranquility abounding.
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Location: Sunshine Meadows   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: September 24, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   350 metres
Distance:   12.5 km.
Trail Time:   6 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   375 metres
Location:   Sunshine Village 
To Trail:   6 km from Banff at Sunshine Meadows parking lot.
Temp:   25°C
Details: Such a pretty pretty place! Always so special in the fall when the snow falls and the larches turn their lovely orange.
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Location: Wind Ridge   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: September 2, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   650 metres
Distance:   12 km.
Trail Time:   5 hours
Total Ascent:   650 metres
Location:   Dead Mans Flats 
To Trail:   1 hr from Calgary
Temp:   25°C
Details: A rather steep trail that can be so unforgiving! Still, the setting is lovely and Wind Valley is such a peaceful place!
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Location: Stanley Glacier   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: August 28, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   465 metres
Distance:   10 km.
Trail Time:   4 hours
Total Ascent:   465 metres
Location:   Hwy 93 south towards Radium 
To Trail:   1 1/2 hrs from Calgary
Temp:   23°C
Details: A short trail but filled with surprises and a more than fulfilling journey!
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Location: Cavell Meadows   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: Aug 10, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   465 metres
Distance:   17 km.
Trail Time:   5 hours
Total Ascent:   757 metres
Location:   Hwy 66 
To Trail:   1 hr from Calgary
Temp:   25°C
Details: No gay cowboys in sight during this evening hike. Some might call this Moose Mountain but Hollywood likes to change things up. A trail that has its ups and downs but makes for a great walking tour in an excellent setting!
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Location: Chester Lake - Summer   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: July 22, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   350 metres
Distance:   11.5 km.
Trail Time:   5 hours
Total Ascent:   350 metres
Location:   Spray Valley Road 
To Trail:   1 hr 45 min from Calgary
Temp:   24°C
Details: Winter or Summer, this is a great place for a relaxing adventure!
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Location: Brokeback Mountain   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: June 28, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   465 metres
Distance:   17 km.
Trail Time:   5 hours
Total Ascent:   757 metres
Location:   Hwy 66 
To Trail:   1 hr from Calgary
Temp:   25°C
Details: No gay cowboys in sight during this evening hike. Some might call this Moose Mountain but Hollywood likes to change things up. A trail that has its ups and downs but makes for a great walking tour in an excellent setting!
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Location: Coxhill Ridge   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: June 24, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   720 metres
Distance:   14.6 km.
Trail Time:   5 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   720 metres
Location:   Powder Face Trail (Dawson) 
To Trail:   1 hr from Calgary
Temp:   -3°C
Details: A bit of a uphill journey through forest but a beautiful ridge that was brushed with colourful wildflowers!
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Location: Volcano Ridge   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: May 21, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   550 metres
Distance:   13 km.
Trail Time:   5 hours
Total Ascent:   550 metres
Location:   Just north of the Sheep River 
To Trail:   2 hrs from Calgary
Temp:   23°C
Details: Very pleasant hiking for early in the season when the snow covers most other trails
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Location: Biking in the Mountains!   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: May 5/13, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   600 metres
Distance:   50 km.
Trail Time:   8 hours
Total Ascent:   600 metres
Location:   Hwy #66 and Along the Sheep River 
To Trail:   Sheep River 1 1/2 hrs - Hwy 66 1 hour
Temp:   18°C
Details: Before the road opened we travelled the climbing section of Hwy 66 and then along the Sheep River on Hwy 542. Very picturesque!
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Location: Canyonlands - Needles   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: April 11, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   300 metres
Distance:   11 km.
Trail Time:   5 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   350 metres
Location:   Canyonlands National Park Needles District  
To Trail:   2 hours from Moab
Temp:   20°C
Details: A don't miss area of Canyonlands that might be isolated but is perhaps the prettiest area around Canyonlands and Arches!
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Location: Canyonlands
Island in the Sky
  
(Slideshow)
Hike Date: April 10 - 14, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   not much!
