Catching up: Deja Vu Hiking (with Pikas!)

I am out of date on posting, so time to do some catch-ups.

It has been a slow year for us, hiking-wise. Normally by this time of year, we would have hiked around 250 km and climbed over 9,000 m; we're only at 135 km and have climbed just 5,300 m. And we seem to do the same hikes over and over again -- not that that is an issue, because we keep repeating good hikes, mostly.

Like, for instance, Rummel Lake and Pass. We went up there on August 16th as I wrote about here -- then went back there on August 24th with the Sunshine Snowhosts.

The gang crossing the cliff wall 

Wandering in the meadow 

Hanging at the lake

I ordered wildlife for them, and was not disappointed. We found several spruce grouse (I actually kicked one on the trail), some pika (that I couldn't photograph), a pair of white tailed ptarmigan...

Hiding in plain sight

...and a whole herd of male bighorn sheep.

Munching in the meadow 

Paying attention to us, while we watch them 

A trophy sheep

That guy sitting in the last picture is a trophy quality ram if you're a hunter. Here's hoping he stays inside the provincial park where he can't be hunted.

The next hike we did was to take our friend Monty up Spencer Creek on August 30th, when we had just been there on August 6th. There was less water in the waterfalls, more marmots running around, a pika, and the fall colours were already starting -- but otherwise it was just as much fun as last time.

The reds and yellows have started 

The bathtubs of the upper creek 

Mt. Nestor over Spray Lakes 

Two of the family of 4 marmots 

A pika yells at me 

Extraordinary red leaves 

The col between Mt. Lougheed & Mt. Sparrowhawk 

Monty gawks at the scenery

Like the last time we were here, it rained on us on the way down.

Mt. Nestor now in clouds 

Those weird swirling clouds that only happen in the mountains

Monty wore a lime green raincoat that almost blended in with the luxuriant green of the mosses in the creek bed.

Mind-numbingly green

Then yesterday, we hiked the short Hay Meadows/Troll Falls loop, where we had done a Wildlife Ambassador rove on July 21st.

Troll Falls

We also went up Grotto Canyon, but that's for a different post.

We always seem to be going to the same places this summer. The grizzly project keeps getting us to the exact same bear camera sites, too. Karen has visited some sites three times, but has a number of sites she's never been too, and I'm the same way.

Grizzly hair on a tree 

Enough on this one to braid it

I blame the lack of hiking on the floods.