Dennis Dixon is heading West!: 2021 Fall Trip - Day 19

Saturday, September 11, 2021

2021 Fall Trip - Day 19 - 9/11/2021

Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 - Hike back down from Skoki Lodge (12.13 miles in 4 hours 54 minutes), then drive down through the Canadian Rockies to Travelodge Blairmore in Blairmore, Alberta (202 miles):

It rained last night - and it was supposed to be a rainy day today - but by a little before 8 AM, a beautiful day was dawning (Thank You God!):

Back inside they were working hard in the kitchen:

to serve us breakfast at 8 AM:

I HATE EVERYTHING ON MY PLATE:

but I'm hiking today:

I started my hike at 8:47. I didn't want to return back over Decption Pass (no bears today!), so a little ways down the trail I turned left/east:

A beautiful morning-view of Skoki Mountain on my left/north side:

There is a nice valley in the area between Skoki Mountain on the north and Fossil Mountain on the south:

I take the right-trail to go south around Fossil Mountain:

Which goes up through forest:

with some nice glimpses of the mountains around, and behind, me:

Around 10 AM I was heading down into the Red Deer Valley:

You eventually make the turn around Fossil Mountain, and encounter Baker Lake (looking west toward Boulder Pass and Ptarmigan Lake):

You sure can have "fun with lakes" up here!

Continuing west, with Ptarmigan Lake in the distance:

Passing Ptarmigan Lake, 3 hours into my hike:

Looking back at Ptarmigan Lake

Then going up-and-over Boulder Pass (see the people!)

It is nice seeing people relaxing on this beautiful Saturday:

At 1 PM, heading back down to my car:

I finished MY WONDERFUL HIKE at 1:40. Drove back down to the Mountaineer Lodge to use their internet, because I didn't know how to drive to where I was going (and cell-connection is not very reliable IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES!!!!).

on the road again by 2:30 - saying goodbye (and THANK YOU) to Banff National Park:

Looking back, as I climb into the mountains above Canmore, Alberta:

Of course I have to LEAVE THE PAVED ROADS sometime:

It's always nice to SEE A PHONE BOOTH OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!!!!

Beauty in the Canadian Rockies:

At 7:20, a moose ran across the road. I checked into the Travelodge in Blairmore, Alberta at 8 PM. This has been a pretty cool AWESOME ADVENTURE DAY!! Thank You GOD for getting me through all this, SAFE and SOUND!!!

Music for today:

Bruce Cockburn - Big Circumstance, 1988