Grizzly Ultra (Relay)

We were thinking of running the Grizzly Ultra solo, but with the 66+cm that fell in Canmore the previous week (over two days...!!), we were nervous about the trail conditions and decided to do a 2-person relay. The route was altered due to the snowfall and was split up as follows:

New Leg 1 = Old Leg 1 - Grey Wolf - 13km - Elevation 144m (Claire)
New Leg 2 = Old Leg 1 - Grey Wolf - 13km - Elevation 144m (Lisa)
New Leg 3 = Old Leg 2 - Cougar - 12km - Elevation 264m (Claire)
New Leg 4 = Old Leg 5 - Coyote -5km - Elevation 153m (Lisa)
New Leg 5 = Old Leg 5 - Coyote -5km - Elevation 153m (Lisa)

With the stadium moving farther away this year (to avoid mud/snow in the field), the race was still 50km long (~500m added to each leg to run to the parking lot). We came in first in the all-woman 2-person relay!! (Claire carrying the team of course! The 7/123 is our overall standing - accounting for all-men and co-ed teams as well) I had an incredible time running the alternating legs, it was so much fun. I can't wait to do it again, or tackle a full ultra on my own.... maybe. And I will train next time! (I keep saying this...)

I have to write this down to remind myself to fuel better for next time, but I had some killer calf cramps running the final leg. MORE ELECTROLYTES! MORE WATER! They matter!!

Grey Wolf (Legs 1 & 2):

Cougar (Leg 3):

Coyote (Legs 4 & 5):

Canmore Half Marathon

Third half marathon. The Canmore half is becoming a tradition.. Next time I should NOT hike Mount Tyrwhitt the day before. And I will train!

I ran this back in 2015.

Mount Lady Macdonald ii

Trip #3:
Crew: Ben
Date: March 24, 2018
Click here to see the Lady Mac post

 Looking down at Canmore

Towards Grotto

Ship's Prow

Hike Name: Ship's Prow

Activity: Hiking/Scrambling 

Distance: ~3 km (RT)

Altitude: 2,607 m

Elevation Gain: ~1000 m

Area: Kananaskis (Spray Reservoir)

Crew: Bennett, Steph V, Emma

Time to Summit: 3.5 hours to turn-around point on ridge

Lisa's Mom Rating: No

Trailhead: As soon as you cross the first bridge on the Smith Dorrien coming from Canmore.

Getting There:
From the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1), turn off towards the Nordic Center and continue on this road past the Goat Creek Parking lot and along the Spray Reservoir. Pull over on the left (There is a little parking area) as soon as you cross the canal. 

Additional Info:
We wanted to do a quick hike with Steph and her friend Emma because a few of us had to be back in the city by 5pm. We thought Ship's Prow would be a quick one but due to the bushwhacking and route-finding, it took us 3.5 hours just to reach the ridge! We were expecting a 4 - 4.5 hour day total. We followed a GPS track up the creek/drainage which worked well but it was slow moving as the terrain wasn't easy to mindlessly hike up. It spit us out under the ridge and we had to scramble up and boulder hop up to the ridge. I definitely recommend the other bushwhack route, it might be a little quicker - and it will be a little easier, I think. We came down that way and the bushes were never too, too thick - there was just no trail.

 Ridge Stretches

 3 sisters

 Mount Assiniboine peeking out

Three sisters again

Mount Lawrence Grassi

Hike Name: Mount Lawrence Grassi
Activity: Scrambling

Distance: 10 km (RT)

Altitude: 2,682 m

Elevation Gain: 1000m

Area: Kananaskis (Spray Reservoir)

Crew: Whit

Time to Summit: 2.5 hours

Lisa's Mom Rating: No

Trailhead: Goat Creek Parking Lot

Getting There:

From the town of Canmore, follow the signs toward the Nordic Center. Continue past the Nordic Center towards the Spray Reservoir. Eventually, you will be climbing up a hill on a gravel road that gets pretty dusty. You'll come across a parking lot on the right side of the road called "Goat Creek Day Use Area".

Additional Info:
I named this in the Canmore area because Ha-Ling, Miner's Peak, and EEOR are categorized under Canmore and they all have the same trailhead.

After you go up the hill and cross the reservoir, instead of going up the Ha Ling trail, continue along the reservoir for approximately 20 minutes until you hit a big cairn, you can't miss it. Head up this trail, following the flagging/cairns. The path up is quite obvious. Near the top there is a lot of loose rock on slabs that make balance and sure-footing difficult. 

 Near-summit photo looking South-East

  Looking down the spine

Me just after we passed the treeline 

Squaw's Tit

Hike Name: Squaw's Tit
Activity: Hiking/Scrambling

Distance: 9.2 km (RT)

Altitude: 2,543 m

Elevation Gain: 1219 m

Area: Bow Valley (Canmore)

Crew: Ben

Time to Summit: Unknown (blog created post-hike)

Lisa's Mom Rating: No

Trailhead: Harvie Heights

Getting There:

Head west from Calgary on the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1). Take the exit in Harvie Heights. Continue up into the community until you find an entrance to the trail system.

Additional Info:
Interesting name for a mountain.. Pretty politically incorrect but a really fun hike regardless. There is decent exposure, I was a bit nervous up on the ridge but Ben coaxed me along! We had a fun day. Near the end of our hike, Ben jumped in the stream.. I'll remind you that it's April in Canada... Crazy. We ventured up the stream and found a nice waterfall, then bushwhacked back to the main trail.

