Hiking in Waterton Lakes National Park: Tamarack Trail - Day 3 of 3.

Ok, we lucked out on the weather the first two days but we woke up to heavy cloud cover in the morning of Day 3. It looked like the sky was going to open up and pour on us as we started up the steep hill behind Lone Lake.

The final day of the trek just rocked. Two major undulations faced us: first climb over the eastern shoulder of Festebert Mountain and then gain the lofty heights of Lineham Ridge. Not straightforward as it seemed though.

After conquering Festebert, we plunged (depressingly) back down into the forest for a couple of hours. Always following the rockwall demarcating the continental divide to the west, towards the head of a valley.

Fields of flowers.

Nearing the head of the valley, BTOG finally emerged from the forest!!

Surrounded by sheer walls of rock blocking our way, the trail made a U-turn. We could see the feint line of a trail on the far scree slope. That must be the way!!!

No way but up, to Lineham Ridge. Slowly, slowly... The massive U-turn took us almost all the way back even with Festebert Mountain on the other side of the valley.

Where there's dirt, there's life (hanging on). Alpine flowers growing on the scree slopes of Lineham Ridge.

The valley we've been hiking through the whole morning... In the background are the majestic mountains of Super Natural BC. The rock wall in the middle ground represents the Alberta/BC border. Festeburt Mountain is the square topped mountain to the far right. We started the day climbing over the pass to the right of Festebert...

Mind blowing panoramic view once we gained the ridge...

On the other side (to the north east), was a great view of Lineham Lakes.

BTOG hoping he won't be blown into the next valley.

Walking southeast along the ridge, gaining more altitude...

Looking back... Lineham Lakes visible just over the edge to the right...

Highest point on the ridge (2514 m). The multi-tiered Rowe Lakes are below, directly ahead in the next valley.

A different look at the Lineham Lakes to the north east.

The continuation of the ridge walk to the southeast.


Getting closer to the three Rowe Lakes. It was all an optical illusion because the trail would make a switchback and take us to back a point under the ridge summit. One of the craziest trails I've ever hiked I'm telling you.

Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) grazing by the trail.

The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is the provincial mammal of Alberta... I did not know that...

Nearly all the way down to the floor of the Rowe Lakes valley. This was the summit of Lineham Ridge.

Looking southwest towards Rowe Lakes and the Akamina Highway.

Phew! Made it down to the valley floor. You're looking at the Lineham Ridge summit directly ahead. Pretty good workout either way from north or south. From here the trail to the Akamina parking lot was a highway: wide, sidewalk-like, and thankfully downhill. Final day distance was 17.9 km. Estimated (park warden-suggested) time: 5.5 hrs. Actual time: 11.5 hrs. Yes, we were either really slow or park wardens are really fast...

FAQs.

Q: How would you plan on completing the circuit?

A: The Tamarack trail does not form a true circuit. If you don't have a vehicle, you'll have to hitch to either trail head and back to town afterward. Traffic to either trail head seemed pretty good in the summer time. Getting a hitch shouldn't be a problem... Not sure during spring or fall though.

Q: Should I hike the Tamarack trail clockwise or counterclockwise?

A: If hiking in the clockwise direction, prepare for a really, really tough first day from the Akamina Highway to Lone Lake. If you're driving in from Calgary and hiking first day, you're in for a late late finish. Better idea would be to camp out by the trail head the night before. We walked in the opposite direction. It was logistically better for us. Easier couple of days of hiking before monster Day 3. Plus, we could got back to Calgary at a decent hour (midnight, ugh).

Q: Did you see any bears?

A: No and yes. No, not out on the trail. Yes, on the side of the road. On the way out of the park, we (with dozens of fellow park visitors) saw:

a black bear (Ursus americanus) AND... a couple of kilometers down the road,

a grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)...

Q: Which segment of the hike would you recommend I do if I don't have three days of time...

A: I would probably recommend the hike up to Lineham Ridge via Rowe Lakes as a day trip. If you are a robo-hiker, you can do the whole circuit in 2 days. We bumped into 2 women who did this (in the counterclockwise direction).

Q: Why do your panorama pics look weird?

