Photography by Derek McBurney

Rawson Lake & Sarrail Ridge

I love hiking, especially in September, when the air gets crisp, the colours start turning and the sun starts struggling to stay up in the sky. Originally on this day we were going to hike Paradise Valley near Lake Louise, but our projected group of 8 dropped down to 3 and we became one short of the 4 person minimum for hiking that area.

We headed to Rawson Lake. The first part of the hike is a pretty boring jaunt through the trees, but the lake is picturesque when you reach and worth a visit. The second half of the hike involved going around the lake and going straight up the ridge. It’s a grind, and poles are definitely a good idea to handle the switchback-less slope. You will be rewarded with a great view of the Kananaskis Lakes on your arrival at the top.