On Wednesday, I was a bit rushed for a hike — and had to leave after the midday because of work obligations that kept me busy for the morning and at lunch.  So, I thought — what’s close to Calgary and will get my heart pumpin?  Mt. Yamnuska of course. About a 40 minute drive later, I was at the parking lot.

Well, a month after my initial attempt in the snow, I headed up, down and around Mount Yamnuska.  It couldn’t have been a better day, the sun was shining, enough wind to keep the climbing cool…and yes, even a little sprinkle of snow near the top (I couldn’t believe that one, but hey, it’s the Rockies).

I’d have to say that of the few scrambles I’ve done so far, I really like Yamnuska.  It’s scenic pretty much the whole way through from east to west.  Each section of the mountain offers new terrain, whether climbing through forest, ascending rocky ledges and slopes, skirting cliffs, descending scree and crossing in front of the mountain with a spectacular view of the foothills, and a final walk through a poplar forest.  I’d suggest to anyone: do the whole traverse, it’s quite a treat.  Oh and head east to west, that way you can skip down the scree on the way home. 

I’ve thrown up a few pictures on Flickr for the four hour trip, hope you enjoy them.