Let’s Pretend, Ass-Kicking, Hiking Burstal Pass and DIY Ziplock Bag Winter Boots!

Published by on July 10, 2012July 10, 2012

Let’s pretend that my last post wasn’t dated in March! Let’s just pretend I’ve been here all along blogging away. I’ve been busy, but no busier than usual.

In fact with skiing over (sort of), life has actually slowed down some. I’m trying to keep the kids active and get myself in shape for some backpacking by doing some ‘in-city’ hikes.

The lovely Edmonton (and when I say, “lovely”, I’m not being sarcastic, I LOVE Etown!), has 48 km of continuous river valley hiking trails. Sometimes I forget I’m in the city. NICE!

I try to climb these stairs a few times per week. I’m much more successful at stair climbing than I am at blogging. Last year a short, but elevation filled hike kicked my ass, and I vowed to be in better shape this year.

This year on similar hikes (thank you stairs), I’m the one doing the ass-kicking, REALLY! I have to say, I prefer doing the kicking, but that’s probably a given, yes? Anyone out there who prefers having their ass-kicked don’t comment here! REALLY don’t, I don’t want to know.

Here are some shots from a recent hike to Burstal Pass. Please forgive the photography, they were taken with my iPhone, mostly because I’m too lazy to carry my ‘good’ camera all the way up there.

Hike starts out on an old logging road. It’s bikeable to about km 3.5.

Look Ma, a boulder!

After about 3.5 km the trail narrows. You’ll need to park your bikes and walk from here. There are bike racks provided.

At about Km 4, you come out of the wooded trail and have to cross a river plain. This is the whole gang. We’ll eventually end up in the pass between the two mountains on the left.

We kind of had to pick and zigzag through the river plain, it was a bit wet.

Careful!

It was quite wet …

Make that really wet!

Thanks to my 20 year old Raichle all leather hiking boots I waded through that and still had dry feet!

Then the fun began, and we started to climb, and climb, through the Kumba Ice Fields …

That’s a bit of an exaggeration! This was no Everest summit push, but that was more snow than we expected in late June!

There were no ropes and ladders like Kumba, but you still needed to hang on to your dad …

… because it was a long way to slide!

I wasn’t going to help her up! Just being honest!

Some folks wore sandals!

And luckily those folks have aunties who carry extra Ziplock bags in their backpacks! Ziplock bags are 2nd only to Duct Tape!

Once the Ziplock bags had been MacGyvered into winter boots we kept going … UP!

And when we reached our destination we stopped for lunch with a scenic view …

Did a little animal tracking. It was probably a big dog, but it was more exciting to think it was a wolf.

A snow-cowboy was made …

Proof was gathered to answer the age old question, “do bears shit in the woods?”

YES!

And then we turned around and headed ALL THE WAY BACK to the car! Just 0.5 km from the parking lot … this gem! I could have been happy with this but NO we had to go UP!

All in all … a great hike!

Talk to you soon! Probably!

MK xo