Mount Lady MacDonald
Attempt date: September 22nd, 2012
Start time: 7:10am
Completion time: 6 hours
Elevation gain: 1200m (3,937 ft)
Participants: Sarah Mclean, Patrick Latter
Directions
From the Canmore centre drive on the 1A south to Elk Run Boulevard and turn left. There will be a paved parking lot on your left; park here.
Gear
- Food
- Water
- Warm fleece
- Hiking boots
- Thermal underwear
- Gaiters
- Gloves
Trail
The trail starts on a paved bike trail that changes to gravel and follows the creek towards Mount Lady MacDonald.
Looking back down the trail, there was a fantastic view of the ’3 sisters’.
Despite the unseasonably warm weather, the signs of fall were there as we made our way up the trail.
Once you reach about the 80% point, there is an abandoned construction project that includes a helipad and half built tea house. We stopped and took a few photos of some guys using the spot as launching point for paragliding.
After they all had taken off we took a break on the helipad and some lunch.
After lunch, we made our way up the final ridge towards the summit. From here it is more of a scramble and you need to use your hands at some points.
The final ridge walk is a little daunting because of the exposure on either side, but as long as you stay low and use your hands, it’s not too bad. You can see the helipad and tea house in the bottom right of the next photo.
Happy 2 years Sarah <3
What incredible adventures you and Sarah have! She is such a beautiful lady and looks so wild and free on those peaks. Congrats on the 2-year anniversary
Congratulations you guys!! And thanks for sharing. What a beautiful hike.
You and Sarah are inspiring me to get off my ass, grab a camera, and climb a mountain!!!!
Lovely pictures! I don’t imagine myself walking on that thin mountain top!
Stunning Photos!
Wow! I won’t tire of appreciating your lovely work. Such finesse !!
Great sense of space shared in your shots. I can feel the wind, hear the scree tumble down the ridge slopes and touch the warm stones.
Your adventures take my breath away, quite literally!!! Thanks for sharing…
Absolutely beautiful photos. Especially love the yellowing trees with the mountain peaks as a backdrop. Everything is so clear, no smog
. Great work. Bill
Incredible photography! Thank you for sharing my friend…
Wow!!!
Breathtaking photos! Thanks for sharing them!
wonderful photography, and wonderful scenery. How brave you are. Thank you for creating such beauty, and for sharing the incredible beauty of nature.
excellent work …. inspiring and shiny …. thank you for sharing
Ah, such a lovely mountain climber comrade you have!
Fantastic shots here. I enjoy seeing you kids in the photos too!
Great pictures!! Happy 2 years!
Wonderful
wow.. and scary. No way no how would I do that. Beautiful photos
Fantastic pictures.
I have two problems when I look at your blog – it makes me feel as if I am living in a model village, and I need a computer with a bigger screen to really do your photos justice. MUCH bigger! Thanks for posting.
Great photos. You obviously have a passion for life and enjoying living it to the full. Bless you.
Gorgeous pictures! I love the one of the paraglider in flight.
awsum pics, really very very good pic.
like it…
u sud try sum new theme of pic also..
What a great love letter expressed through your photography!!!
Beautifully captured photographs!
Beautiful photos and you both look like you had so much fun.
Reblogged this on #musaratali.
Incredible!
brilliant.
Wow!
The photos are absolutely stunning. Looks like a beautiful autumn day, unlike to cold and rain we have here in England!
Great photos; stunning scenery. Thanks for following my travel blog (travel with friends), I’ll jealously keep up with the photos on here too.
Gorgeous shots – because quite frankly you are incapable of taking terrible ones. Sarah you are gorgeous, but you can have that mountain aerobics all to your self thank you
You call that a trail… talk about living on the edge. What a fantastic ridge. Well done and thanks for sharing
Stunning photos! T.anks for dropping by my blog. Eager to see more wonderful pics from you:-)
The like button I just pressed was very insufficient. Love the photos, well done.
Jaw dropping stunning photos!!! Congrats to you and Sarah.
Beautiful photos as always!
SOme phenomenal photography! I’m not a photographer but these pictures are pretty amazing. Well done.
Very nice.
These pictures are fabulous, but I have to admit that my very favorite is the one of you two at the end! Joy to you!!!!
That looks like so much fun!
Amazing photos! Do you use film, too, or are all these digital?
What awesome photographs! You definitely don’t see photos like this everyday! The view is magnificent and Sarah is beautiful.
GORGEOUS! Now those are some portraits…
Again, fantastic images.
Gorgeous!!
Amazing photos. You should hosts photo hiking tours! I’d sign up.
You two are amazing! Great work!
