July 23, 2018
Ink Pots Trailhead to Helmet Creek Campground
Kootenay National Park
Estimated Time: 4 hours
Distance: 14.3 km
Elevation Gain: 260 m
How To Get There: Heading west from Calgary on the TransCanada Highway, turn left (south) on Hwy 93. There will be signs for Ink Pots and the...
July 9, 2018
Bertha Lake
Waterton Lakes National Park
Time: 4 hours (return)
Distance: 6 km
Elevation Gain: 460 m
How To Get There: In the Waterton townsite, about 500 m past the Cameron Falls, across from the serviced campground on Evergreen Street, the trailhead is well-marked and ea...
August 26, 2017
Shadow Lake Campground to Red Earth Creek Trailhead
Distance: 12.9 km
Elevation Loss: 400 m
Time: 4 hours
My last day of the hike was probably the least exciting but also the longest. Since I couldn’t continue towards Egypt Lake as was my usual plan, I had to exit the back...
August 25, 2017
Twin Lakes Campground to Shadow Lake Campground
Distance: 6.8 km
Elevation Gain: 300 m
Elevation Loss: 400 m
Time: 3 hours
I woke up to the sound of nothing but birds chirping their good morning. That right there is one of the biggest reasons I love to sleep in the backcoun...
August 25, 2017
Vista/Arnica Lake Trailhead to Twin Lakes Campground
Distance: 7.2 km
Elevation Gain: 700 m
Elevation Loss: 280 m
Time: 4 hours
How To Get There: While driving westbound on Highway 1, turn left on Highway 93, heading towards Radium. Drive for about 20 km and keep your eye o...
August 8, 2017
Switchback Campground to Tonquin Valley Trailhead
Distance: 13.6 km
Elevation Loss: 400 m
Elevation Gain: 40 m
Time: 4 hours
Our last day in the mountains had us waking up bright and early, as we wanted to get to the parking lot and back on the road in a decent ti...
August 7, 2017
Amethyst Campground to Switchback Campground
Distance: 6.8 km
Elevation Gain: 150 m
Time: 3 hours
The next day we woke up bright and early to get a quick start on our journey to Switchback campground. It was our last full day being out in the backcountry and we were o...
August 7, 2017
Maccarib Campground to Amethyst Campground
Distance: 3.4 km
Elevation Loss: 50 m
Time: 1 hour
The second day of the trip was much easier and shorter than the first day. I had purposely planned it this way so we could spend the day at the lake and explore the surroundi...
August 6, 2017
Portal Creek Trailhead to Maccarib Campground
Distance: 19.5 km
Elevation Gain: 500 m
Elevation Loss: 100 m
Time: 8 hours
How To Get There: When driving north on Highway 93 towards Jasper Townsite, turn onto Highway 93A. You can start the trail by taking either Ca...
August 26, 2016
To check out Part 2 of this blog, click here!
Tekarra Campground to North Skyline Trailhead
Distance: 13.7 km
Elevation Loss: 1000 m
Time: 3 hours
I woke up at around 7:30 am to cloudy skies and damp air. Though it wasn’t raining, I still tried to pack up quickly, just...