Crystal's Epic Adventures

Thinking that Tricouni Peak was named because of the three lakes that are passed along the way, I decided to Google it for this post.  Actually, a Tricouni is the brand name of a metal nail used on mountain climbing shoes invented in 1912 by a jeweler from Geneva, Félix-Valentin Genecand. Genecand was also a well known alpinist (several mountains were named after him: Mount Genecand in Antarctica and Tricouni Peak in Canada). Interesting! After a two week break since our epic hikes in the Rockies, it was time to get back out there and enjoy another gorgeous day in the mountains. Tricouni Peak is a summit located between Squamish and Whistler, typically accessed via Squamish Valley Road. This would be probably one of the more difficult hikes I have done in my short 5-year hiking adventure. It wasn't so much the moderate rating of the scramble for the last bit to get to the summit, but rather due to the long journey it takes to get there and most of it crossing boulder fields.  ...

  Wilcox Peak is a 2,884-metre (9,462-foot) mountain summit located in Jasper National Park right beside the Columbia Icefield visitor centre with the Icefields Parkway traversing the western base of the mountain. Its nearest higher peak is Nigel Peak, 3.35 km to the northeast. Mount Wilcox is rated as a moderate scramble from Wilcox Pass. Due to its location, it provides one of the best views of the Athabasca Glacier. To get to Wilcox Pass it was a quick 2 hour hike in which we started very early knowing that today was going to be a big day.  Less than a kilometre along the trail, past a short wooden boardwalk and staircase, you get your first spectacular view over the Sunwapta Pass. Quickly, we were hiking above the tree line while the trail flattened and continued along the ridge to a set of Parks Canada’s Red Chairs.  At the heart of the incredible Icefields Parkway is one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world. Parks Canada placed red Adirondack chairs in q...