Barrier Lake Lookout

On Sunday, Robin, Lily, Robbie and I decided to go hiking. We originally planned on Forget-Me-Not ridge, but after reading about crossing a river and possibly getting wet, we opted for the Barrier Lake Lookout (also known as Prairie View Lookout). We all gathered into one car and headed west.

Once we started hiking, we realized how warm it was for a hike! We were prepared for cold, windy weather but instead it was sunny and quite warm. The incline for the hike wasn’t too steep and we made a gradual ascent for almost two hours before reaching the first lookout. The view was gorgeous! For (fairly) little effort, what an amazing place to be. We sat and ate lunch before making our way back down. We decided to head back down from the first lookout instead of proceeding to the fire lookout. I guess we just wanted to keep it super leisurely. The good thing about this hike is that it seems very doable in the winter, so I anticipate a return trip… at which point, yes, we will make it to the summit!

This hike brought back some memories for me. It was in 2009 or 2010 when I joined my first Meetup group, and I ended up doing this same hike. It was the first meetup I had attended. The difference back then is that I knew no one and hiked in a group of 30 people, which including some interesting characters. Even though I’m surrounded by great people, it reminded me that I miss meeting new people, as I find myself not doing that very often anymore. Maybe it’s time to resume the Meetup outings once again…

Stats:

Start: 12:15 pm
End: 3:30 pm
Distance: ~ 10 km return
Elevation: ~ 470 metres