Distance:   fair bit!
Trail Time:   1 day
Total Ascent:   maybe 100 meters
Location:   Canyonlands National Park 
To Trail:   1 hour from Moab
Temp:   23°C
Details: Situated high above the Colorado and Green Rivers this section of Canyonlands provides some remarkable venues and sites of the grand plateau!
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Location: Arches   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: April 10 - 14, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   some!
Distance:   lots!
Trail Time:   hours and hours!
Total Ascent:   more!
Location:   Arches National Park Utah 
To Trail:   1/2 hr from Moab
Temp:   25°C
Details: From a few days of travels around the sites and scenery of land of the Arches!
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Location: Burstall Pass   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: March 25, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   220 metres
Distance:   11 km.
Trail Time:   5 1/4 hours
Total Ascent:   220 metres
Location:   Spray Lakes Road 
To Trail:   1 3/4 hrs from Calgary
Temp:   -3°C
Details: Headed up the trail towards Burstall Pass. Beautiful snow and great scenery!
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Location: Lake O'Hara Road   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: March 12, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   200 metres
Distance:   8.5 km.
Trail Time:   4 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   200 metres
Location:    Lake O'Hara Rd.  
To Trail:   10k west of Lake Louise
Temp:   -11°C
Details: Just walked a little more than 4 km up the unplowed 11 km road to Lake O'Hara. Lots of deep powdery snow and some great winter views!
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Location: Wapta Falls   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: March 11, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   50 metres
Distance:   8.5 km.
Trail Time:   4 hours
Total Ascent:   50 metres
Location:   Near Field BC
To Trail:   20k west on hwy 1
Temp:   -4°C
Details: A short trail to the grandiose Wapta Falls on the Kicking Horse River. Because of reduced river flow in the winter we got to hang out close to the falls. An awesome winter day!
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Location: Kananaskis   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: February 25, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   50 metres
Distance:   11.5 km.
Trail Time:   4 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   50 metres
Location:   Peter Lougheed Provincial Park 
To Trail:   End of highway 40
Temp:   -9°C
Details: Just walked the road where the winter closure starts. The views of the Kananaskis range were quite delightful and while the path was the roadway, it was still quite enjoyable.
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Location: Ink Pots (Slideshow)
Hike Date: February 19, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   500 metres
Distance:   12 km.
Trail Time:   5 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   500 metres
Location:   Banff AB 
To Trail:   Moose Meadows at Johnston Canyon
Temp:   -8°C
Details: A nice trail through the trees with views of the Bow Valley before crossing Helena ridge and into the valley of the Ink Pots and Johnston Creek.
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Location: Elkwater (Slideshow)
Hike Date: Feb 10, 2006
Rating: ***
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   150 metres
Distance:   3 km.
Trail Time:   2 hours
Total Ascent:   146 metres
Location:   Elkwater, AB 
To Trail:   1 km
Temp:   -13°C
Details: The Horseshoe Canyon trail plus some other trails. Not much snow, but quite pleasant and a great little spot in the midst of the prairies!
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Location: Kananaskis Lakes   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: Jan 28, 2006
Rating: **
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   30 metres
Distance:   12 km.
Trail Time:   4 hours
Total Ascent:   30 metres
Location:   Peter Lougheed Park
To Trail:   1 1/4 hrs from Calgary
Temp:   -5°C
Details: A pleasant stroll around the lower Kananaskis lake on a day when the weather was bit grey.
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Location: Chester Lake   (Slideshow)
Hike Date: Jan 21, 2006
Rating: ****
Trip:
Altitude Gain:   300 metres
Distance:   9 km.
Trail Time:   4 1/2 hours
Total Ascent:   300 metres
Location:   Spray Lakes Road 
To Trail:   1 1/2 hrs from Calgary
Temp:   -12°C
Details: Probably the best snowshoe trail around. A great pleasant hike in deep powder snow. There is something truly magical about winter in the mountains!
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