Home»All Photographs»2012 Hikes»Birdwood Traverse-Snow Peak 09-17-12

The weather was too good on this Monday to pass up. Fall has arrived in the mountains, although not quite yet on the calendar. The frosty morning air was thick with that organic smell of the leaves dying off from the deciduous trees and shrubs.
On the drive in to the trailhead along the gravel highway 742, I saw six moose and one more on the way out! There was one around every second turn for about 25kms.
Near upper Birdwood Lake, two Kestrels (small raptors) flew in a very tight circle around me, perhaps out of curiosity, before vanishing into the woods. I also had the treat of seeing a mountain goat up close, in Birdwood Pass. He wasn't worried about my approach at all, as I hiked by. I named him Henry. An hour later, from the summit of Snow Peak, I looked down to see Henry taking a nap on a snowpatch to cool off.
I explored three separate valleys and went through five mountain passes on this circuit. Then a quick 7km shuttle on my bike along the gravel highway to get back to my vehicle.
Burstall Pass is one of the most popular trails in Kananaskis, but I did not see one other person all day. This and all the wildlife I saw are testament to the benefits of a weekday hike.