…or Mental Health Therapy No.2

(to understand what I’m talking about, please read first “Mental Health Therapy No.1” – Mount Sarrail)

 After a “marathon hike” on Saturday, once at home, we decided to spend the Sunday enjoying the coziness of our “nest” and recovering after the 12+hours of intense hiking.  Sunday morning …how can we resist to a beautiful September day, clear sky, with temperature above 20 and no wind at all? It will be such a waste of time to stay at home!

 So let’s pack light and go. On the way to Kananaskis we decide where we go: Mount Baldy, a medium scramble hike, about 3-5 hours. Lots of people on the road, it feels like spring rush in Calgary! If you listen to the nature call, it tells you to get out and enjoy this last stretch of the summer…the cold and the snow are just around the corner and we have seen them yesterday on Mount Sarrail!

We park across from Barrier Lake, on the side of the road 40. What a busy road today! And here we go again, geared up for the hike! The trail through the forest is so pleasant and the wind is friendly today. We stop quite often to look behind as the view of the Barrier Lake gets more impressive with every step up we take. Again, the water is so blue…for sure they must have painted the bottom recently! Pictures, many pictures!

The trail is easy and busy! Except one point, it can be avoided but we didn’t know. So one more time I stop here, I don’t have the energy to move on, on this narrow ridge and plus, the view is rewarding enough for me. Florin, as usually, keeps going. He is a “peak collector”, I am a “view collector”. One day …I plan to come back and check off, me too this one, but for this week-end I had more than enough. I enjoy the view, the sun, and the wind.  

Since I did nothing but lay in the sun on the rock like a lizard, I will have to let Florin to pick up the story from here.

On my way down, I have observed that this step can be avoided on the right side (as you go up) on scree.  As you go up, a rock tower can be climb at the boots adherence (when is dry)…

Alternatively, it can be detour on the right side on a trail, which is signalized with a cairn.

From here on towards the top, there are section of scree and slabs. I tried to go as much as possible on slabs, in order to avoid the annoying scree.

On top, I have met with other two tourists. I scrutinized the ridge that continues from the main top and it has two more peaks.

To reach the ridge the hardest part is close the main top. I down climbed that section to have a closer look and to asses its difficulty.  From here on the route does not present major challenges. The way down, in case of covering the entire ridge is possible on the scree that leads to a stream that passes close to the parking lot.

Climbing up the crux was easier and I returned to the “sun bathing” spot.

Reading about this mountain, I have found out that during the Second War World, the prisoners from a nearby camp were allowed to hike it and enjoy the view, not before promising that they will return.