Picture of the Week

Saturday Nov. 26:  Sky High

The skies were full of color today - starting off with reds and oranges, and with clouds of all shapes.  Enough to draw one's attention away from the mountains.  Here, from my vantage point on Windy Point Ridge in the Sheep Valley, I could see how the strong Chinook winds were pushing the clouds away from the mountains.

Windy Point Ridge

Sat. 26 November:  Windy Point Ridge

Windy Point Ridge - perhaps not the best place to go when there is a weather warning for high winds in the mountains!  As it turned out, the wind arrived the next day –and it caused havoc across the city.

Last week I was skiing in minus twenty degrees.  This week, I was once again hiking on mostly bare, or lightly snow-covered, hillsides in the Sheep River valley.

My first ascent of this hill was almost thirty years ago, in April 1982, and I have hiked this area many times since then.  But my route today was new.  Parking at the Foran Grade trailhead, I followed the well-graded path as it looped its way up onto the ridge, and then gradually upwards to the high point.  This is a perfect vantage point for Windy Point Ridge and the whole Sheep Valley and Front Ranges behind.  There are ideal viewpoints along the way, where the trees have thinned out enough for a good view westwards.

However spectacular the sight of the wall of snowy mountains to the west, today it was the skies which captured the attention.  Right from the start of the day, when the eastern horizon glowed bright red, there was always something interesting happening overhead.  The red turned to orange and yellow, as I drove south to Turner Valley.  Now, on Foran Grade Ridge, I could see the clouds piled up over the peaks surrounding Flat Creek, and the high winds overhead were pushing the clouds away from the Front Ranges.  Up there the Chinook winds were already blowing strongly.  Luckily they didn’t make it down to ground level until the following morning – and then they blew with a force not often seen even in windy Alberta.

I came down off Foran Grade Ridge to the col below Windy Point Ridge.  Here I crafted my own contour through the trees and tangled deadfall up onto the open sides of the mountain.  By now it felt positively warm under the sunshine.  Above me I could hear the faint sounds of a woman’s voice.  As I climbed the steep hillside I could see a small group of people standing next to a bighorn sheep.  They waved at me.  Later I passed a parked truck from Sherbrooke University.  These people were studying the wildlife.  I knew this as I had seen perhaps this same truck parked below Ram Lookout trail, where this University has a mountain sheep observatory.

I was first on top today, making tracks in the light snowfall.  It was a short climb up to the highest point on the ridge, mostly covered by trees, but with good views westwards.  The trail was covered with paw prints from a cougar or coyote. I saw neither today.

After a brief lunch stop, in a very slight, but cool, breeze, I made my way down to the cliffs below.  Here was a grand place to stop and enjoy the exposure and the views.  There were equally good vistas west and east.  The downtown skyscrapers of Calgary were clearly visible across about sixty kilometers of foothills and western prairie.  The buildings were shining in the sun.  Of course, to the west were lines of snowy mountains.

I carefully dropped down the ridgeline, with the steep cliffs directly below me to the left.  Passing a small group of hikers heading up the trail, I made quick time down the bare hillsides to the Sheep Valley road below.  There were good views of the Sheep River in its deep gorge.

Back down on the road, I turned east to make my way back to the car.  A photographer was setting up his equipment, but there were few people around today, perhaps a few hunters passing by in their trucks.

The Sheep Trail closely follows the road all the way back to the winter gate.  Although it parallels the road, the trail is actually a little lower down the steep hillsides, and has a very good view of the river in its gorge, directly below, down the dangerously steep hillside.  I had not hiked the actual trail along here before, and it was quite impressive and exposed.

Soon I was back at the car, and was driving east past the winter gate – which would slam shut in just four days time.  I had enjoyed some good adventures up the Sheep River valley this year, and this had been the perfect way to declare the hiking season – in this valley, at least – closed for another year, by returning to the scene of my earliest hikes in the Alberta foothills.

 

Statistics
Windy Point Ridge
Sat. 26 November
Total Dist.	8.6 km (hike)
Height Gain	1,050 ft.
Max. Elev.	5,748 ft.
Time	3 hrs. 22 mins.

Other Stats.
Start hike:       8.26 am Foran Gr top:  9.23 am Windy Pt rdg:10.12 am Road:            10.55 am Ret. to car:    11.48 am	Temp: minus 2 to plus 3 C Sunny, v. light breeze (high wind warning!)

Picture of the Week

Sat. 19 November:  Early Delivery

This snow-covered mail box sits on the top of the remote Kananaskis Fire Lookout hill.  It actually houses the visitors book.  This year the snow has come early and these winter trails certainly delivered today, giving perfect skiing under cloudess skies - and temperatures around minus twenty!

