Canada Day!

I didn’t do any running today. Instead, I woke early, packed some equipment along with a lunch, and headed out on a hike with Caitlyn. We drove out to Kananaskis country, getting only slightly lost as we went, until we came to Upper Kananaskis Lake. We got out, and after a few preparatory bottles of water, we began the ascent to Rawson Lake. Along the way, we crossed a stream that had washed away the initial log bridge that had been put into place several years ago, and instead we had to find an alternate crossing. We settled on a few smaller branches farther upstream that had the risk of giving out, but we were lucky and crossed without too much difficulty. 

One thing I had challenged myself with was to eschew the use of hiking poles. about 20 minutes into the hike, this proved to be a difficulty, as our constant uphill angle began to take a toll on me, but I endured and pushed through the experience. I realized that a great deal of my strength came from being able to rapidly run up slopes, using my free hands to keep myself balanced as I went.
Finally, we reached the end of the hike -- Rawson Lake. 

We ate lunch at the top, and I personally enjoyed a well made sandwich consisting of tomato, corned beef, spinach and spiced Monterey Jack cheese. We then began our descent, which was a workout on the knees, but on my toes particularly, as my hiking boots seemed to be ill-fitted. Along the way, I dropped my glasses without realizing, then went back and found them after about 5 minutes -- a feat I am especially proud of. We reached the bottom at last, and after a quick change in the car, went for a small swim in Upper Kananaskis Lake. 

Beautiful scenery, and a good workout to boot!