July 22, 2019 - Mount Burke, Lower Cataract, Kananaskis

This week we were three - Mandy was also in Kananaskis, but she was on Day 1 of a 4-day back country hike with Sam and his buddy Gabe.

Ken suggested Mount Burke.  None of us had done it before, but as always we were always up for trying something new.  If I am being honest, I was initially a little nervous for what was ahead, because Ken is a "Think Big" guy.  This feeling was balanced out by the knowledge that he would never put us in a dangerous situation, and would not hesitate to turn us around if one ever came up.  We were on the trail at about 9:00.  It was a beautiful sunny morning with a few clouds and a light breeze.

View from the parking lot

Hiking the trail above Salter Creek

This trail has a little bit of everything from start to end: grassy meadows, spruce forest paths, switchbacks, rocky alpine meadows, scree, and finally after lots of uphill, the summit.

View of old firewatch hut in the distance

Looking back to knob on the way up 

After a lot of hard work we made it to the summit, satisfied with ourselves and our effort.

Final push to the summit

Cedric having a rest in the only summit shade

Summit shot

South Burke summit

North Burke Summit

We enjoyed the summit and some rest for about a half hour before deciding to head back down.  The sun took it's toll, and we were all tired and thirsty by the time we got back to the van.  We drove a couple kilometers and stopped beside the river to let Cedric and Ken cool down a bit.

Ken and Cedric shedding some heat in the river

We were all in agreement that this is a great trail in terms of defined path, lack of exposure, and big payout.  I would characterize it as challenging in terms of physical exertion, but if you are up for some hard work this a great option.  Also, I would not recommend this for anybody in questionable weather.  There is not much in terms of shelter once you leave the forest, and you could probably get into trouble relatively quickly.

I suspect that this won't be the last time the MMHC visits Mount Burke.  We will for sure have to go back at least once so that Mandy can enjoy the same amazing experience we had today.  As per normal protocol we stopped for the customary cold drink at the Longview Esso.  Nobody's drink lasted long!

Bird watch: One raven on the summit, and several missed opportunities in the forest sections - they all seemed to be playing hide and seek with us.