Lookout! It's Winter!

Sat. 19 November:  Kananaskis Fire Lookout

How suddenly the seasons turn here in Alberta.  Last weekend I was happily hiking across the largely snow-free foothills.  Six days later, I was skiing across snowy hillsides in temperatures below minus twenty degrees C. 

Not many people would welcome a forecast of such bitter temperatures.  But I knew that, under sunny skies, such cold weather would make ideal waxing conditions for my cross-country skis, as long as there was enough snow on the ground.  And down in Peter Lougheed Park, there was already plenty of snow.

Strictly speaking, mid-November is still “Fall”, not that that means anything around here.  So this was an early start to the winter season.  The winter gates on the highways into and through Kananaskis Country don’t close until December 1st, so this is a very narrow weather window for trips which are impossible when the gates close. 

My plan for today was to tackle the Kananaskis Fire Lookout from the short-cut “back door” route.  There is a short section of gated fire access road which connects the Kananaskis Highway with the extensive ski trail system, but it requires the Highway to be open, as the trailhead is about ten kilometers beyond the winter gate.  I had never explored this short fire road connector before, and so it was a pleasant surprise to find that it was a short and relatively flat ski from the car parking area through the trees to the upper regions of the Pocaterra ski trail.   

It took me a little while to organize myself before heading down the trail.  I had five layers of clothing including my jacket, and three wooly hats on my head, and I was just warm enough.  It always seems to take time for my hands to warm up, even with two layers of gloves.  While I was warm enough today, I felt no need to remove any of these layers of clothing during my trip!  The waxing of my skis was simple, it being below minus twenty.  In the meantime, while I was preparing for the trail, I was greeted by a curious coyote who crossed the road, had a good look at me, then continued on into the forest.

At the junction with the access and Pocaterra trails, I turned left and followed the snowy route towards the lookout hill.  I was first on these routes today, and so was breaking trail through perhaps six inches of fresh snow.  There was a faint sign of a previous ski trail below the snow cover, but it was still too early in the season for the track setting which they do so well throughout the winter.

Passing the Whiskeyjack junction and its lonely snow-covered picnic table, I soon came to the Lookout junction, and after rounding the first bend, came to the black sign warning of the steep hill ahead.  Here I took off my skis and hid them behind a tree, continuing in my boots with MICROspikes for traction.  I might have been better off with my snow shoes, but I managed well enough with the boots, as the snow was perhaps only about ten inches deep at worst, and often less than that.

The final leg of the switchback trail up to the lookout was longer than I had remembered from last time, but finally I came out into the sunshine at the top of the hill.  The Kananaskis Lookout commands one of the great views in the Rocky Mountains, with the Kananaskis Lakes spread out below, surrounded by grand mountains, many of which are over ten thousand feet high.  Although it was a cloudless morning, some traces of early morning cloud remained, and across the Great Divide, clouds were boiling over the peaks.

I climbed up the steps to the lookout viewing platform for a spectacular view all round.  There was hardly a breath of wind, which was very helpful at these temperatures.  The forecast had suggested windchills around minus 35 degrees C.

I cleared off the picnic table in the snowy meadow below the lookout, and signed the visitors book which was hidden inside the snow-covered mailbox. The last people to sign the book had been up here six days previously, on the 13th.

As usual it was a fast descent to the bottom of the hill, where I put on my skis and glided smoothly back down the trail to the car.  It was along the upper section of the Pocaterra trail that I met the only other skiers so far to venture out – two separate couples, who were making good use of my track-setting!

By the time I reached the car, it really didn’t feel particularly cold, until I removed my layers of hats.  Then it was time to jump in the car and turn up the heater.  Winter had arrived in a hurry.  Judging from today’s trip, this season promises to be full of fun.

Statistics
Kananaskis Lookout
Sat. 19 November
Total Dist.	3.0 km (hike)   + 5.2 km (XSki) = 8.2 km
Height Gain	900 ft.
Max. Elev.	6,950 ft.
Time	2 hrs. 56 mins.

Other Stats.
Start ski:         9.15 am Start hike:     10.05 am Arr. L/O:       10.50 am Dep. L/O:      11.10 am End hike:      11.30 am Ret. to car:    12.11 pm	Temp: Cold; minus 21 to minus 17 C Cloudless, almost no wind.  4-10 inches of snow on trails.

