James HueserExplorer

When exploring, sometimes the best days are when you bite off a bit more than you can chew and push your limits. On a summer day without a cloud in the sky, Midnight Peak would be challenging, but in winter it's a difficult test to be attempted by the prepared and able.The trail to Midnight Peak starts off as the Baldy Pass trail. There is a parking lot on the west side of Kananaskis Trail (Hig...

Wasootch Peak is for people who's inner scrambler is screaming to push on when they're on Wasootch Ridge. This description will be focusing on the trail to the summit from the main cairn on Wasootch Ridge. For an excellent description on how to get to that cairn, check out Hike to the Top of Wasootch Ridge by Andrew Lunt!The cairn is quite obvious - a few feet wide, looks like a small make-shif...

Located on Highway 40 (Kananaskis Trail) and marked by the "Galatea" sign, there's not much more to this hike other than putting one foot in front of the other, but the amount of traffic it sees is a testament to the quality of this hike.Even on the backend of winter the numerous shades of green offered great contrast to the looming grey mountains and the bluebird sky. Walking down the path fel...

The trailhead can begin at the parking lot at the end of the Hoffellsjökull lake where there are information boards. The trail is very easy to follow as it is well defined, and typically has wooden stakes marking it. You'll head down from the parking lot and into a river valley. The trail follows an ATV trail to the northwest until it splits off to start heading up the ridge to the northeast.Th...

The trailhead is located on the north side of Ripple Creek, the first creek you come across after passing the Grizzly Creek turnoff. There is an easy pull-off on the east side of the highway. You should be able to see the trailhead from the road, which follows the southern slope of the mountain from the get-go.850 m (2,800 ft) is pretty substantial, and 3 km (1.8 miles) is not a substantial dis...

If you have a topographic map of Kananaskis Lakes, the trailhead is just to the east of Blackshale Creek. If you don't have a topographic map of the area, the Google Maps pin on this adventure will help you get there --- you'll see a pretty large opening on the south side of the road. Luckily, that's the hardest part about this trail.This trail is used enough during the winter that you'll likel...

The Mount Lady Macdonald trail begins at Cougar Creek, starting out as a leg burner through the forest, then meandering through boulders, halfway up. The boulders, sparse forest, and views of the Bow River Valley make for a classic mountain landscape that isn't always offered by forested walks to lakes, or hikes up scree slopes. But don't forget that Cougar Creek is aptly named – make sure to b...

You can park your car on the south side of Snæfellsnesvegur (road 51) and basically make a straight shot to the base of the mountain from there. You'll cross some boggy/marshy land, but should be able to find enough dry spots to hop across. The trail isn't always well defined as you walk up scree slope with decently sized boulders most of the way, so some slipping and poor footing is a bit of a...

I think it's because I tend to watch football on Sundays that I've started doing more sunrise hikes --- can't say I regret it either! Oldforgetmenot is a perfect objective to take in a sunrise on: elevation gain isn't too intense, distance isn't too trying, and there are quite a few stretches that you can pick your way through on skis.The trail begins at the Little Elbow Campground parking lot....

Kristínartindar isn't for the feint of heart, and even I almost fall into that category. But a lot of the trail can be done extremely easy, and is still a really awesome hike as it overlooks a glacial tongue.The hike starts at Skaftafell Visitor Centre, and you'll actually start on the Svartifoss trail - very well marked and signed. This trail can be done as a loop, either counter-clockwise and...

For anyone looking to leave crowds behind but still have a killer day, Crystal Ridge might be up your alley! On an unseasonably warm January Saturday, I was the only one to access the trail. My singular trail was the only blemish on the pristine field of snow.The trailhead is located in the northwest end of the Helen Lake parking lot -- in winter, this parking lot is closed but you can park on ...

The trailhead is located at a parking lot south of Akureyri - mark it on your map and it'll be easy to find. Similar to other trails in Iceland, the way up Súlur is marked with wooden stakes which makes trail finding a breeze! If you're doing this before a lot of snow has melted, some of the stakes may be partially or completely buried, but once you're on the right track, just keep heading towa...

