We did not do the Highwood Meadows hike this time around, instead our adventurous pack of five followed the strenuous Ptarmigan Cirque trail.

Today we are following the dotted red line which resembles a sloppy lasso.

As I am walking up the embankment towards the trailhead I'm looking back. On our drive up Hwy. 40 we had to slow down to a crawl three times and inch our way around bighorn sheep which are a common sight this time of year.

Migration patterns draw the sheep towards the river for water and when crossing the highway are delayed for a salty snack. This is the result of the highways department depositing salt to keep the road clear of ice.

12 Noon

On our way up.

PLEASE WATCH YOUR STEP

12:20 Afternoon

Twenty minutes into the hike and snow patches begin to appear and will be with us for the rest of the way.

Avalanche lilies and Chuck.

These lilies flower shortly after snow melt in early spring in subalpine woodlands and alpine meadows which we wii be in until we head back down.

At higher elevations such as where we are now, the white pasqueflower can be seen growing amongst the lilies.

These people are snowshoeing up the snowpack with the intention of snowboarding down.

HEADING BACK DOWN

We stopped for lunch below the rock rubble just ahead of the pair of hikers in the background. And in the background is Ptarmigan Cirque.

"A cirque is a half-open steep-sided hollow at the head of a valley or on a mountainside, formed by glacial erosion."

This is another common site in the mountains. More than likely this digging site was created by a grizzly bear hunting for voles.

Most hikers carry bear deterrents such as horns or bear spray.

Heading back into the forest.

In the more isolated areas there is still plenty of snow. The hollows around the base of these trees are known as tree wells.

That's where we were--beyond the trees and below the saddle. Think of a horse saddle as being low in the centre and raised at the ends, which in this case is the cirque.

Back in the parking lot we came upon a Hungarian Sheep Dog more commonly referred to as a Hungarian Puli.

Thanks for joining us on our fabulous hike today.

On our trip back to Calgary we travelled through the town of Black Diamond where we stopped off at the Hard Knox Brewery to enjoy a bite to eat and an adult beverage.