I met Laverna the morning after the Death Race in the parking lot of Subway in Grande Cache. She’s living in Grande Prairie now so I was thrilled when she agreed to drive the two hours for a short hike. I can’t remember the last time we hung out – maybe when she came to Red Deer to run the marathon. Anyway it has been a long time.
Laverna was part of the hiking/running crew that I latched on to when I lived in Grande Prairie. All those experiences and memories seem like a lifetime ago. I couldn’t wait to catch up and gossip about the old gang.
We decided to hike Ambler Mountain. With only a few hours of sleep, I didn’t think I could keep my eyes open for anything more challenging. Besides I don’t think I have ever been up there so I was happy to explore a new summit. The trail is north of Grande Cache, off Hwy 40, on bumpy, dusty Beaverdam road. It was pretty quiet on the road but there were a couple of vehicles parked near the trailhead.
Straight away we saw a few Death Race ribbons on the trail. On Leg 4 of the death race, the runners do the infamous Ambler Loop. Our trail was marked by the remains of some poor animal’s jaw bone. Laverna and her ex-partner Chris hung up the signage a few years ago. You really have to look closely to see the marker.
Ambler Mountain is known for its beautiful wild flowers and lush green valleys. We were surprised not to see anyone on the trail for the first bit. We chatted for a few minutes with a few guys from Grande Prairie who were chilling out and having a smoke.
Once you emerge from the hike through the forest (maybe 3k), look to the left to see a small metal marker of the man who the mountain is named after – John (Jack) S. Amble. An orange ribbon also marks the spot but if you aren’t looking for it, you will definitely miss it. It is not very often that you see little memorial plaques like these on mountains.
So on our way down, Laverna and I cleared off the plaque and added more rocks to the enclosure to make it more visible. When Laverna lived in Grande Cache, she used to maintain a lot of the trails in the area. That’s one thing I really admire about Laverna – her fierce stewardship of the land.
Smoky as ever, the skies held a hint of pink. I can only describe the mountains like an artist’s early sketch before she filled in the details. The trail itself was very runnable but we chose an easy hike while we caught up and chatted. My energy was starting to fade by the time we turned around so I was thankful that we were taking a tourist pace.
Reaching the summit was anti-climatic. It was a lovely hike but the smoke obstructed our views. Laverna pointed out all the surrounding mountains in the distance, including Hammel where we could just make out the outline of the station.
We wrote our names in the log book. While I was thinking about something poetic to write, Laverna had rifled through the loose pages to find her name from the last time she hiked up Ambler. She proceeded to read the notes that people left in the weathered books. Such fun!
The hike rang in just under 12 kilometres and 565 metre gain – so not a challenging hike. Perfect for a catch up with an old friend.
We had a great morning. I enjoyed reminiscing about the old GP crew and all our fun experiences. This part of Alberta will always hold a special place in my heart because it was here I started running and really exploring the great outdoors.
Have you ever hiked Ambler Mountain? Ever catch up with a friend on a mountain? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.