A: Thanx for asking... the answer is general photographic incompetence on my part...stemming from lack of an up to date version of photoshop (above CS2), a camera set to aperature priority and auto white balance... Still not a bad attempt I must say. Feel free to click on each panorama to get the "imax" feel...

Q: What were the exact dates you hiked the Tamarack Trail.

A: We hiked from August 15 to 17th, 2010.

Hiking in Waterton Lakes National Park: The Tamarack Trail - Day 2 of 3

The water supply behind the Snowshoe campground. Someone should really bottle this water and sell it for big bucks... Strike that last thought. Lets just leave it alone and not wreck the ambiance.

Snowshoe Wardens' Cabin. Apparently there are only 2 such backcountry cabins in Waterton. What a shame... As an aside, didn't get much sleep the night before. I think it was just too quiet out here. That's the pathetic city boy in me speaking...weak. Anyways, that's the BTOG stretching the ol' legs before setting off on Day 2 festivities. (photo courtesy of Khalid)

Beyond Shoeshoe, the fire road ends and the single track steadily climbed through the forest towards the Twin Lakes.

As we got closer to Twin Lakes, a rather imposing rockwall loomed ahead...

It took us about 1.75 hrs. to reach Upper Twin Lake. From here the trail would take a sharp turn southward towards Rowe Lakes. The impressive rock wall in the background represents the Great Continental Divide or the Alberta/BC border. The rock wall would be our constant companion until Rowe Lakes.

Just around the corner was Lower Twin Lake...(photo courtesy of Khalid).

Lower Twin Lake...

Steep switchbacks took us high above Lower Twin Lakes and towards the first pass on the trail. Tamarack trees were beginning to make their first appearance...

On the pass summit, we spotted a unnamed lake down in the Peck's Basin. From here the trail plunged down into the next valley.

Twenty minutes later, we were having a snack on the shores of that unnamed lake...

From the unnamed lake, we contoured around the next mountain, catching a glimpse of Blakiston Valley...

Blakiston Valley...

It took forever, at least in my mind, to get to Lone Lake. In actual fact, it took us something like 5.5 hrs to cover ten K from Snowshoe Cabin... The undulations (slight as they were) in the landscape just knocked the stuffing out of me. Weak. Lone Lake was a jewel of a lake. So, that certainly took the sting out of any aches and pains my body was experience at the time.

Lone Lake Cabin.

I'll leave you with this pic of sunset over Lone Lake. I experimented with a set of Galen Rowell graduated neutral density filters. I like the effect. Very nice.

Hiking in Waterton Lakes National Park: The Tamarack Trail - Day 1 of 3...

Red Rock Canyon, Waterton National Park...on the way to the Tamarack Trail.

Hope everyone is having a great summer.

Just came back from Waterton Lakes National Park where I hiked the breathtaking Tamarack Trail with my friend Khalid.

The Snowshoe Trail Head. By the way, the entire trail was asphalt surfaced. Just kidding. The objective on the first day was to hike 8.5 km along Bauerman Creek to Snowshoe campground.

The first day was an easy, relaxing walk in the forest. The relatively flat trail was actually an old forestry fire road. Twin tracks! So, we were able to spend most of the time engaged in lively discussion over world affairs...how cultured...

A lot of people find forest hikes boring. I really don't understand why. Lots of beautiful flora and fauna around to keep us photographers happy. Especially these pretty pink flowers. If you're really lucky you might have a random encounter with a bear!! Wouldn't that be grand?

Rather bizarre looking fluffy plants... photo courtesy of Khalid

Sacrificing life and limb...(Photo courtesy of Khalid)

...for a pic of these puff ball-like fungi!!

Pretty butterfly/moth...(Photo courtesy of Khalid)

Pretty yellow flower...

Occasionally, there were pretty waterfalls along the way...

...and glimpses of spectacular crags.

After a 4.5 hour stroll, we reached the Snowshoe campground.

The Nuts and Bolts of the Tamarack Trail...

Source: Parks Canada

The Tamarack Trail is actually a combination of three trails: Twin Lakes/Kootenay Pass to the north and Rowe Lakes to the south.