Wow! Sarah is stunning and that ridgeline {brrrr!} – shivers up my spine!
Thanks for the follow on my blog – I look forward to exploring more of yours!!
Some great shots and a dare devil lady
i love the photos! oh dear! i can’t wait my trip to renjani and reach the summit as well! but looking at your girlfirend standing on the summit with smaller base really scares me, as if she could fall down at anytime
great serie! Love it!
grz M
Great photo of Sarah on the final ridge walk! The composition lets me see the challenge of hiking and why you do it.
oh my goodness, awesome!! Thank you!
You never fail to take the most wonderful photos. Such a great eye. So much talent. So much love
You two inspire me!!!! and the photography is amazing. Feel like I’m there…Thank you, thank you
What a lovely spot to celebrate your time together.
Wow – these pictures absolutely blow me away! This is the first part of your blog that I have looked at – I am hooked! Amazing, looking forward to reading and seeing much more from you! Thanks for liking my post…x
Loved it!
Amazing shots, i especially love the first three. The colors are amazing.
Fabulous as always!!
Reblogged this on nhicksbunao.
Your photographs MUST be beautiful, because I have a crippling fear of heights, but I look at them all anyway. The portraits of Sarah are stunning. When she’s 50, she is going to ADORE the fact that someone captured her in her prime.
Patrick,
I so look forward to your posts. This is stunning, makes we want to get out for a hike this week. What camera do you use? I’m certainly assuming an SLR. I love my Nikon, but it’s so cumbersome for hiking. I’ve been taking my Olympus XZ-1 which I use for my underwater shots. And congratulations to you and Sarah!
Cathy
Breathtaking!!!
Pics are amazing…
Piercing beauty as always! And what a stunning testament to the strength of your love for each other — crossing the craggy, sheer cliffs that mark the landscape of any relationship ONLY to reach the other side, together!!
Vicariously euphoric sense of flying seeing your venturous photos! You and Sarah cling to each other as you cling to the heights, then you’ll have it ALL for a lifetime, all the highs and the lows and every elevation in between. And I’ll bet Sarah will be even more beautiful when she is 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and still climbing by your side!
gloriously exciting and amazing!!! wonderful images.
Amazing! Beautiful photography. Beautiful full wheel pose.
The word “canmore” is from the (Scots) Gaelic for “big head”.
Beautiful pictures! And I see a little yoga there, the bridge! Even better haha!
Great shots, Patrick! And a great place to celebrate the happy 2 years! Cheers!
The shot of the yellow paraglider was breath taking. The one of your love balancing across the ridge made me lose my breakfast. Yikes! Beautiful work, as always.
I love the picture where the trees have yellow leaves. It looked like the mountains were painted. Absolutely stunning work!
Those are some amazing photos! I submitted this weekend too…in WA, was an amazing experience!
Yikes, I enjoy living the climbing life through your photos. This guy gets wobbly on the second rung of the ladder. Beautiful pics as always.
Really nice!
Beautiful. It brings back memories of my time in Canada.
Those pics are amazing!!!! Man, that looks so fun!
Amazing photography!!!
My palms are sweaty looking at the photos of that last ridge…yikes. Congrats on 2 years and congrats on such amazing photos!
Wow, these photos are gorgeous! Make me want to get out and hike lol. Simply beautiful!
Stunning photos – that one of the paraglider in the air especially, great shots!
What an amazing place to do yoga!
Gorgeous backdrop for Urdvah Dhanurasana! The exposure on that second to last shot kinda makes me wanna throw up…
Congratulations on your anniversary!
Enormous respect for you two …as you undertake adventures that few of us would dare. Thank you for taking me along as I sit in the safety of my sofa…lol
Absolutely stunning photos! Thanks for sharing.
Really nice work! Well done.
Totally great… it’s always so good to have something you can do together and enjoy. Your pictures are fabulous, as always…
Absolutely lovely photos. I especially like the one of the person paragliding.
Gorgeous photos, absolutely breathtaking.
Truly some of the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen.
You have really stunning and crisp pictures,they’re very pleasing to the eye. Thanks for following my blog! I’m just getting started, it’s a work in progress.
WOW, that was Awesome
I live through You today, my day-dreams are sweet
I love your blog. I wish I had the courage to go hiking on mountain ridges the way you guys do. Alas, I went bouldering once with my son’s scout troop and had a MASSIVE panic attack. Apparently I have a fear of falling and that was the first time it presented itself. Who knew? So I miss out on some beautiful views when I visit home because I can’t climb to the top of the mountains. Easy hike, yes. Ridges, no. Thank you for sharing. Your photos are gorgeous. Love the paragliding shot. Congrats on two years.