Park at the Evan Thomas parking lot to and the trailhead is in the south of that parking lot. It follows a well-defined trail up for most of the way before you start gaining elevation. When the trail starts heading south, keep an eye out for a small trail that will keep you heading east. This portion of the trail follows a small drainage creek.Along the creek, you'll start walking along the bas...

Attempt this in a winter with some great snowfall and you might be able to get some great shots of the beautiful cornices that form on the ridge.The trailhead is at the north end of the Sawmill Parking lot right by the outhouses. It heads past a metal gate to a maze of old logging roads. The proper way to gain the ridge is to access it from it's most southerly point. When you move past the meta...

I first heard about Carnarvon Lake (mistakenly called Carnivore Lake) in 2015 at my sister's wedding in Rhode Island - which is actually the last place I figured I'd get a recommendation. I spent a good amount of time trying to find any mention of Carnivore Lake on the internet, and asked anyone who even mentioned the word hike to me in conversation. Eventually I chalked it up to a bad tip, or ...

If you choose to do this hike, you'll find yourself at Kananaskis Lakes, one of my favourite spots in K-Country! Park your car at the Interlakes parking lot, have that one last bathroom break, and make your way north to get to the trailhead. The trailhead is impossible to miss as it's blocked off with a big ol' sign saying that it's no longer maintained due to the grizzly population on the moun...

Mount Rae has given me the slip a couple times before, so I opted to take it on solo in the hopes of getting a successful attempt in. Damn, this is a good one.Park at the Highwood Pass parking lot, and start off on the Ptarmigan Cirque Trail. Forested until you get to the cirque, check beforehand for any bear closures. The cirque is nothing to scoff at, but keep heading northwest through the ci...

Unfortunately, pictures of larches in autumn never actually do them justice. It's worth it to go out and experience them for yourself. This hike is pretty scenic for the short distance it is, but my favourite part is that you get to be up close and personal with the larches as the forest is bathed in their golden light.The trailhead is 1.3 km (0.8 miles) south of the Highwood Pass parking lot w...

Describing snowshoeing trails is always a bit difficult, but luckily the way up Mount Tyrwhitt gets used heavily by people going to Pocaterra Cirque - first thing to remember is to take the first fork off the main trail to the left after you cross the bridge.Even if the trail is snow covered and not travelled, it'll be really easy to follow as it meanders through the forest. You'll come out of ...

The hike through Johnston Canyon to its Upper and Lower falls is one of the most popular hikes to do in Banff - mostly due the little effort required for the great reward.To start, take the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) - the parking lot and trailhead are clearly marked by a Johnston Canyon sign. After crossing the footbridge, turn right and follow the trail – make sure to read the interpreti...

This well marked, fun hike that has a bit of everything, from easy forest walking, to steep slabs, minor hands on scrambling, and a scree slope to the summit.From the parking lot, head north up the hill, where the trail begins around the power poles. There a few different paths to start, so it's somewhat of a gamble as to what you'll get. Most should be of relatively moderate grade and they all...

The trailhead to Rummel Lake/Pass is off of Kananaskis Trail (Smith Dorrien Trail) directly across from the turn to Mt. Shark at the south end of Spray Lakes - it will likely be marked by cars attempting the same trail. The trail is well packed and snowshoes aren't even necessary until after Rummel Lake.The main trail meanders through the montane forest by a series of switchbacks as well as ste...

This is a pretty big objective, but doesn't feature any technical climbing, so anyone who keeps a clear head and can put one foot in front of the other can do it.Mist Mountain is located in Highwood Pass - whose highway is only open between June and December, so scheduling Mist Mountain as a big summer objective is an absolute must! Highwood Pass is one of my favourite highways to drive along i...

The most difficult part about this is getting to the falls - the road is closed during the winter (or at least shouldn't be driven on), and is has quite a few potholes on the way. That being said, it's actually a really cool drive as well across a pretty unique landscape of lava fields. I think the thing that makes Dynjandi so impressive isn't that it has a cumulative height of around 100m, or ...