We decided to walk the "loop" counterclockwise: beginning at Red Rock Canyon (refer to A on the above map), camping at the Snowshoe (B) and Lone Lake (C), and finishing at the Rowe Lakes parking lot beside the Akamina Highway.

DIY Pharmacy...Or, Please Make Me Come Over There And Count My Own Pills...

Clematis

Had this conversation with my local pharmacist the other day.

[I, BTOG, just handed over my prescription]

Mr. Pharmacist: So, do you find yourself going through a lot of this stuff?

BTOG: Well, I have good days and I have bad days [regarding usage]... Why? Is there a problem that I should know about?

Mr. Pharmacist: Skin cancer.

BTOG: I beg your pardon...did you say cancer?

Mr. Pharmacist: Yah, skin cancer is a possible side effect...

BTOG [clearly startled]: Wow, I didn't know that. What are the chances of me coming down with skin cancer?

Mr. Pharmacist: I don't know. This whole business about side effects is very complicated. There are many variables involved. I don't have time to explain it.

BTOG: Are there other effects I should know about?

Mr. Pharmacist: What I'd suggest you do is google the drug's name. There are quite a few websites that will give you more info on the drug and possible side effects.

Postscript: Suffice to say, I was blown away by his suggestion to google it. So, I went home and googled several influential online pharmacy sources for drug info. Skin cancer was not mentioned as a side effect...hmmm.

Of Bikes And Guns...Or, The Best Bike Touring Idea Ever.

Oh, how I miss the alpine meadows of Kootenay National Park...

I've been thinking of the next trip for a long, long, long time. Maybe too long.

With any trip, you can only prepare so much beforehand. There's just too much to know. In the end of the day, the most important facts to know are visa requirements and where to get them. With that knowledge, anything is possible.

Having said that, in my never ending research, I think I've overindulged a bit in surveying the various on-line bike touring forums.

Case in point, I came across this unique post in Bikeforums:

Anyone tour with a shotgun?

I've been thinking about bringing a shotgun with me on more remote areas or areas with lots of bears. Call me crazy but I feel a lot better having a 12 gauge slug as a last resort rather than bear spray. My question to you is how to carry it so it's not super obvious but not inaccessible? I thought of putting a shotgun scabbard on my front rack (it's a Surly Nice Rack) because there's plenty of rail there to attach it to and it's handy to grab in an emergency. Anyone done anything like this? Any ideas? tips? I know it's not as big a deal in the US but here in Canada even a lot of cops think anyone with a gun is a crook so I'm keen on tips involving discretion within towns. Kind of surprised more covert cases aren't available...

Wow. I was flabbergasted to say the least. I think the poster has mistaken a bike rack for one that belongs in the rear window of a pick up truck.

To each their own perhaps.

In the meantime, I need to embark on my own journey soon.

Very soon.

Calling occupants of interplanetary most extraordinary craft AKA Carl Sagan FT. Stephen Hawking...

Regular viewers of BTOG are familiar with my obsession for astrophysics (observational and/or theoretical).

No doubt concepts describing black holes, dark matter, superstring theory, cosmology, etc. are indeed fascinating yet mindbogglingly abstract and necessarily overtaxing on the ol' gray matter.

Today's video of the day, a rare jam session between my two of my boyhood heroes (former American astronomer, exobiologist, cosmologist, 1970's TV superstar host/guru Carl Sagan, and the illustrious Theoretical Physicist, former longtime Lucasian Professor of Mathematics (Cambridge), Research Chair at the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics, best-selling author Stephen Hawking) is meant to illuminate and elucidate any concerns or confusion you might have with regard to these concepts.

As always, here at BTOG, we make continuing education a priority.

Video Tribute To The FIFA World Cup 2010

Been watching a lot of World Cup soccer lately and thought I'd post this video as a tribute to the "beautiful" game. Be sure to watch in full screen and HD mode...

Hope everyone's having a great summer!!

2010 NHL Stanley Cup Final Prediction...Finally.

"March Towards Eternity" or "More Reasons to Hate the Western World"... Pic would make a good Far Side cartoon...

