Hiking Little Lougheed, Kananaskis, Alberta

Please welcome J.M., my guest blogger for this post. J.M. is my brother, and he lives in Calgary, Canada. Recently he discovered hiking, and got some stunning photos of the Canadian Rockies. He's happy to share them here with us. Enjoy! 

After living in Calgary for 21 years, I am only now discovering the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies. I love Lake Louise and Banff National Park, and have visited countless times. They are literally in my backyard, as Banff is just over an hour's drive from my house. But hiking the trails on these majestic mountains is a game changer. I've been bitten by the mountain bug. It is so peaceful and awe inspiring. I appreciate Mother Nature and my surroundings so much more. I am thankful to live in such a beautiful area.

I'd like to give a big shout out to my buddy Mike for taking me under his wings on these awesome mountain hikes. Since mid-February, I've hiked with him every other Sunday.. This is my 10th hike. Initially, we were going to hike Tent Ridge Horseshoe, but did not because there was still a lot of snow on this ridge. I was bummed, but Mike said “Little Lougheed will not disappoint you J.M.” 

That was an understatement. The view at the summit was absolutely breathtaking!

Stunning vista of Spray Lake

These jaw-dropping vistas were our reward for our short but strenous climb. We spent two hours at the summit, reflecting and soaking in the spectacular sceneries of Spray Lake and the surrounding mountains. All that workout and sweat was so worth it.

I was ecstatic! 

Me and my buddy Mike

Little Lougheed Trail is a short trail with a lot of hard climb and loose rocks toward the summit. The length is 5 km or 3.11 miles out-and-back. From the car parking lot to the summit, it took us 2 hours on the ascend, 1.5 hours on the descent. Five and a half hours well-spent and almost 1,600 calories burned, I'd say that's an awesome workout.

What are your thoughts? Was Mike right on the money about Little Lougheed?

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday, Through My Lens and image-in-ing

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