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Rocky Mountain Ramblers Association

Trip Report
Trip Date:
20-Jul-2021
Activity:
Trail hike
Trip name:
Bertha Lake
Coordinator:
Ron
Report:

Another very smoky drive from Pincher Creek but it cleared up quite well at the Waterton Park boundary and we could see most of the peaks and down the lake. We filled up the small Bertha Lake parking lot for our 9am start and trundled off up the trail through the burnt forest which allowed views of the peaks across Waterton Lake. First break was at the lookout down the lake:




The gang at the viewpoint south along Waterton Lake

Your scribe turned around at this point due to a strained knee while the rest continued on to Bertha Lake:



Lunch at Bertha Lake

After the previous day's 20 km hike no one opted to do the extra 4 km around the lake. On the return there was time to cool off hot feet in Bertha Creek:



Foot cool-down, Bertha Creek this time




Brenda leads the way across the temporary bridge over Bertha Creek

The popularity of this relatively short hike was shown by a continuous stream of later-starting people heading up the trail. Back at the cars at 2pm left plenty of time to grab an ice cream cone in town before heading back to Calgary. The smoke was quite light by the end of the hike.

Participants: Rosanne, Philip, Ron C/S/P, Bill, Barbara, Photini, Dean, Brenda, Aldis, David (photos), Shirley, Nardi, John.

Flora report: lots of flowers, one photo of interest:




Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) + Bill's guess of immature two striped grasshoppers (Melanoplus bivittatus)