You never hike alone...

Haiiii-ya! Karate-munks entertaining the tourists, mostly hikers, at Lake Louise:  Plain of Six  Glaciers Teahouse.

One of the many things that make my heart sing is hiking and I got a lot of chances to sing this summer. For one thing, I was trying to get in shape to celebrate my birthday at the top of a rather steep local peak. At least, I call it steep. Some locals run up and down it to work up an appetite for breakfast.

Did I say young locals?

Others climb it with ropes and metal appliances that keep them from falling down its sheer cliffs to their sometimes eternal regret. Also young (mostly).

I just looked up one day and thought I would love to be able to say Been there. Also to see what the world looks like from the top. It's hard to miss as it towers above town, so I got reminded every time I looked up. I managed to inveigle my son and daughter-in-law to go with me, and two very good buddies who stayed with me all the way  to the top.

Since then, I have been hiking a lot,  finding more opportunities and doing trails I would never have considered before. I don't mind sweat, aching joints, cold feet from glacial streams, lungs pumping hard for enough oxygen, sweaty and sunburned skin. I don't necessarily like them, they aren't my favorite part, but they go with the territory.

I've hiked by myself and with groups. Either way, I'm never alone cause there's everything from the clown chip-munks  pictured above and below to butterflies resting on wild orchids to bears too busy eating berries to pay humans any attention.  Or flowers. Or petroglyphs or rocks or pink and blue coronas as the sun peeks over a peak. I'm surrounded by such stuff.

I love looking for stuff. My favorite part is taking photos. I grab shots of animals and trees and rocks and mountain peaks, light, color, patterns -whatever catches my eye. Then I get to go home and have fun looking at what I brought back.

Like these ground squirrels called chipmunks who literally steal stuff from tourist's pockets (I have photos) or look cute to beg for food (and if none is offered, snatching it from open backpacks, off plates, out of purses). 

I don't think there's ever been a hike I didn't like, even the ones that hurt or made me dizzy from altitude sickness or were packed with people like sardines. Every one of them had some fun involved. 

And what's life without laughter?

I's tole yu an tole yu, no stealin less I sez go!