Me on the ridge after we finished the scree and started on the ridgewalk

Ben on the ridge

Grotto Mountain

Hike Name: Grotto Mountain
Activity: Hiking/Scrambling

Distance: 8.7 km (RT)

Altitude: 2,725 m

Elevation Gain: 1373 m

Area: Bow Valley (Canmore)

Crew: Mark

Time to Summit: Unknown (blog created post-hike)

Lisa's Mom Rating: Yes

Trailhead: Alpine Club  of Canada, Canmore lower parking lot. 
 Getting There:

Heading West from Calgary on the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1), take the Canmore exit onto the 1A and head back East on the 1A. You will shortly see a sign that says "Indian Flats Road" that goes towards the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC). Turn left off of the 1A onto Indian Flats Road, and continue to the ACC lower parking lot.

Additional Info:
There are two routes up this mountain, we took the ACC route. It is very steep and you gain a lot of elevation, so be ready for a big day!

Mark on the ridge

 Me on the ridge

Miner's Peak

Hike Name: Miner's Peak
Activity: Hiking/Scrambling

Distance: 7 km (RT)

Altitude: 2,450 m

Elevation Gain: ~860m

Area: Bow Valley (Canmore)

Crew: Ben

Time to Summit: 2:00 (Time from car to Ha-Ling was 1:30 to Miner's Peak +0:30)

Lisa's Mom Rating: Yes

Trailhead: Goat Creek Day Use Area

Getting There:

From the town of Canmore, follow the signs toward the Nordic Center. Continue past the Nordic Center towards the Spray Reservoir. Eventually, you will be climbing up a hill on a gravel road that gets pretty dusty. You'll come across a parking lot on the right side of the road called "Goat Creek Day Use Area".

Additional Info:

This is a great hike for the winter time. It is extremely crowded in the summer so it is nice to get some solitude up on Ha-Ling. From Ha-Ling, head East along the ridge and Miner's Peak is technically on the left. There are 3 high points to the right (Called Miner 1, 2, and 3) which are easy to get to as well!

Hitting Miners 1/2/3 after Ha-Ling and Miner's Peak

Canmore Half Marathon

My second half marathon! Definitely could have trained more.... but I was too busy hiking ;)

I ran this again in 2018.

East End of Rundle (EEOR)

Hike Name: East End of Rundle (EEOR)
Activity: Hiking/Scrambling

Distance: 6 km (RT)

Altitude: 2,590 m

Elevation Gain: 900 m

Area: Bow Valley (Canmore)

Crew: Steph and Jeevan

Time to Summit: Unknown (blog created post-hike)

Lisa's Mom Rating: Yes

Trailhead: Goat Creek Parking Lot

Getting There:
From the town of Canmore, follow the signs toward the Nordic Center. Continue past the Nordic Center towards the Spray Reservoir. Eventually, you will be climbing up a hill on a gravel road that gets pretty dusty. You'll come across a parking lot on the right side of the road called "Goat Creek Day Use Area".

Additional Info:
Walk back down the road, towards the direction you just came from. You should find the trail on the left near the second set of power poles. There is not one clear trail but they will all end up in the same place. Just go up.
We did this hike on Canada d'eh. Mostly a steep hike with some rocks but near the top there is a short section in which you will need your hands to skirt around a cliff band.

About half-way up on EEOR

From the summit. We walked around along the ridge and explored for a bit

Mount Lady MacDonald

Hike Name: Mount Lady MacDonald
Activity: Hiking/Scrambling
Distance: 6 km (RT)
Altitude: 2,606 m
Elevation Gain: 1200 m
Area: Bow Valley (Canmore)
Crew: Caitlin and Mom
Time to Summit: Unknown (blog created post-hike)
Lisa's Mom Rating: Yes (until the heli-pad)

Trailhead: Cougar Creek Parking Lot

Getting There:
Heading West on the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1), take the Canmore exit on the right (North), heading to the Silvertip resort. Follow Palliser Trail. Turn left on Benchlands Trail road. Park just before the bridge on the left along Elk Run Boulevard.


Additional Info:
Steep hiking until the heli-pad. Scree from the heli-pad to the ridge. Then there is the infamous knife-edge ridgewalk to the summit.

Trip #2 (2018)

Me and Caitlin on the knife-edge ridge of Lady MacDonald

Ha Ling ii

Trip #2:Crew: Julia and Praveen
Date: July 27, 2014
Time to Summit: Unknown (blog created post-hike)
Click here for the Ha-Ling Post

Ha Ling

Hike Name: Ha Ling
Activity: Hiking/Scrambling
Distance: 6 km (RT)
Altitude: 2,408 m
Elevation Gain: 737m
Area: Bow Valley (Canmore)
Crew: Steph and Jeevan
Time to Summit: Unknown (blog created post-hike)
Lisa's Mom Rating: Yes
Trailhead: Goat Creek Day Use Area

Getting There:

From the town of Canmore, follow the signs toward the Nordic Center. Continue past the Nordic Center towards the Spray Reservoir. Eventually, you will be climbing up a hill on a gravel road that gets pretty dusty. You'll come across a parking lot on the right side of the road called "Goat Creek Day Use Area". Stop your car. Turn off the ignition. Get your hikers on.

Additional Info:
Cross the street and head up the hill. Cross the river and you will see the trail go up through the trees in front of you. From here, you will begin switchbacks and eventually pop up above the tree line with a 10-20 minute hike/scramble left to the top!

Jeevan and Steph on Ha Ling - August 18, 2013

I have done this hike on 3 different occasions.


Trip #2:
Crew: Julia and Praveen
Date: July 27, 2014
Time to Summit: Unknown (blog created post-hike)


Trip #3:
Crew: Ben
Date: January 2, 2016
Time to Summit: 1:30
Continued onto Miner's Peak.


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