A Walking Report 11

Dear Reader (2020-08-03),
Today’s Report covers 3 walks.  Two of those walks were short but notable.

Thursday July 16 – Inglewood Bird Sanctuary <> 2.5 km
A couple of months ago I purchased a new phone (Motorola Vision One) to replace my Samsung Note 4, which still works most of the time.  Though the phone had passed the inadvertent drop test multiple, it was beginning to suffer from too many kicks to the head.  After much procrastination, I finally changed SIM cards.  The new phone is simpler and still does the few things I want a phone to do.  Now I had a shiny new phone that I didn’t know how to use.  This walk was all about learning how to use the phone well enough for my immediate purpose.  I learned enough  – success.

Wednesday July 22 – Wedge Pond < 2.0 km
On an earlier drive I had checked this trail to see if it was an appropriate introductory trail.  April and I drive out to the parking lot where we me meet 2 friends (R&G).  There are all sorts of wildflowers to look at.  I am only wearing sandals on my feet.  I have no camera around my neck, and the daypack is in the car.  My whole body feels light and airy as we saunter around the pond babbling about absolutely nothing of consequence.  After the walk, we drive to the Kananaskis Golf Course ,where we have a beer and lunch, on the patio overlooking the golf course with Mt. Kidd in the background.  The whole outing is delightful.  The walk is a success, and there is agreement that a longer walk would be nice.

Sunday July 19 – South Buller Pass < 18.5  km – out and back – with Michelle+, Liz +
Stupid o’clock comes early.  I enjoy having the gravel road of the Smith-Dorian nearly all to myself.   Michelle, Cathy, Liz and Miss Kitty are all waiting for me when I arrive around 8:15.  Aside: the outhouse is at the second parking lot.  The first parking lot is the one closest to the trailhead.  After the normal pre-hike rituals, we cross the road and begin one of the most varied walks so far.  The trail is initially a combination of easy to moderate walking through a dry forest, past a waterfall, through a couple of burn areas, across a meadow or two, and then we slowly transition into the alpine.  Just before the base of the scree, Liz decides to admire the pass from a distance.  The trail is no longer moderate, and it becomes a great huffing and puffing fest.  The weather has started to turn which adds both drama to the scene and a degree of apprehension.   The marmots (09) don’t care whether we come or go.

The view from the pass is spectacular.  Looking to the south east, less than a 3 km hike away, there is Ribbon Lake, which feeds into Ribbon Creek via the waterfall of the same name. Looking to the north west (14) is both the way we came up and the way back. Today’s collection of images is as varied as the trail.  There is everything from postcards (05,  06), flowers (01 – 03), additions to both the “Water Works” (04) and “Land Mass” (11,12) series, and ones that may have a home later (07, 08, 10).

Comments are always sought and welcome.

Cheers, Sean

All rights for all material on any media reserved – © Sean P Drysdale 2020