Amazing photos!
Beauty in the landscape……beauty in the love
Absolutely beautiful!
Wow! Not only is your photography stunning but you look to be super brave too! Little Chef
Gorgeous photos, Patrick! My legs are shaking from the final ridge walk….amazing!
Thanks for liking my post! Your site is lovely.
It’s so beautiful. Not for the faint at heart!
gorgeous photos!
Salut!
Thank you for sharing such amazing photos. You capture the beauty I believe is inside of all of us. Again thanks. <3
WOW amazing.. I hyperventilated a little but amazing and Thank you for the love
http://WWW.lifestyleest1079.com
Another brilliant set of photos – especially 6, 9, 10 & 11
Absolutely stunning scenery.
AMAZING photos!!!
That first shot is stunning but seeing where you were hiking took my breath away! Oh and happy anniversary
Amazing photos!!! Breathtaking
Wow! Amazing shots.. And what a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing
The mom in me says “Oh my God! Don’t you dare send Sarah to walk across a dangerous ridge like that again!” That kind of made me draw in my breath when I saw those pictures. Stay safe you dare devils!!
Holy awesome! Beautiful scenery, people, and photography; keep up the good work man. …i need to move to Canada….
Lovely work that captures the land and the surrounding atmosphere perfectly! I envy you and admire you and am happy to enjoy your antics from afar……like at the bottom of the mountain!
Beautiful photography! Thank you for sharing them. And happy two years
Marvelous shots! You are really talented.
your photos are always amazing
Your girlfriend is offical
HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!
Absolutely beautiful and breathtaking
Completely incredible and breathtaking, thank you x
Especially like the one with the yellow trees and the mountains. Amazing as usual.
Hey Patrick ever been to the east coast? I would love to see what your eye and camera would pop out of the scenery in these parts!! Making me yearn for the west you are
thanks for visiting picara* (stunning pictures – i’m a fan of fall&mountains… and we also have 3sisters in south africa!)
Beautiful pictures!! Looks like you two have some great adventures!
WOW just wow! How awesome is that!!!
again Awesome photos! indeed Sarah is beautiful and how much we appreciate ye both for sharing yer sweet adventures with us.. happy 2 years to ye both
Great Pictures!!! The picture of you on the edge of the cliff looks really scary but an exhilarating scary!!
What stunning photos.
How gorgeous!!! Love your images!
Just totally amazing photographs!
Wow is all that truly needs to be said. However, it seems to limited so I will saying having traveled across the Yellow Head from Edmonton through Jasper and down into the Okanagan River Valley I would have to Astonishing. Thank you for sharing and if you don’t mind I would like to try my hand at writing some poetry detailing your photos. I think the medium of photography is a canvass that reveals so much more of the world than we truly see, where brush and canvass are ink and paper. Let me know what you think.
AWESOME SHOTS!!! ^_^ Love it!!! <3
I am so glad you liked my post because it caused me to come view your posts. Oh my gosh, I love your photography. Most of it makes me smile. The other makes my heart race because they looked dangerous to ones health. Hahaha. However, the fun and passion still shows in the art, so for now, I will live vicariously.
Exquisite images! I’ve been to those magnificent mountains and always wanted to climb/hike them – now I can live vicariously through you in your photos, thank you
Oh, to be young again. Actually, I was young once and I still could not have taken your amazing trips nor captured your beautiful photos. Damn young people!
The only word jumping in my head is “HOW EXCITING!” You are living a few dreams of mine and I am sitting here watching my life tick away as I watch your pictures. These are inspiring me to DO something about myself. Thank you for posting such energizing pictures and thank you for the follow!
Wow! Sensational!
If that is how you celebrate your 2nd anniversary, your love for each other must be as breathtaking as the place you decided to spend it on! Absolutely beautiful – you, Sarah & the part of the world you shared with us. Thank u & Happy Anniversary.
Dude, your pictures are stunning. Great work, and congrats on your anniversary, you look so happy together!
Great adventure!
Utterly utterly utterly utterly awesome, fantastic, beautiful.
Beautiful scenery, beautiful friend, beautiful experience also I’d say.
What a lovely post!
Wow! Amazing pics. Envy you guys. N Sarah you look stunning.
beautiful
Incredible shots, from the natural landscape to the decidedly lovely personal pictures. Well done!
Absolutely beautiful!!!
Canada looks so beautiful. Lovely photos.
What gorgeous photos! What a terrific adventure.
Amazing pictures, Patrick! I especially like the last seven of them!
Wow! Beautiful!
Wonderful! Happy Anniversary!
