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Expectations vs. reality.

Even the adventures that don’t go as expected always turn into a good story later. Expectations versus reality are entirely two different things, but sometimes the best experiences are the ones you never would never have planned.

Our weekend plan was hiking HaLing at sunrise, three-peat for me, first for Cynthia and first for Colleen, plus some leisure time in beautiful Canmore plus wine obviously plus tequila. We were secretly hoping for cloud inversion, too but what we got instead was a sleet storm in our faces. It was blowing wind so hard we could barely stand. But we did what we set to accomplish despite the unrelenting winds and already difficult terrain, and barely any visibility with 4:57 am started. We jumped on our way down, looking forward to a dip in the hot tub and a glass of vino Tinto at 10 am. Because why not? We did precisely that and napped until supper time.

Sunday’s plan was to summit Grizzly Peak in Kananaskis. It’s a very short, out and back trail but steep, technical and exposed. The drive from Canmore to Kananaskis is always a great experience. Mountain views are abundant. It’s perfection! Since no formal parking lot exists, you leave your car on the side of the road. There were already a few vehicles parked by the time we arrived, so you couldn’t miss where to turn off the highway. I usually download my maps from All Trails, and I am rarely alone, but I think it is time to invest in Garmin inReach or similar or die alone.

It was supposed to be a delightful hike. The trail climbs up. That is all to it. Up! There are some minor cliff bands, and it does rise steeply. Some minor hands-on scrambling exists, but not everyone loves it. And I think I forget that. Once you get past that, you find yourself in the most stunning meadow. The wildflower season is over, but the autumn hues are making their way in. The terrain was all loose rock and dirt, making it for a slippery descent. Poles are a must.

We had to take many breaks, and the girls seemed exhausted. It was just too windy, which is typical for Kananaskis as this area gets super chilly. They didn’t seem to have enough in them to make that final push to the summit. So we sat in the meadow and hung out with the goats. We ate our lunch, did our shots and watched others making their way up the summit. It was tough and felt like a failure with a capital F.

But sometimes you have to fail, I guess, to become some better version of yourself. Be it a job, school, marriage (oh, I could write a novel on this one). Failure is nothing but a necessary component, and you’ve really got to go through some of that to know where you’re going to succeed. So allow yourself the fun of failure every day.

I will forever dream of walking that ridge and admiring panoramic views of Mount Evan Thompson, Opal Ridge and the Kananaskis Valley. Well, until the spring, that is.

Last but not least, we made a quick stop at the halfhitchbrewing in Cochrane for beer and pigged out on carbs. Yum.

Where Is Grizzly Peak

The trailhead is located at the intersection of highway 40 and Ripple Rock Creek. It is 1 hour and some from Calgary and 4 hours or so from Edmonton. You now require a Conservation Pass when experiencing the Kananaskis Country and Bow Valley Corridor, which costs CAD 15 per day or CAD 90 per year.

What To Pack For Grizzly Peak

I think I delayered a million times. I always do. It was pretty windy, and the higher the elevation, the chillier it got. Weather changes quickly. So pack:

  • Poles (no can do without them)
  • Water and/or Jetboil
  • Food
  • Bear spray (I mean Grizzly Peak)
  • Puffy jacket (or 10)
  • Warm layers
  • Warm wool socks
  • Hat, gloves, hand warmers!!
  • Hiking boots
  • First aid
  • Day pack (I use Osprey 20L and it is too small)
  • Definitely navigation
  • Patience!!

The Hike To Grizzly Peak

Distance: 7.2 km return

Difficulty: hard

Elevation gain: 911 m

Time: 3:57:00

Leave No Trace

Always, always practice LNT principles on your hikes. I encourage you to visit: leavenotrace.ca/principles for more details regarding those principles.

You can read about my failed hikes and lessons learned here.

Happy Adventuring!

Grizzly Peak Trail In Kananaskis – Update

While everyone was out chasing larches, my friend Jill and I chased goats, new peaks and lost car keys.
We had initially planned for Smutwood, but the trail closed due to some bear activity. We settled for Grizzly Peak instead, a mountain with which I had unfinished business and Jill had yet to cross off her list. 


If you read my blog post, you know I had to cut it short last year. I dreamt of those panoramic views of Mount Evan Thomspon, Opal Ridge and the Kananaskis Valley. Grizzly has sure stirred my emotions since, and not in a good way. It’s definitely a workout, but it was so much fun walking along the ridge. We shared it with maybe four other people. And other than goats didn’t really encounter many others.

Grizzly Peak is spicy, challenging, steep and technical, and one short section requires some minor hands-on scrambling. It also requires some navigation skills in the cliff band section. The trail climbs up and gains elevation rather quickly. It’s relentless. Going down, you’ll definitely want hiking poles with you to navigate the slippery scree down. 

But somewhere between the excitement of summiting the Grizzly, making coffee and drinking tequila, Jill had lost her car keys. With no service and no keys, I never complained, maybe once or twice.
Four amazing humans picked us up on the side of the hwy 40. Back in Kananaskis Village, we enjoyed Kat’s (girl we just met) birthday dinner before returning to the car with the spare key that Matt (Jill’s husband) brought from Airdrie.

The crux: 1) lack of reception on hwy 40 is complete bullshit and 2)obviously the lost key, but the wonderful company of kindred souls @kittykatswiss @tylerthomaswebb @scottswiss @nlwebb made our day downright perfect.

Happy Trails!!