South Rundle Mountain
Hiked this trail in mid-May. We arrived in the morning and it was snowing. For those that don't know, South Rundle is 'across the street' from Ha Ling Peak. You get to either base from Canmore. You travel above the nordic center and keep going until you see the reservoir up on the mountain. Park, and you have a choice between either peak. I saw some people who started at the bottom of the road. The extra mileage added by the road would make the hike quite a bit more difficult.
I was discouraged by what I found when I got there. I thought we were in for a very long, cold day. Indeed, some of the people that went got exactly that. My traveling partners included a class of my high school students. Some came for a hike while some showed up with t-shirts and sneakers. What difference good footing makes!
The day turned out very well. The trail is quite steep but good for hiking. There are many great views. Also, there is many places you can break for lunch. There was too much snow at the top for easy summit hiking but it just leaves something to do this summer. I was also scoping out possible places to put down a tent. There aren't many places on this hike to do so, but it would not be impossible.
((For those who care, here are the boots I use. I can't say enough good things about this boot. It grips well, feels broken in the first day you use them and are quite water resistant. The best piece of footwear I've owned. Oh, and they're made in Italy. Scarpa Kailash Gore-Tex Day Hikers))