Late Season River Crossings

Sun. 13 November:  Late Season River Crossings:  Sheep Valley

There are few better trails for a late season hike than the Sheep Trail.  This long hiking route keeps to the remoter south side of the Sheep River all the way from Sandy McNabb campsite west to Bluerock Creek.  The trail continues into the mountains, through the steep-sided valley leading to Tombstone campsite and the Elbow Trail.  The eastern section of the Sheep Trail is often snow-free through November, and the advantage is that the often dangerous Sheep River can be safely crossed at this time of year.

My plan today was to start at Gorge Creek, where I would ford the Sheep River before heading up the forgotten Teskey Road to Dyson Falls.  From there I would turn west and follow the Sheep Trail all the way to Bluerock Creek, where I would recross the river before returning by bike along the road.  It all worked out as planned.

Despite this being mid-November, the Sheep River had not yet frozen over, although the ice was quickly forming along the edges of the river.  And I found the water levels surprisingly high.  My crossing technique consisted of wearing two dry sacks on each leg, which was a good idea as the water reached to my knees.  The trails were either still snow-free, or had up to three inches of snow, easily manageable, and with very few icy sections.  The Front Ranges were half-hidden in the cloud, but they already had plenty of snow cover, and an icy wind was blowing an occasional snow flurry across the sky.  In the shade, though, it was not a bad day, with a few sunny breaks and temperatures around freezing.

This was a familiar trail to me.  I had brought my godson J this way almost exactly a year ago, and I had traveled this route several times before that.  It is clearly a favorite with the horseback riders, and so luckily the muddy path was frozen.

Dyson Falls is a little gem, a mini-waterfall, and it had already started to freeze up.  I could see that many people had hiked along the trail between Indian Oils and Dyson Falls, earlier in the day, but the only people I saw today were a guy dressed in camouflage with his two young sons.

There is a forested hillside on the north (right) side of the trail as it passes through the meadows west of Dyson Falls.  I had been meaning to explore this hill for several years, and so today I branched off the trail and up the gentle slopes.  It was an easy stroll through the trees gradually up the long, gentle ridge.  At the western edge of the ridge I came out of the trees to a very nice viewpoint.  On a clear day this would be worth a special trip, but even today I had glimpses of snowy peaks hiding in the cloud, and the Sheep Valley spread out below me.  It was an easy descent through the trees back to the Sheep Trail below.  This unnamed hill was well worth a detour.

The trail sloped down and down through the trees, until it finally arrived at the Indian Oils bridge.  There is always a big patch of ice on this final corner leading to the bridge over the Sheep River, and today was no exception.  Tiger Jaw Falls were also in the process of freezing up, but there was still a good volume of water racing round the corner under the bridge.

After a short break for a welcome snack and some hot chocolate, I crossed back over the bridge and continued westwards on Sheep Trail, quickly leaving any sign of footprints behind me.  Here the snow was two to three inches deep on the path.  This section of trail does have some occasional views of the Sheep River, but it also passes through long sections of closed forest, pretty enough but out of sight of the river.  Finally it dropped back down to the river’s edge, and right opposite was the Bluerock Creek road bridge, under which I had earlier hidden my bike.  Another tricky river crossing was safely completed, with my feet just about staying dry.  A summer crossing of the river would be foolhardy.

The seven and a half kilometres of bike riding down the road took no time at all.  The surface was starting to freeze over, but still bikeable.  In two weeks time the road would close for the winter, and the snow would start piling up, making it a good skiing trip for long-distance enthusiasts.  There were very few other vehicles, in fact I don’t remember being passed by any cars at all while biking back down the road.

Racing headlong down the final steep hill, I was soon back at Gorge Creek and my car.   It had been a pleasant outing.  After a couple of weeks of eating my way around Europe, it was good to be back in the Alberta Foothills, enjoying the last few days of pre-winter hiking.  Now it’s time to check out my skiing gear.

Statistics
Sheep Trail
Sun. 13 November
Total Dist.	11.6 km (hike) +   7.5 km (bike) =
Height Gain	19.1 km     980 ft.
Max. Elev.	5,770 ft.
Time	4 hrs. 3 mins.

Other Stats.
Start hike:      9.02 am Dyson Falls:  10.06 am Ind. Oils Br:  11.24 am Bluerock Ck: 12.20 pm Start bike:     12.38 pm Ret. to car:      1.05 pm	Temp: Cool, around freezing (-2 to +3 C) Mostly cloudy, some sunny intervals and light flurries on cold west breeze.

Picture of the Week

Sat. 12 November:  High Points   

Over the past couple of weeks, The Passionate Hiker has been enjoying some different high points, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and Salisbury Cathedral (the tallest church spire in the UK).  Both were spectacular.  In the meantime the hiking season in the Canadian Rockies is rapidly coming to an end.