I don’t know exactly when the mountains started calling me. But in Mr. Climenhage’s Gr 5 class at Stevensville Public School, I did a project on British Columbia. I can still picture that bulletin board –somewhat hazily—in my mind. And that cemented it.

My first trip to the mountains was a camping trip to Banff with Aunt Ardys and Uncle Gary and their family – and Grandma Winger and Frank – when I was 17. I still have a scar on my thumb where I sliced it good with a hatchet making kindling and Grandma told me that I should be leaving that “for the boys”. Hah, hah!! Don’t tell me that, LOL!! If she could only see me now, stacking firewood for winter warmth!

At some point, my view turned westward. Alex was born 25 years ago in British Columbia and we have made it back here, likely for good. I love living in the mountain valleys and having wilderness close enough to access with only a short drive.

It is such a beautiful place with so many stunning landscapes. Several weeks ago we had another camping trip northwest of Cranbrook with Alex. Add that to a number of hikes this spring – it’s mostly too hot now, to spend a day sweating on a mountain trail – and that adds up to a LOT of amazing photos. I thought it would nice in this issue to share with you some of my most memorable mountain lakes, overlooks and sunset views.