Banff Jasper 150

Nearly 50km of hiking had been done in the last two days and people were beginning to feel the effects, especially after the challenge that was Cascade Mountain.

Day 2 was probably remembered most for its notorious switchbacks, and the surreal beauty of the Cascade Amphitheatre, not to mention the worsening smoke from the BC forest fires. The day’s hikes consisted of the Cascade Amphitheatre (13.2 km, 640m elevation gain) and Stoney Squaw (4.2 km, 190m)

Lake Day, as it was dubbed, was the best way possible to start the trip. We wasted no time getting into it as we were set to hike Rockbound Lake (16.8km, 760m elevation gain) and Boom Lake (10km, 175m) for a combined 27km of hiking with 935m of elevation gain! Each hike was to take us to some beautiful destinations, and both places will forever be ingrained in my mind.

On Friday, August 3rd, 2017, myself and 27 students from across Canada came together in Calgary, Alberta. Many had already known one another, many more did not. But if the initial talks and impressions were any indication, we were all in for quite the week.