Elk Lakes Cabin Reno with my friend Sylvain

Had a fantastic trip back to the Elk Lakes cabin to help my Canmore friend Sylvain, finish a 2 week renovation to the Elk Lakes cabin that him and I had measured up and began planning at the end of November 2010. Sylvain and his crew of volunteers completed the majority of the reno in the first 10 days of mid September, and I was invited along to help put the finishing touches in place the first week of October, plus help out with the arduous task of cleaning up and packing out the tools.  All-in-all a TONNE of work but with some very gratifying feelings of seeing the finished product and knowing that I was a part of it! :) Plus I get enjoy the fruits of our labour by staying-and-playing at the cabin on future trips (hopefully with my gal Karolin one day :)

Sylvain's girls Lexa (L) and Leah (R). The girls, and Anne, Sylvain's wife, dropped me off at the trailhead for Elk Pass in Kananaskis Country, near the Upper Kananaskis Lake.

Okay??......here I go???!!!.....  11 km's to the cabin along the Elk Pass x-country ski trails and then dropping over Elk Pass for an exciting, albeit muddy decent down to the Elk Lakes Cabin. The alternative way in (summer only) is to drive into southern BC and then drive north from Elkford, BC via a 65km bush road that accesses some beautiful lakes and rivers that are frequently used by hunter's and fisherpeople.

A large pile of bear scatt (approx. 1 week old). As I carried on my merry way I continued to yodel to alert the wildlife of my presence in hopes of safe passage to the cabin!  I did see a beautiful young, bull Elk which was amazing seeing as I was passing through Elk Pass, however he wouldn't pose for a picture unfortunately.

Here I am 1 hour later, a little muddy, a little winded, a little sore on the shoulders from the heavy, awkward load, but all smiles to have arrived safe and sound and ready for some fresh mountain air and tranquility :)

Silly and my digs for the first night until the youth group from Elkford moved out on the Sunday.  This is the Warden cabin that is used by BC Parks when they come out to patrol the area.

Clean up/move out day.

Down to work!!

Silly installing a door in the future custodian's room in the main cabin.

Taking care of our wheels for the trip out. Unfortunately Sylvain's co-workers don't respect the company vehicles and flatted twice on the way in to the cabin the first week of the reno. Maybe they should slow down a little on the rough roads? Ya think????!!!

Wolf excrament

Sylvain saw this Black Wolf one morning on the way to the outhouse. What a lucky sighting!!

That night after the sighting, 2 gal's from Fernie had booked the cabin despite the reno's. Anyway, the one gal Margie had left her dog in her Forerunner in the parking lot.  As luck would have it, the wolves returned that night in numbers, and howled for about 10 minutes outside the cabin. Her poor dog, confined to the Forerunner, had a major blowout out (fear induced) from both bodily orifice!!  It took Margie the better part of 2 hours to somewhat clean the shit the front seats of the vehicle, and barf from the back. Ahhhhhh....the joys of pet ownership! Thankfully the warm and fuzzy good times outweigh the nasty, I want to shoot my dog rough times!!

Unclassified mushroom

Pocket Glacier

Lower Elks Lake with a nice limestone crag at the back. This is the 'Viewpoint' hike above the lake that Sylvain and I did Sunday morning.

Sylvain on top of the limestone crag at the 'Viewpoint'.

Another shot from the 'Viewpoint'

False Dandelion

Sylvain and I hiked around to the base of the cliff below the 'Viewpoint' to see the crag up-close. The crag didn't disappoint, displaying excellent limestone quality.

Ragwort (Senecio canus) hanging in there late into the fall.

Baneberries; attractive but poisonous!!



Yarrow, a common plant throughout the Rockies; has a characteristic sage like smell.



Yarrow; a plant used to speed up blood clotting when crushed and placed on a wound.

Nice shot of a Showy Fleabane or (Tall Purple Fleabane)

Daily water collection chores from the Elk River

Silly preparing to get commited for the chimney hole in the roof!

Sylvain did an amazing job of designing and building the railings for the loft/sleeping quarters

Female Spruce Grouse. You can get within a few meters of these birds!

Male Spruce Grouse with the characteristic bare, red skin above the eyes

Stairs, pre-finish

Preparing for the new wood stove

Construction mode!

Silly preparing one of his many delicious meals! I was in charge of dishes :(

Feeling right at home :)

Burning as much of the garbage (cardboard) as we could

Finicky cuts to fit the T&G (tongue and groove) nicely around the log floor joists.

Silly getting the stove ready

Beautiful view of Mount Fox from our deck

The stove is in! Unfortunately we need a foot longer stove pipe so we'll have to return at a later date with a telescopic chimney section; oh darn!!!! Maybe we'll come during ice climbing season :)

I took a break from the work on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 and did a fast hike to Frozen Lake, Fox Lake, and then looped around by Upper Elk Lake, and home past Lower Elk Lake. Total distance was 15.9 Km's with 250m of elevation gain and I completed the circuit in 2 hours 40. Felt great!!

One of many sub-alpine bogs that had to have boardwalks for wetter seasons

Berkeley's Polypore

Another boardwalk run through the bog

More bog....

Frozen Lake was beautiful up high in the Alpine

Just down from Frozen Lake and headed for Fox Lake and then the Elk Lakes back to the cabin

View of Fox Lake from the trail down from Frozen Lake. The first part of the hike from the Elk Lakes cabin comes from way around the corner down and right from the logging cut block.

Frozen Lake

Beautiful, deep blue colour of Frozen Lake with a pocket glacier in the bowl on the north face of Mount Fox

Ridge headed up the eastern shoulder of Mount Fox on its north aspect

Coming down onto Upper Elk Lake from Fox Lake at dusk. 3 km's to go!

Silly, rightfully proud of his work at the cabin! Looks great :)

Cabin at dusk with an ISO setting of 100 on my camera. Really needed a tripod so the photo is a little blurry.

Messin' around

Chairs

Artistic photography :)

This was a pee break at the Highwood Pass 2206 meters. Too bad the road is closed From December 1st to May 1st because there is some great ski touring to be had here!

Well... a very successful trip. Felt good to be back in the mountains and to rejuvinate my mountain spirit. The air was amazingly fresh and crisp, and the fall colours and smells were just as I remembered; magical!  Good for the soul, and a really nice boost of endorphins that I'll be riding until the next time I can get out for an adventure!!