Half-Hearted Effort

We've been home for just over three weeks... most of which I've spent working... so I was excited when I checked out the Canmore five-day forecast yesterday - I'm on days off and I've been looking forward to the weather becoming nice enough to get out and enjoy some mountain time! I thought that Heart Mountain would be a great first outing of the season - it's short and close and Alan Kane grades it EASY (UPDATE: I went back and had a look at the Scrambles book... it is actually a 'moderate' scramble... Sorry! Hope I didn't get anybody in trouble!). And even though the temps were a little cool this morning, I was really itching to do something and decided to slog up it anyhow. Normally, 4 degrees Celsius can be quite a pleasant hiking temperature, especially if the sun is out and there is little wind. Well... it was 4 degrees when I set out alright... but the sky was completely overcast and the breeze blustered at a steady 30km/hr gusting to 50! EEEEK!! Add to that the fact that there was still a fair amount of ice and even patches of deep snow higher up, which rendered the actual 'trail' out of commission. Basically, I scrambled mostly off-route the entire time. Scrambled. Like I'm talking I tossed my poles (javelin style!) down ahead of me at several points on the descent, because I needed to actually fully downclimb some spots that I don't remember ascending. WTF??!!

I guess I should have thought the whole thing through a little better, because I think I was more in the mood for a vigorous hiking day, not navigating North-facing loose scree and steep-ish slabs. At any rate, even though I did not summit, it was a reasonable day. Felt good to get some exercise and some fresh mountain air... I'm sure my legs (knees!) are going to feel it tomorrow!

Hee hee!! Do I look wind-blown and not impressed in this pic or what!!

Cheers!