I went for a hike today in Kananaskis Country aka Alberta's Playground. It's a cracking part of the Rockies full of wonderful hikes and views but lower on people because it's not in the National Park where all the emmets go.

We had great if slightly baffling weather. Mostly it was sunny and very pleasant, but for much of the way we walked through a few centimetres of snow. Wherever the sun had been shining looked like summer, in the shade it looked like winter. Which meant that part of the time I got the feeling we were on the edge of Narnia!


We made it to the top of Burstall Pass and finished our lunch just as it started to snow. Which means the only months it hasn't snowed on me since I got here were June and July! Anyway that was the just the excuse I needed to wear my new jacket..


The snow didn't last long and as Blowers would doubtless have said, if he hadn't been at Lord's (get in England!!), it was shirt sleeve order when we got back to the carpark. First home was Ed who is a bit of legend within the Calgary Outdoor Club. Every outing I've done with the club someone talks about him but this was the first time I had met him. This was his 103rd trip with the club and he's a tireless hiker. Not too shabby for 85 years old!! At the top of the pass he continued on to find the geocache whose co-ordinates he had downloaded off the internet. He returned a little while later with proof that he was the first person to find it! Not only that but he was just back from completing the gruelling 75km West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. He said it was good fun but he wouldn't do it again. "Maybe if I was 20 years younger" he added. Dude - if I can do the West Coast Trail when I'm 65 I will be chuffed to bits. Nuff, and indeed, respect.