A few weeks ago, I was meant to have been racing the 5 Peaks trail half marathon in Canmore but of course, as with all other races, it was cancelled several weeks ago. We had already reserved a camping spot at the Tunnel Mountain Campground in Banff, and with Andy having already missed a couple of camping trips this year, we had no intentions of cancelling. Besides, we had also purchased some new camping gear, and we were both pretty keen to try things out.
We arrived in Banff on the Thursday afternoon and were very happy with our pitch. It was spacious with a decent grassy area where we could pitch the tent and allow the pups somewhere comfy to settle down, and it backed onto the forest rather than having other campers peering at us from all angles.
Once we were all set up, Andy lit the campfire and got to try out his new iron-cast Dutch Oven which cooked our steak, sweetcorn and baked potatoes to perfection! With the sunset being shortly after 8pm, it was dark by the time everything was fully cooked and we sat outside our tent devouring our freshly cooked food beneath a star lit sky. With no light pollution from nearby cities, the sky that night truly was beautiful and we were treated to perfect views of the Milky Way in its splendid glory whilst satellites moved through the dark the sky above. Both Andy and I enjoy doing amateur photography and we were so glad that we had brought the fancy camera with us and were able to capture some shots of the Milky Way in the early hours of the morning.
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I downed a bowl of porridge and a strong cup of tea and then headed off to meet my good friend Dennene for another day of mountain adventures. Today we would be tackling Grotto Mountain so that I could complete the Canmore Triple Crown ( we did Ha Ling and EEOR a week or so ago), and Dee would be completing the quad having done Lady Mac earlier in the year.
We decided to do a warm up on nearby Tunnel Mountain and we found ourselves power hiking to the summit with a hot cup of coffee before jogging back down to the car. This little mountain is just under 5k up and down with around 900 ft of ascent - nothing too strenuous and a great little warm up for what was to come.
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Tunnel Mtn summit - photo thanks to Dennene |
With the Lady MacDonald trail being closed due to nearby blasting, Grotto Mountain was the alternative peak that would count towards the Triple Crown. Neither of us had been here before, but the past week or so, we had both been researching the route and I had read a few reviews to prepare myself for what seemed to be a steep, arduous climb to the summit which involved some minor scrambling and some ridge walking.
Based on the reviews and the research I had done, I decided to purchase some poles for the first time ever. My quads had taken such a battering in the past few weeks with all the mountain descents that I really didn't want another week of coming down stairs sideways, or dreading sitting down on the loo!
This mountain was a toughie! From the getgo, we climbed steeply until we reached the tree line and whilst the terrain at this point wasn't quite as rocky as EEOR, it was still dry and slippery as we made our way up the mountainside. the weather that day was in the high 20s with full sunshine and beautiful blue skies, and we were treated to some fantastic views of Canmore and the surrounding peaks which got even more dramatic the higher we climbed.
As we started to climb above the tree line to the ridge, things got much more rocky but the trail was good and we made steady progress. At one point, a wild Big Horned Sheep came sauntering by and stood watching up for a few minutes as we scrambled our way over the rocks. I always love to see wildlife in its natural environment and it was great to see this dude high up on a mountain side instead of along the curbside of the roads where I have spotted them in the past.
After several photo stops and many oohs and aaahhs, we reached the ridge and were greeted with a pretty sheer cliff face on the other side. The views though were incredible, and despite a shaky leg moment, I managed to get some pictures before we continued along the ridge to the summit.
Heading back down the mountain was even worse than the climb. We've had no rain in what seems like ages, everything was so dry and dusty, and it made the descent more difficult due to the steep gradient. A couple of times I slipped and fell, even with the poles, and my ankle and elbows took a bit of a bruising but thankfully nothing too serious. In all fairness, whilst the poles were helpful in protecting the quads this time, I also think they caused me to fall. I'm used to using my arms to keep me balanced, but this time I had poles to contend with and not being used to them, my centre of balance was thrown off a little - I guess I'll just have to climb more mountains to get used to the them :)
We completed Grotto Mountain in around 3 and a half hours, returning to the car sweaty, dusty, thirsty but very happy at having another new summit under our belts. Next stop was the Georgetown Inn where we would claim our Triple Crown pint glass and get some food inside of us before Dee dropped me off back at the campground.
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Photo credit Dennene - celebratory beer for Canmore Triple Crown :) |
After another great night under the stars and a much better night's sleep, I was once again up early on Saturday morning, this time to meet a couple of friends - Julie and Heidi - who were doing their virtual Boston Marathon on the Legacy Trail from Canmore to Banff and back. I had planned to meet them in Banff and join them for the second half back to Canmore, and hopefully provide some encouragement for them along the way.
