The Sheep Valley

Sat. 30 March:  Foran Grade and Windy Point Ridges

The road beyond the Sheep Valley winter gate was bare.  I could have saved myself some walking by bringing my bike.  But usually in March, it is still snow packed.  Not this year.

I was the first car at the gate today.  It was a pleasant stroll westwards up the road, on yet another cloudless day.  Temperatures were just below freezing, but would soon climb above zero.

My route today was a familiar one to me.  The gently sloping hillsides leading to the spectacular view along Foran Grade Ridge, dropping down to the saddle, then up the steep slopes of Windy Point Ridge, before the spectacular descent along the broken cliff band to the road below.  Finally the stroll eastwards along Sheep Trail above the frozen river.

This is a combination of two very popular hikes, but today I had these ridges to myself.  I had my snowshoes with me but I had no need of them.  There was very little snow up there.  The great feature of this route is the spectacular view westwards up the Sheep Valley to the Front Ranges, still plastered with snow.  Yet there are also views of the city far off to the east beyond the low foothills.  I recommend this hike to any newcomer to Calgary, or visitors with little time to explore the Rockies. 

Today there was an assortment of wildlife on display.  First a large black crow sitting on the very top of a pine tree, then an eagle soaring above the cliffs of Windy Point Ridge.  As I dropped down to the road, I was surprised by a small herd of bighorn sheep ambling across the road and right past me, with not the slightest concern for my presence.

The Sheep River in its deep gorge was still frozen solid, unlike the more open Highwood River to the south, which I had crossed at the start of this month.

There was a slight breeze up on the very top of Windy Point Ridge, but down in the valley, where there was no breeze, it was warm.  The snow and ice which still remained in sheltered areas, was quickly melting.  Spring was arriving in a hurry, and there could be no better place to enjoy it than the Sheep Valley on a perfect day such as this.

 

Statistics:

Total Distance: 11.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:      1,300 ft.

Max. Elev.:       5,748 ft.

Time on Trail:    4 hrs. 6 mins.

Start hike:          8.34 am

Foran Gr. top:    9.55 am

Windy Pt. top:   10.37 am

Road:                11.25 am

Car:                  12.40 pm

Temp:                minus 3 to plus 4 deg.C

Weather:           Cloudless, warm. Slight breeze at top

Foothills Frolic

Sun. 24 March:  Foothills Frolic

Yet another perfect day.  Ideal for an afternoon ramble around the Cross Conservation Area just south of Calgary.  Today I had M with me.  We were surprised not to see lots of people out on the trails.  We met nobody until the end of our trip.  Our journey took us up to the first open hilltop, then southwards along Fescue Trail to the viewpoint above Pine Creek. We dropped down to the creek and followed the trail westwards.

The side track to the Stuart barn was closed. The sign said there was construction work, so of course we headed up the track to see what was happening. As we came in sight of the barn, we saw a farmer with his tractor and it seemed to  us that the barn might be being used for cattle or horses during birthing, so we turned around, not wishing to disturb the animals. 

Continuing up Pine Creek we encountered more snow in shaded areas.  It was a cloudless day.  The view of the mountain wall from the west end viewpoint was spectacular.  M skipped down the forested hillside through a foot of packed snow.  I had to work hard to keep up.  It was on the final leg, through the trees along the northern escarpment, that we met a young family of four – the only other people we met on the trails today. 

This was a great day to be outside.  To the north, across the prairie, lay the city half smothered in a haze.  Out here we were able to frolic in the bright sunshine.

 

Statistics:

Total Distance:   9.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:        600 ft.

Max. Elev.:       4,270 ft.

Time on Trail:    2 hrs. 29 mins.

Start hike:           12.32 pm

West End:            2.13 pm

Car:                     3.01 pm

Temp:                minus 2 to minus 1 deg.C

Weather:           Cloudless, E. breeze

Snowshoe Hare Loop

Sat. 16 March:  Snowshoe Hare Loop

I didn’t need my snowshoes for this short trip, but I had them with me anyway.  I did need my MICROspikes however. 

