Heather's Adventures 2015: Kananaskis Ab. Peter Lougheed Park. Boulton Creek Campground June 21-26/2015

Boulton Creek Kananaskis

If we are going camping to one site for more than 3 days, we need a shower!!!!!

Ruth and I decided this year we were going to save a bit on the expenses and stay local..
After all we live in a very beautiful part of this world..Staying local is not a hardship..

So for our first trip out we decided on June hoping there would be no floods this year...
It's enough in this country, camping, it must be later June as we could get snow!!!

Especially in Kananaskis country...and true to form our first morning was only 5 degrees!
We had both packed extra blankets but even I admit I was chilly. I am always the hot one, my very own furnace, and I woke several times trying to get warm. In fact I remembered sometime in the night I had forgotten to take Oliver's blanket out of the van...I got up and searched for it...It made the difference. The van does have a furnace but Heather with her hangups concerning propane I can't use it unless I'm awake....Yes I know the fridge is running so there is no logic to my thinking......We didn't freeze!

We were camped in Boulton Creek campground loop A site 6. A nice site as it is on the outside of the loop with this very steep hill behind us with Boulton Creek below...
Very private, lots of space between sites....and June is not a busy season, kids still in school...

The first thing we do is
set up camp.

We set up our "Ikea" sails over the picnic table...Forecast was for warm weather and some
thunderstorms Tuesday.

Honestly, I don't know why we do set up camp.
We always end up cooking and eating in the van.
It is so comfortable in there. We have the
mosquito coils going in the doorway and have
been very successful keeping out all the varmits.
Doors are open, breeze coming in and comfy
lounge chairs to sit in.....
Yrs. ago we cooked, washed dishes etc. outside,
but now it's just tooo comfy inside.

We ended up being the only tenants in the A loop as we had a young grizzly visitor roaming the campground. I was so impressed with the staff of the campground and parks members, they constantly toured to ensure our safety. The often came into site to ensure we knew the rules, if they knew where he was they let us know. All tenters were asked to leave, not sure if they went to another campground or home????
At one evg. ranger came through our site with a paint guy and spotted the bear down in the creek. He explained their attempts were to scare him enough maybe bruise his butt to show him campgrounds and people were not so pleasant......

II often wonder how many millions of people have taken this shot of Upper Kananaskis
Lake? I know I have another somewhere with the family and wee kids sitting on the rocks in front of the lake. long time ago. Ruth and I were shocked though how low the water levels were in all the lakes in the area. When asked the staff said they were preparing for the flood control??? I have never seen it as low as it was and this is after the spring runoff.....Branches of the lower lakes were dry, completely dry.

Curious little fellow.....did all his travelling underground beneath the rocks.

Our first walk was around the dam and on the south side the lake.

Hard chilly winds coming off the lake, no storm clouds but still chilly.

My Twin Flowers, just emerging..

After our walk on the opposite side of the lake (you can see in photo) we sat in van, I had a cup of tea and we watched the clouds roll in and out...So peaceful we did that most days...It was our Timmy's! and excellent waste of time....One of the highlights of the trip.

Always take some time in your life to lay on your back (or sit in the van in the rain) and find shapes in the clouds. It's important.

Can almost hear the thunder rolling across the lake. I love thunderstorms, as long as I am safe.

Our second day we toured around the area, checking out campsites that I hadn't seen for years. My favorite was always Interlakes just tucked in between Upper and Lower lakes. no services but beautiful sites especially against the water. We found Lower lakes also very nice. Loop B has views of water. No facilities again but I'm checking to see if they allow access to Boulton Creek showers. tokens???
Again in the afternoon we headed back to Upper Lakes for our afternoon tea.
The thunderclouds produced some rain, some sun, some thunder. I love thunderstorms safe in the van.

Break in the weather in the afternoon so we headed to the north side of the lake to Sarrall Falls after lunch 1.2 K. nice walk in the trees out of the wind coming off the cold water.
There is a further walk I think 7.2 K to Rawson Lake, but due to flood of 2013 bridges have been washed out and path worn away....Not good for Heather. and her height restrictions.

Are you coming?
Yup, just one more shot!

Gold in them there hills or streams!

Sarrall Falls Upper Lake

Rain reappeared on our way back to van, but in the trees we were very sheltered from wind and rain.

We could see clouds rolling in again on our way back to van.
every break in trees we stopped to watch.

Always a breeze above

the mountain tips.

We thought these leaves looked like little green butterfly's all throughout the groundcover.
Magical !

This fellow had a story, his owner started out on hike to Rawson lake with him, no leash and no collar. When Ruth and I were about half way to the falls (an hour later) he came racing back down trail alone and in a panic looking for his owner.

There was no stopping him he was so focused on locating his owner.
When we arrived back about and hour later he was still wandering the parking lot, and around his truck. No owner in sight! Lots of people were trying to calm him. I noticed a bed, food, water in back of truck so lowered the tail gate and helped him up. Rangers were aware and were going to keep an eye on him until owner returned.
He was saying thanks Heather.

Ptarmigan Cirque Highwood Pass Kananaskis

Ptarmigan Cirque Highway 40 Highwood Pass

The hike is up this hill (looks much smaller than it is!) and all around the bowl in this gap.

Who knew this was even there....Full of wildflowers and larch trees. 5.6 K loop with a
230 M = 700 ft. elevation gain! Took us 4 hours round trip...
Upper altitude is 2438 M = 8000 ft.
Calgary altitude is 1048 M = 3048 ft.

I foolishly thought "look steps, this won't be to bad")

Highway 40 Highwood Pass
The highest paved highway in Canada

Indian Paintbrush..

Finally out of the trees into the meadow...the cirque.

A bit of a tease, because you are still climbing !

Look at Willow waaayyy down there....

The bowl, first glimpse

How majestic, Storm Mtn. glows
(See the return path?)

Ruth and I often are in our own thoughts and space when on these hikes. I stop and take photos and she gets ahead of me then visa versa...We do try to keep within sight of each other. If we see something special we both let the other know, not to miss it..

Can't get enough of this view with the clouds sweeping over the top and the clear light.
I believe this might be called Storm Mountain.

You can hike up into the cirque, there are plenty of fossils to see, we (or I) decided this was far enough for my first trip. Ruth had been there quite a few yrs. ago with Tony.
We promise ourselves another trip.

Of course my Rocky Mtn. Heather is in it's prime.

The Cirque

As my eyes are bad this year it was Ruth that spotted these guys. They are Columbian Ground Squirrels. This fellow posed for quite a while so I could find him in the zoom!

Forget me Nots

OK didn't see this coming.....Rocky Hill coming up Oh Oh!

Heather in abundance!

White Dryads

Back to the hill!

Ruth is trudging ahead with no comments...Hoping I'm following..
and yes looking at it now, doesn't look as bad .....
My knees went numb, broke out in sweat, crawled the last mile.
But no tears....I made it!