A Run on the Grassi Lakes Trail

This past week I decided to take a day off from skiing and go for a run up to the Grassi Lakes just west of Canmore. The morning started off with an awesome sunrise so I couldn’t give up the opportunity to explore.

View of the mountains behind the new Craftsbury Green Racing Project van and wax trailer!

Canmore is littered with amazing single track trails that wind their way through town and straight up into the mountains. I started running up a trail from the Nordic center towards a pipeline that can be seen from town.

Looking up at the pipeline. I ended up hiking up next to the pipeline, which is a populated cougar area according to the ranger I spoke to on the trek back to town.

The view of Canmore from the pipeline!

After climbing up next to the pipeline I crossed the dam and ran down the road.

The view from the dam. The water tower on the right is the top of the pipeline.

On the way down I found a dead mountain goat on the the side of the road. (I didn’t take a picture) As I was looking at it a ranger stopped and asked if everything was alright. He inspected the kill and reported to me that it had been taken down by a mountain lion earlier that morning! He then proceeded to ask where I had been running. After telling him my route he revealed that I had crossed a hot spot for mountain lion activity and attacks! He said I should be more careful and next time travel in a group and stay on the trail if I go back into the mountains. I’ll be sticking to the more traveled paths from now on!