Rumon Carter | Blog

Giving Thanks: A Thanksgiving Day Run Up Mount Albert Edward

Since returning from the Transalpine Run to the low altitude and relative flatness of Victoria, Aviva and I have both been dealing with a heavy dose of mountain withdrawal.  And though we’re both looking forward to making some turns this winter, this current alpine longing could only be addressed on the run.  With days shortening and temperatures dropping we knew that our opportunities were running out, but nonetheless kept our eyes hopefully on calendars and the weather forecast for the mountains to our north, looking for a confluence of clear skies and days off work.  This weekend we got our wish: a single day in Strathcona Provincial Park, following rain showers and preceding snow storms, when we could - we hoped - sneak in a run up the easily-accessible Mount Albert Edward.  The 33km route is one I’ve hiked and run a number of times, but it would be Aviva’s first time up the 2,093 m (6,867 ft) mountain, a goal she’s had in mind for a number of years.

After an altogether too early wake-up call and a 2 1/2 hour drive up to the trail head, we spotted our objective through the trees and got started on what we hoped would be a blue-bird run up to the summit - a perfect way, we figured, to bookend an amazing summer on the trails.  While the “blue-bird” didn’t quite pan out the entire day, the unexpected weather we met along the way simply made for a more memorable adventure, and one for which we were certainly very thankful.

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Click photos for descriptions.