Wouldn't it be nice if they fit the entire NHL regular season into the time it takes to play its playoffs (in a couple of months?) and then have the top two teams play for the Stanley Cup in a best of seven series?

Wishful thinking on my part...but it would improve the on-ice product immensely. Guaranteed.

I'll get my head out of the clouds and make this year's most important (gag) and final (yeah!) prediction.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Chicago Blackhawks...

Enough of the media hype: Captains Richards vs. Toews, Monsters Byfuglien vs Pronger, etc.

I'm up to here (my hand is one metre above my head) with the hype.

Weeks ago the prognostication for a series match up like this one would have been a no brainer. In essence it still is but for the fact that the Flyers steamrolled my beloved Habs. Damn the Flyers and damn Bobby Clarke and I may as well damn Bernie Parent (dunno why) for good measure.

Clearly, with the likes of Briere, Gagne, Richards, and Giroux they have the depth of talent to take on the Hawks. Plus, they're riding the coat tails of a pretty hot goalie.

Having said that, the Hawks still have the edge in talent. They just have too much speed, scoring, defense, and Jonathan Toews.

The Hawks have not had an exemplary record at Home.

For this reasons, it will be a closer series.

Henceforth, I predict the demise of the phenomenally fortunate Philly Flyers.

Blackhawks in 6.

2010 NHL Stanley Cup Semi-finals Ultimate Guide...

To humour BTOG's non-hockey fans, I give you this week's photo of note of a young Hamer girl at the Turme market in the Omo valley (Ethiopia) posing for two, two, two Birr. Where did she get those seashells for her necklaces???

I'm not the one who toots his own horn too often but I'll take a moment to point out that I've accumulated an outstanding prediction accuracy rate of .750 through the first two rounds of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not bad for a self professed part-time hockey observer.

I take great pride in predicting the demise of the Boston Bruins and the Penguins of Pittsburgh of all teams. I was a little nervous after the Flyers spotted the Bruins a 3-0 games lead to start that series only to come back from that deficit with a historical 4 game winning streak. I was pretty sure history was to made in that series.

I should get these 3rd round predictions off my chest...

San Jose Sharks vs the Blackhawks of Chicago...

I predict the demise of the Sharks who will finally fold like a house of cards this round. Where have I heard that before?

I'm surprised they are still in the hunt. I'm most surprised by the play of Joe "no longer chillaxin'" Thornton. I've never seen him show such urgency as I did in the series with the Wings. Scary stuff...

Even with Joe Thornton on the warpath, it won't be enough to derail the very talented Blackhawks.

It's going to be a close series though. The only chink in the Blackhawk's armour is their goaltending which seems to be a bit shaky at times.

Hence, my prediction is:

Blackhawks in 7 or much earlier if San Jose folds like a house of cards.

Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers...

Hey look what the cat dragged in...two teams that weren't supposed to be here at this stage of the season.

The Canadiens have been a miracle on ice for the last two rounds, knocking off the Cup favourites (Washington Caps) and then the defending Cup champs (Pittsburgh).

In this round, they are in tough against the Broad Street Bullies. They're bigger and play a much more physical brand of hockey than any team the Habs have dealt with so far.

But in my books, you have to first catch up to a speedy smurf before you can drill him into the boards.

That's the only come back I have...

Keys to the series: the Habs have to shut down Flyers' Richards, Briere, Giroux, and Gagne. Hab's goalie Halak must stand on his head again and again...it's like a broken record, eh?

If the Habs stick with their total team concept, I predict:

Habs in 7 (maybe 6, but Habs win nonetheless).

So there you have it. I predict an All Original Six Stanley Cup Final.

Mirror, Mirror...in the Cabinet?

Most BTOG readers are familiar with my escapades in wedding videography.

I try my damnedest to be the best videographer in the business. Really I do.

It's a very difficult and challenging profession fraught with thrills of victory and agonies of defeat...

Pertaining to the latter, I cringe whenever I receive an email from my editor (who makes me look really good 99 percent of the time) with a subject line like "Man I hate mirrors..." and a photo attachment.


Doh! Usually I spot all the mirrors.