Fri, May 16 2014, Sat, May 17 2014, Sun, May 18 2014, Mon, May 19 2014 - May Long Weekend Hiking in Nordegg - HI-Shunda Creek Hostel - EVENT FULL (View Original Event Details)
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Mother Nature threatened to drench us in Nordegg with 75-100 mm of rain, but in the end the weather forecast wasn't nearly as dire as predicted, for which we can hardly complain.
On Saturday, under mostly sunny skies, we attempted to hike up Coliseum. As I told the group, the Coliseum route has become my "white whale", as I've never made it all the way to the end of the trail at the summit where other groups have been awarded by an almost 360 degree vista. On our hike, we missed a turn-off early in the hike (note to other groups: look for the red ribbons on the trees, and ignore the message in the hiking guide that says to "keep left" at any junctions). The newer trail that we hiked is apparently a recent quad trail, and it was a steep hike up the ridgeline. The group turned back after we reached a scree slope below the summit, and as such Coliseum turned into a half-day hike. The group spent the rest of Saturday afternoon hiking the Crescent Falls trail.
Sunday was a wet day (but not nearly as wet as first forecast). Our group first hiked the Siffleur Falls trail until we reached the first waterfall. After we finished the Siffleur Falls hike, part of the group (four people) headed for a different, short hike, while the rest of the group headed back towards the hostel looking for warmth, showers, and, for most of us, soup, sandwiches and and coffee at the Miners Cafe in Nordegg. The group who completed the second hike attempted to find a short route described in our hiking guide (The Sasquatch Track), but discovered that the trail apparently is no longer in existence. Instead, the group hiked around Goldeye Lake before heading back to the hostel.
In addition to our hiking excursions, other goings on included plenty of relaxing at the hostel. On Saturday evening, the women in our group prepared a delicious potluck supper, while the men cleaned up afterwards. On Sunday evening, our roles in the potluck reversed, as the men prepared another delicious supper.
All in all, I think that this was a highly enjoyable trip, and I hope that everyone who attended agrees with me that this was an excellent way to spend the May Long Weekend!
Thanks all for coming out. I hope to see you all on future events!
- Ryan
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