Trips

Oh Canada! 2013 Trip – Finally Dry Friday

We woke up early to catch the sunrise, and much to our surprise, it was actually dry! We headed out to Mosquito…errr.. Pyramid Island to grab some sunrise photos. By the way, sunset is 10:30 (stays light until 11:15 ish) and sunrise is 5:30 (gets light around 4:45):
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We ran across this little dude:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

And momma:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

…and these guys…
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

…On the way back into town. Once in town we found a few more of their extended family munching on the landscaping:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

After breakfast, we headed back into the Park for more hiking:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We stopped by Punch Bowl Falls overlook on the way to Sulfur Springs:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Once we got to the end of the road:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We hiked up Sulfur Skyline Trail. This trail climbs 2,350 ft in elevation over 2.5 miles. Most of that elevation gain was toward the end of the trail as you get closer to the summit (naturally). There were more than a few sections where I was wishing for a ladder to climb up as I think it would have been easier than walking up it πŸ˜† The wife did an awesome job and made it to the summit with me, though I admit I was carrying her pack as well as mine at the end there. But she still made it!

The start of the trail seems easy enough since it’s paved, but it’s a good 15% grade:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

It eventually starts to turn into a rocky track:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

With some neat early summer flowers popping up along the way:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

After awhile, you start to poke out through the tree line:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

And you can start seeing things:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Waaaay off in the distance you can see the parking lot we started hiking from, and there was quite a bit of elevation we still needed to gain:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

The wife did manage to find a friend or two along the way up:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We reached the first plateau and took a look around before finishing the rest of the hike up to the summit:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

There was a giant marble rock sitting on the plateau (over 6′ tall). Keep this rock in mind for later:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

There’s the parking lot again:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We then started wandering up the rest of the way to the summit:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Bit of a panorama of the summit view:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Some neat rocks at the top:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

And flowers:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

The moss on the rocks was this awesome orange color:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

And of course, nature girl found another friend to take pictures of:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We loaded back up and headed down the mountain, remember the giant marble boulder? That’s it in this photo (we’re about halfway down from the summit to the plateau):
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Past the very colorful pine cones:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

There were a few big horn sheep floating around the parking area when we returned:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We headed back towards town:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

There was an old coal mine town near the main road, so we hiked around it some. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see other than some flowers and minor structures:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Traffic stopped for some more sheep crossing the road:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

A quick stop was made a Maligne Lake:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We came across one of our many black bear sightings on the way out of the lake. This gal had her three cubs with her:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

We retired to the hotel after that, where the wife got some nifty sunset photos:
Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Sara L.: Canada 2013 &emdash;

Videos from the day

On to Saturday!

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