Most of the hiking guidebooks we own strongly recommend the trail to Sunset Pass. But the trailhead is a two hour drive from Canmore (three hours from Calgary). That's a pretty big investment of time and gas money. So this one stayed on the "someday" list for years before we finally got around to it in mid-September. Too bad we put it off for so long!
I can think of at least three good reasons Photo Blogging Challenge host PJ went with the Great Outdoors for October's theme. First, chief medical officers keep telling us to head outside for daily exercise (while social distancing, of course). Second, it's a broad theme, which hopefully means more participants. Finally, reading all participating posts will be like a mini vacation with stops around the world!
Chester Lake is a great shoulder season hike, can be done on snowshoes in winter, and has a lake for skipping stones, dipping toes or watching fish rise. It's pretty easy, with less than 400 meters elevation gain. And there are a few options to extend your hike past the lake: a loop around the lake, the Elephant Rocks, or continuing up to Three Lakes Valley.
September is one of our favourite months to get out and about in Alberta. We absorbed doses of Vitamin N(ature) at a concert in the park, on hiking and biking trails and on our usual active transportation walks to pick up groceries, stop at the library, etc.
As soon as I learned this month's photo blogging challenge theme was "Oh the Places You've Been", I thought of the children's book "The Places You'll Go". Since everywhere we went this month was pretty close to home, what better way to liven things up than with a tip of the hat to Dr. Seuss...