Being on paved trails, I knew this would be a faster paced run, and no sooner had Andy dropped me off at the bottom of Tunnel Mountain Road that I saw Julie speeding along and moving extremely well. I'd only been awake for an hour and as I settled in to run alongside her, I was already gasping for air and wondering how on earth I'd be able to keep this up for 15 miles or so, especially after yesterday's climbs which had resulted in slightly achy and tired legs.
Thankfully, I soon got into the groove, and as we hit the main trail alongside the highway, I felt more settled into a decent pace.
It was a beautifully sunny morning again and the mountains looked splendid as we ran along. I was certainly distracted by them and occasionally found myself speeding up a little too much and pulling away. It was also starting to warm up a bit, and I was thankful that I was running with my backpack so I could at least grab a quick drink as we sped along.
Although the weather was bright, a haze had started to move in - a result of the wildfires burning south of the border in the US, and which would get progressively worse as the day wore on. Julie was running well and keeping a solid pace, only occasionally dropping back but soon catching me again. The Legacy Trail is deceptively undulating and certainly is not flat, and after yesterday's adventures, those rollers were certainly starting to affect my legs.
The time was passing quickly, and before we knew it, we left the national park boundary and were into the last 5km back into Canmore. The trail was starting to get more busy as the morning wore on, but thankfully it was clear enough to allow a fast, strong finish to the line where a contingent of supporters were waiting to cheer in both Julie and Heidi.
After the finish line celebrations, Dee and I set off for a power walk up to the dog park at Grassi Lakes where I would be meeting Andy with the pups. We had a good chat as we went along, time passing easily in each other's company as we arrived at precisely the same time as Andy was pulling into the parking lot. Dee went off to do her own thing after that, whilst we took the pups for a good hour's walk and a bit of swim in the lake. The pups were happy, we were happy, and so we headed back to the campground for another great evening under the stars.
Come Sunday morning, the smoke had well and truly moved in although it appeared to be hovering at higher elevations rather than in the valley. I had planned to hike up Sulphur Mountain today with the pups but with the smoke, the views were likely to be far less stunning that normal. Andy drove us to the foot of the gondola where the trail head starts, and I set off up the mountainside with three little pups.
The trail seemed busier today than at the height of the summer tourist season, and I was surprised at the number of people hiking up the mountain. We made good progress and overtook a few of the groups, and as we climbed higher, the smell of smoke started to become far more prominent. Every so often, I would get dragged left to right and vice versa as the pups spotted squirrels in the trees and tried to give chase - thankfully they were fastened to my waist which gave greater traction for controlling 3 excitable little pups!
As suspected, the views on the way up were covered in smoke, although the top of the peaks peeked through the smoke in places adding a different kind of view which was somewhat intriguing. There were no sheep on the top this time, so the pups and I sat quietly on the summit deck enjoying a nice cup of tea and a biscuit. A couple of people dared to come to close to pet the pups, but they were soon told to back off as the dogs barked like lunatics every time anybody even looked at them!
We made the up and down in less than two and a half hours, the pups contentedly tired from their 10k hike, and so we headed back to the tent for an afternoon of relaxation before I headed out for a proper run later that afternoon.
I had another 6km of running to do so around 5pm, I headed out of the campground for a bit of trail running. I really wanted to head up Tunnel Mountain to catch the sunset, but the smoke by now was pretty bad, the sun barely visible, and besides, that route would likely take me closer to 12k and I didn't really want to overdo things.
I ran the woodland trails which was lovely and peaceful with just the squirrels chattering and birds rustling in the trees. I was so engrossed in looking around me and looking out for wildlife that at one point, I tripped on a tree root and ended up falling to the ground like a huge sack of spuds. My elbow and my right knee - again! - bore the full force of the fall, and yes, there was a wee bit of blood. Feeling a little bruised and sore, I then headed over to the hoodoo trail where I came across a tiny Garter Snake. It didn't move and I wondered if the poor thing had actually been hurt by a mountain biker or something. I was almost tempted to move it but rules say no touchy so I left him be and hoped he moved out of the way of his own accord.
That final night camping in Banff ended up quite chilly and we were once again hoping to catch the night skies, Sadly the smoke had become too thick and dense which was made marginally worse with the campfire smoke drifting closeby, and by the morning as we headed back home, the mountain peaks were well and truly hidden. As we passed through Canmore, I looked up to where Grotto Mountain stood invisible behind the smoke and I was so grateful that we had climbed that mountain a few days earlier instead of waiting - we had certainly been lucky with the weather on the day!
It had been another awesome little vacation, and I think we can safely say that our entire little family felt refreshed and relaxed as a result. We have no idea when we will next be able to have a holiday like this, especially given that in a few days I will be out of work, but then that's why we treasure these kind of days and make the most of things whilst we can. Time will tell, but for now, we are perfectly happy :)
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