These are amazing photos…remind me how lucky I am to live in this beautiful country!
Your photographs are gorgeous, and your hikes look amazing.
Wow. I looked at a number of your posts and that’s what kept coming to mind. This last one makes me vertiginous–and I’ve been rock climbing. Thanks for liking my blog post–if you hadn’t I’d probably not have come across these pictures. Not only are they beautiful, they belong in a geology 101 slideshow!
Wow!
I just have to say WOW….Beautiful pictures
What a beautiful day — the colors are very rich and I like the photo of you both hugging at the end!
These are extremely nice photos. What lenses do you use?
amazing! simply amazing!
Beautiful pictures! Guess I’ve got to start working on the hiking trip I had shelved earlier…
That hike looks terrifying and AWESOME! also, your pictures are just so stunning. You really capture the majesty of those mountains.
I’m in awe these photos and location are so gorgeous! I miss hiking, it’s been too hot in LA to go. I can’t wait to start again as it cools down. Thank you for sharing the beauty!
Awesome pix! Holy cow Sarah sure is pretty, too! You can tell her I said so!
Looks like you had an awesome weekend!
Simply . . . stunning. I am in awe. I hike vicariously through your work. Sarah is so beautiful, congratulations on 2 years! Love Karen x
Beautiful photos….beautiful couple! Congrats! My fav is the black and white with Sarah scaling the top of the mountain ridge….once again, breathtaking.
Thanks for reading my words over at “Caregiving with Grace”!
Your photos make me want to be more, do more, live more, love more…..this life is a true GIFT
Was listening to the Royal Philharmonic and getting absolutely lost in your world. Magical. Moving. Thank you.
Beautiful photos again Patrick. Its verging on soft porn for gophers……
awesome images!
Breathtaking !
Breathtaking!
Pingback: Mount Lady MacDonald | Ant Pruitt's Mindless Site
Wow! That’s all I have to say. That doesn’t happen often
Beautiful as always
Thank you for visiting my blog. If you would like to be considered as a contributor to EoTE, please contact via the Submissions page. warmest regards
Thank you for sharing these eye-treats with us! My favorite is where the lady is on the mountain top (wording?) – she has a vibe of a panthera and the landscape is just awe-inspiring! Congrats on the courage and skill to climb all the way up there!!!
Good morning!
I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award! Here’s the link: http://readcooklive.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/1005/
Truly beautiful! I always look forward to your posts. Grats on the two years!
Gorgeous pictures, so beautiful to look at nature, a little on the wild side…and that narrow mountain top….scary!
Thanks for following my blog. I have been going through your posts and must say that pictures are surely worth a thousand words. That’s a lovely collection that you are building there. Truly awesome!
NIce work Patrick.
You do with pictures what Jack London did with words, you bring the wilderness home.
Spectacular photos! What an adventurous couple you are!
There are ’3 sisters’ in Oregon, too, but I’m assuming these photos are in Canada? I don’t recognize the area.
This picture is soo inspirational..!!! i want to do this with my life partner once before i die.. you guys are so lucky
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My first visit to your blog and I am speechless! Thank you for subscribing to my blog so I could find yours! Margie
The photos just keep getting better! Keep ‘em coming and thanks for sharing.
Gorgeous images-be careful out there!
I though this was a very beautiful collection of photos. Some of them were very intriguing while others just made me want to go on an adventure as well. They were well taken shots with really good focus on theme, and contrast in the images themselves.
I might be over-analyzing that, but it’s because I like the photos.
Brave, awesome, breathtaking, talented, free!!!! LOVE your adventures!!! Some of those views even make me dizzy.
Wow, breathtaking! I can only imagine the adrenaline rush…
Looking forward to seeing more incredible photos. Well done (and thanks for following too)
tHe CrAzY nIgErIaN
Reblogged this on Antonia Sara Zenkevitch and commented:
These photos are so beautiful I needed to share them. Good blog to follow
Thanks for sharing God’s beauty in creation. God bless you both, and thanks for the encouragement!
It is Nature & You are the Master ….. who is also part of the Nature ……
You are fearless and have an amazing life.
Amazing photography!!!!
can’t get over how amazing these are!
Fantastic photos. I am impressed. I invite you to visit my blog
I’ve done that hike, you did an amazing job capturing it.
I’m originally from the Northeast and moved to SoCal…you have no idea the nostaligia those bright yellow leaves are giving me! I think you’ve added a destination to my list!
That is one daring chick! WOW !
You take excellent pictures! They make me feel very… jealous! Gorgeous work, fun life!
Thanks for sharing these gorgeous pictures. They bring an inner peace just relaxing and looking at them.
your photos are really amazing! When I am ready to put art on the walls after my reno I will be in touch!
