Aster Lake(ish) - Kananaskis AB 2008 / ..

Sept 6-7 2008
Bob Beck, Jim Beck, Jim Beck, Nayden Markatchev
A failed Northover Ridge attempt - What started as a weekend that the friday 9pm weather forecast promised as two sunny days, by 5 AM sunday was promising rain/snow and thunderstorms late in the evening second day - so we figured (correctly) that we'd get weathered out and have to bail out and come back down, but oh well, it was amusing anyway. Particularly since I ended up crashing in my brand new golite hex 3 with my dad that I gave him to carry, as opposed to my hammock, since we ended up staying above anything like trees. Saturday weather was nice at the start, slowly degrading into hiking in clouds and a blowing sleet/slushstorm in the alpine where we couldn't even see the peaks. Cleared off in the overnight to produce a nice morning, but with nice fresh snow all over everything and the promise of thunderstorms in the forecast later (which we saw clobbering it on the drive out) we decided not to go on through aster and northover ridge.

  interlakes parking lot upper kananaskis lake - the valley we go up is on the right. Jim, Jim, and Nayden Trail heads through a monster rockslide that came off Mt. Indefatigable  
  interlakes parking lot upper kananaskis lake - the valley we go up is on the right. Jim, Jim, and Nayden Trail heads through a monster rockslide that came off Mt. Indefatigable

  scrawny douglas fir, and upper Kananaskis lake  
  scrawny douglas fir, and upper Kananaskis lake

  Spruce Grouse Upper Kananaskis river.  
  Spruce Grouse Upper Kananaskis river.

   
 

   
 

  picking through the log raft at the top of hidden lake  
  picking through the log raft at the top of hidden lake

   
 

   
 

  hidden lake was very low. climbing scree and talus slope. hidden, and upper kananaskis lakes, with Mt Indefatigable in the background.  
  hidden lake was very low. climbing scree and talus slope. hidden, and upper kananaskis lakes, with Mt Indefatigable in the background.

  Fossil falls  
  Fossil falls

   
 

  As soon as we give up and camp (in a nice spot) the weather relents a bit.  
  As soon as we give up and camp (in a nice spot) the weather relents a bit.

  Parade of light tents - The golite hex 3. (mine, and dad's) Jim's SMD Lunar Solo and Nayden's Henry Shires Tarptent (Borrowed from Theo) 3 light tents in a sheltered piece of alpine.  
  Parade of light tents - The golite hex 3. (mine, and dad's) Jim's SMD Lunar Solo and Nayden's Henry Shires Tarptent (Borrowed from Theo) 3 light tents in a sheltered piece of alpine.

  Backside of mt Sarrail (I think) morning was clear and cold above the clouds.  
  Backside of mt Sarrail (I think) morning was clear and cold above the clouds.

  the valley we hiked up is the cloudy bit on the right.  
  the valley we hiked up is the cloudy bit on the right.

  A tuft of alpine fir, with the kananaskis valley hidden in cloud beyond.  
  A tuft of alpine fir, with the kananaskis valley hidden in cloud beyond.

  We camped at the foot of this guy, don't recall the name - like every other peak in the area it probably commemerates some glorious WWI slaughter..  
  We camped at the foot of this guy, don't recall the name - like every other peak in the area it probably commemerates some glorious WWI slaughter..

   
 

   
 

   
 

   
 

  Clouds boil off the valley as the sun comes up good.  
  Clouds boil off the valley as the sun comes up good.

  Back down the scree.. whee!  
  Back down the scree.. whee!

   
 

   
 

  The couple hundred meters of near vertical mud by hidden lake really does suck though.  
  The couple hundred meters of near vertical mud by hidden lake really does suck though.

   
 

   
 

   
 

  Artifical beauty (Upper Kananaskis lake is a reservoir)  
  Artifical beauty (Upper Kananaskis lake is a reservoir)

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