Along the Merry Way....

Ski-Hill Mountain is another one of the most incredibly beautiful, yet unknown areas of the Rocky Mountains. A couple of Naomi's friends discovered the spot and began building a trail partway there. With one of them as a guide, we followed the trail as far as it went and then bushwacked for the rest of the way until we hit a green valley floor, far high above where we started from. In the center of the valley was a bright blue pool of water, surrounded by grass and flowers. It was clear and cold as ice. A waterfall flows down the side of the valley wall and eventually reaches the pool. We climbed up the grassy wall next to the waterfall, pulling ourselves up the nearly-vertical slope with the help of clods of grass. Then up over the lip at the top, we found ourselves on a rocky plateau, which also held a pool from which the waterfall flowed. Looking down you could see the pool in the valley, glowing like a blue diamond far below. We clambered higher and higher along the side of a j...

One of the most amazing places to climb on God's earth is McKirdy Mountain in BC. It's at the centre of three chains of mountains (can't remember which ones off the bat). But you climb up through forest before hitting an alpine valley about three hours later. The valley is like something from a fairytale. Waist-high grass and brilliant yellow and pink alpine flowers, little blue streams trickling here and there in between the hummocks. On the left is a steep saddle hill, while on the right is McKirdy peak--a barren, rocky place, another couple of hours climb to the top. In the hidden valley, is a shelter built by the McKirdy's where you can sleep, but up on the peak itself, the view of the Rockies is breath-taking. Deserted valleys surround the place, Mount Robson juts up several miles to the north, and the farmland valley around Valemount stretches out to the South. Streaking up to the top are great banks of snow, which still haven't melted by July, and they are ti...