A cool and hot trip to the highest point on the Peter Lougheed Park trail system. Cool because it was -11 at the Boulton Bridge parking lot and it only warmed up a few degrees through the day. Hot because the climb up the Lookout trail from the south to the fire lookout is long and steep.

We were on the trail shortly before 11 and had a pleasant start to the trip along the rolling terrain of the Boulton and Fox Creek trails.

Unfortunately on the first steep slope up the Hydroline trail one participant's binding tore out of his ski. He managed to effect a reasonable repair, but decided to forego the steep climb to and descent from the fire lookout. I'm a probationary coordinator and so have to worry about my stats. Fortunately we were originally 10 so I was still running 90%. But then another participant elected to stay with him on the lower trails and I was down to only 80% retention. And this trip had six other coordinators who will vote on whether I should be made a full coordinator!

We proceeded at various paces to the Kananaskis Fire Lookout arriving there between 1:00 and 1:30. It was quite pleasant on top with only a little wind. The side of the lookout building acted as a solar heat collecter and most of us sheltered nearby.

The view in all directions is spectacular (not surprising considering that the site is an active fire lookout). Gap Mountain is to the north, the Elk Range and Mount Tyrwhit to the east, the Fox/Sarrail/Lyautey massif to the southwest and Mt Indefatigable to the northwest.

The return to the cars was quick and easy and on the Pocaterra trail we encountered our two other members. Yeah, I'm back to 100%.

We were all back at the parking lot shortly after 3.

Distance 18 km, net climb 400 m. The snow was in excellent shape. Boulton, Fox and Lookout trails were not trackset, Hydroline, Pocaterra and Packers were. There was much discussion as which is the better direction to ski the Lookout trail. I still prefer from south to north (up the steep side, down the shallower).

Participants: Barbara, Rosanne, Rita, Jim, John, Philip, Ron, Tony, Bernard and Carl (coordinator and scribe).

Can you find Santa's eight reindeer in the photos?