What a lovely way to celebrate 2 years! Love the pinky dusk shots
NIce pictures and happy anniversary.
I envy your talent, your locale, and your adventurist spirit. Beautiful photos as always. Happy anniversary. You make a lovely couple.
One word…WOW!
what a beauty!
the mountain is gorgeous as well
congrats on 2 years
- s
the photos were beautiful were was the mountain you hiked and how long was the hike
Loved the second-last one. You get shots like these once in a life time.
Good work. Keep it up.
just amazing again!
nice photography
The Canadian Rockies are inspiring, as are your images!
Fantastic and stunning photography! I’m humbled that you’re enjoying my posts. In turn, thank you for directing me to your site, I’m enjoying following your adventures!
Stunning as usual and some beautiful portraits too. Amazing landscape. I’m too much a wimp to get on that ridge. I’ll just sit here and admire those guts and camera skills. LOL!
Saw you followed my blog and came over to visit and all I have to say is WOW. I work with a lot of photographers so I don’t give out my “wows” that easily. Your photos make me want to climb that mountain now. The one of Sarah on the knife’s edge is breathtaking.
wow, amazing photos. Makes me want to go hiking real soon!
Wow–is all I can get out after that!!!
Amazing! Simply Beautiful, what a way to spend a day!
I like the last 3 pictures very much, how they capture from up top of the mountains..
So pretty. k.
What is the difference between luster and glossy?
Luster is basically a matte finish
Breathtaking photos!!
Congratulations; beautiful couple and beautiful pictures!
Awesome photos, awesome adventure!
Congrats to you both, a partner you can travel and climb with is a partner for life.
Sarah is officially my new girl crush.
I love your pictures! I want to move to Canada now!!!
Congratulations! You are a lovely couple!
Amazing photos as always!
love the pictures. I miss hiking! thanks for visiting my site. definitely can learn a few things from you!
Very sweet! Love all of these photos very much. It must feel amazing to climb up those mountains.
excellent
I am a fan of nature, your pictures are absolutely beautiful.
As Like number 1000 on this photo story I’m coming a little late to the party. Thank you for breadcrumbs trail that brought me here
these photographs are stunning! your photographs always brighten my day and calm me even after the most stressful days — someone has talennnnnt
Stunning!
Amazing photographs. The colors and compositions are absolutely stunning.
These photos are absolutely stunning! Amazing to share such an experience together.
Beautiful photos once again. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent.. and worth watching…
I’d loved to have been on these trails … not so much on climbing the mountain though. Excellent photos.
Thank you for following my blog.
I see I’m not the only one to comment
This is so beautiful.. and you guys are so beautiful as well! Stunning photos 
<3
I’m jealous of your photos! Nice work.
Once again your photography is outstanding and the story is well worth a read.
Beautiful, gorgeous, lovely, exquisite, etc., etc., as is most of your work — this from someone who would be scared out of his mind on that ridge walk. “Stay low and use your hands”? The only way I could possibly do it is by lying down and dragging my body, stomach down, across the rocks without looking down. Would probably be puking too!
So thanks for the chance to experience it in the comfort of my own home through your highly refined eye.
Mindblowing. I am in awe.
I’m impressed, I love your beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing
Landscape scenery is fabulous and the intrepid adventurer. Happy adventuring …
You are amazingly talented! One of your pictures from The Trail series inspired one of my recent poems. Hope you like it! Take care and keep snapping those photos!
Check it out at:
http://poetryroad.wordpress.com/
What a beautiful story these pictures tell. The landscape and the sky and the two of you are so lovely it puts an ache in one’s gut. If I could capture it like that, I do not think I would bother with writing ever again.
It’s coldish out, but this makes me want to keep the door open.
oh my god … and after all u are still alive
nice nice pictures 
Great photos. I really need to get more motivated with whipping out big bertha, my SLR camera, and taking some good shots on my travels. Too lazy, always using the crappy compact camera. Oh yeah also I’m lacking skills. Regardless of my laziness and sub standard skills, you’ve helped motivate!
u are blessed…
That’s all you could ask for, really – beautiful lady, breathtaking 360 view, and the brave spirit to share it. I admire you guys no end. Happy Anniversary to you x
Hi Patrick – hoping you will be able to let me know which lens you used for the 2 ridge shots of Sarah. I have been studying your lens kit for the Canon & want to start off with the best lenses poss – as finances will restrict……I really want to create those fab depth of field effects – as my ixus cannot do – and so looking forward to buying my 5D in the new year ! Look forward to hearing from you – amanda