Most favorite day EVER!

Last week John and I were able to go on a real hike together!  I say "real" because since the time we got married almost 9 years ago, our "hiking" adventures have been limited to trails that could be done with our kids.  2-4 mile type trails, with slight incline, zero difficulty and countless games of "I Spy" and bribes for ice cream if they would "just keep climbing!"    I'm not knocking it, as that is what a hike in our family is like - and I love it.     But for a couple of years I have longed to do a big hike.  Something challenging.  Something John and I could really work at.  

My goal was to chose a beautiful trail that would provide an opportunity for me to gather some landscape photos for a contest that I want to enter.     So we hiked Crypt!  In the 80's this trail was voted Canada's #1 hike - so it had to be beautiful right? 

Boy was it.

Ten minutes into the hike and I knew that I was going to see a part of Waterton that I had never before gotten to enjoy.   It was at that point that I also knew that I was very VERY out of shape.   I didn't know it was possible to feel so much excitement and PAIN at the same time.  (without having a baby that is)

Hiking sans children was more enjoyable then I should admit.    I mean really!   For the first time in years - we both went to the bathroom without having to do it in "shifts" so that someone could stay behind and watch the kids.     As we walked we talked about intellectual things.    We talked about where "ideas" come from, and what makes someone creative.   (For the record it is our opinion, that the most creative people in life are also those "most willing to share their life and what they know with others.")   We talked about each of our kids and whether or not it is ok to have a favorite child.   Which we don't.   But if we did- it would be Nathan.

JUST KIDDING!

Not a single game of "I Spy" had to be played, and not once did either of us pipe in and whine, "Are we there yet?"    I may have come close, and I may have asked that question numerous times in a more mature and round about way - but I never whined!    It was glorious!  

We passed by several waterfalls!   Each of them beautiful.

The scenery was breathtaking!   As you hike Crypt you pretty much cover it all.   You enjoy beautiful lush vegetation as you follow a narrow trail through thick forest.   Other times you find yourself climing shale through the blazing sun.  Yet at some points you even have Snow to deal with.  

My favourite point of the hike is near the end.  You come to this 8 foot ladder that you climb up and immediately you are at the entrance to a narrow and misshaped cave.

You climb through that cave on your knees at times and exit to the most breathtaking view EVER.

Opposite to this amazing view, there is a cable in bedded into the side of the mountain.   This comes in handy as you make your way along the narrow rock wall.   Think edge of a cliff!

After 30 feet or so you are back on safe ground and pretty much finished.   The lake is just moments away and boy is it beautiful!!!  Of course John was not content to enjoy the view with the other hikers who had made it up that day.   We had to scale a slippery ledge of snow and walk around the lake to find the perfect fishing hole.

Which turned out to be "not so perfect" but that is Ok.   We sat on a rock for a couple of hours and ate, fished, talked and enjoyed the beauty around us.   

Of course, John would never make a trip like this without bringing along his bullwhip!    It made a fantastic sound as it echoed through the canyon.   

I always like watching John crack his whip!   However, the clouds moving over us were looking ominous and we absolutely had to be back at the head of the trail by 5:00 so we loaded up our stuff, took one last look, and headed back down.  Only this time MUCH faster. 

It took us 3 hours to reach the lake and only half that time to get back to the start of the trail!

To access the Crypt trail, you must cross the main lake in Waterton, and in most cases that is via the shuttle that leaves the town site only twice a day and returns to pick up hikers only twice a day.   We had already missed the first pick up, and I was starting to seriously wonder if we'd make the second pick up or not.     For some reason, the thought of spending a night on that mountain didn't sound that exciting to me. 

Luckily, we made it back in plenty of time.   I sat at the edge of the lake and soaked my aching feet while John fished, and others sat and waited on the dock.    We had enjoyed perfect weather the entire day.  No wind.   Beautiful sunshine in the morning, and overcast skies in the afternoon which offered relief from the sun.   As we waited for the shuttle to arrive we watched as a thunderstorm rolled in ahead of us, and I wondered if our luck was about to run out.

I'm not even kidding-  it was not even 1 minute after everyone got onto the boat and we headed back towards the town site that the rain began to pour!  POUR!   It was such a cozy feeling to finally be sitting, having accomplished that goal, and get to enjoy a beautiful storm while staying warm and dry.  It could not have been more perfect.

Of course, I have to thank my Sister Jewel and her husband Kendall for even making that experience possible for us.   I'm sure watching our kids is exactly how they wanted to spend an entire day,(sarcasm intended)  but it was so perfectly awesome for me.    I laughed.  I cried.  And I rolled my ankle about 4 times.

Now as I hobble along favoring a sore leg and possibly even a broken toe, I think back fondly to that hike, which now goes down as ...

 one of my most favorite days ever!

PS:   The pictures here are Ok - but check out our other blog for some of my favorites!