Travel and trekking adventures beyond the daily grind
Because ascending rocky faces and ridges is just so much fun!
Ah the end of the summer is nigh.
There’s been more rain and snow throughout August and September than I would have liked. It’s not that I dislike rain and snow- I actually enjoy both of them from time to time. But I haven’t conquered as many peaks this summer partly because of the weather. So when Saturday’s forecast looked amazing, and with the gradual colour changes that are happening in the Canadian Rockies at this time, I knew I had to do a special hike.
Oh Middle Sister.
What wondrous views from your summit. Atop your vantage point, I feel like I can conquer anything. But alas, I will never hike you again.
Just outside of Canmore, there’s a trio of mountains known as the Three Sisters. Iconic and symbolic, they’re hard to ignore. Of the three, Middle Sister is the easiest scramble, and I’ve wanted to hike to the peak since 2010. Since Dan was in town, I knew we needed to hike something intense. Paul was free as well, and when the three of us get together, there’s all kinds of ridiculous. One of Alberta’s famous snow storms in August decided to pass through the day before, which thwarted our original hiking plans. After humming and hah-ing, we decided on Middle Sister.
The East End of Rundle is becoming a go-to favourite for me! With a round trip time of about 4 hours, this hike offers a forested and rocky ascent with gorgeous views of Ha Ling and the surrounding Spray Valley. A short, yet super fun scramble with a bit of exposure greets you before the summit. My friend Dan, who was visiting for another mountain adventure, was up for epic hikes, and I knew EEOR would be a great after work accomplishment.