This popular loop, starting at the West Bragg Creek parking area, meanders randomly around the forested hillsides, twisting and turning to follow interesting contours in the landscape.  Today it was mostly hard packed snow or ice, with a few bare sections.  Without my extra traction I would have found this difficult and dangerous.  With my spikes it was a fast stride. 

Even by 9 a.m. on a dull Saturday morning there were quite a few people out on the trail.  I met a father and daughter with their dogs, a small group of young people plodding over the hard ground in their snowshoes, and an older couple enjoying their stroll.  Somewhere behind me was a group of people about my age preparing to set off up the trail.  Bragg Creek is an ideal place to live if you like the outdoors, and these trails get a good workout probably every day.

The sun was trying to break out of its cloudy stranglehold, and to the east, a heavier bank of cloud marked the edge of the mist which was enveloping the city.  There were no views on this trail. 

I was interested to see how the logging was impacting on this area.  The main Mountain Road access route was closed to skiers, as it was being used for logging traffic.  On the hillsides to the north, and to the south, just out of sight from my route today, the loggers were at work cutting down the trees and trucking out the logs via a route running northwest to the Sibbald Creek road. 

There has been a lot of concern expressed by the local community about the destruction of skiing and hiking trails, and an uneasy peace seems to exist between the residents of Bragg Creek and the loggers.  A few signs beside the road were reminders that not everyone is happy with current events. 

In the meantime, it has been a disappointing year for snow conditions at West Bragg Creek, so there may have been fewer people out on the hillsides this winter – although it’s always a busy place at weekends.  Let’s hope that the logging is soon complete and the sweeping forested hillsides once more fall silent – except for the sound of the voices of passionate hikers as they explore the trails.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 5.4 km (hike)

Height Gain:        300 ft.

Max. Elev.:       4,980 ft.

Time on Trail:    1 hr. 12 mins.

Start hike:            8.59 am

Car:                   10.11 am

Temp:                minus 11 deg.C

Weather:           Overcast, misty sun

Elbow River Valley

Sat. 9 March:  Elbow River Valley Circuit

Today was perfect for any outdoor adventure.  I chose a clockwise circuit of the Elbow River valley and Rainy Pass, starting at the winter gate.  I was well-equipped, with my snowshoes strapped to my feet, and my MICROspikes and cross-country skis tied on to my backpack, with my ski boots stuffed inside the pack.  I used all this equipment on my fourteen kilometre circuit.

I was in no hurry.  It was a perfect cloudless winter’s day, and lots of daylight at this time of year.  The sun had risen just after 7 a.m. I strolled beside the river, through the narrow, twisting gorge, away from the road and the vast majority of other travelers.  The water was running freely, between its snowy banks. As I reached the end of the gorge, I put on my snowshoes to wander along the wide valley floor, through the trees.

There was a delicate coating of ice on the tree branches, and as it fell from the trees it formed a glittering circle below each tree.  I followed the edge of the river before heading directly up the middle of the valley.  Gradually the views to the west became more spectacular as the Front Ranges came into sight.  Wandering at will in your snowshoes across a snowy landscape dotted by trees, making ones own weaving route, must be one of my favorite winter treats.

Further west up the valley, the river swings over to the north side, forcing a short clamber up the hillside and then along the tree-lined banks. My skis, strapped to my pack, would occasionally get caught up in the tree branches, so I kept as much in the open as possible.  I finally came out at the deserted Cobble Flats picnic area, the picnic tables and car park covered by an untouched coating of snow.

After a brief rest in the sunshine for a snack, I turned up the forested hillside for the long uphill haul to the Rainy Pass summit.  For the first time, I followed the route of the old highway which was superseded in the early 1980’s.  The well-graded roadbed, although becoming slowly overgrown by small trees, made for a good uphill slog.  The snowshoes prevented me from sinking into the snow.  Finally I pulled myself up out of the trees onto the Rainy Pass summit. I stopped to catch my breath, to admire the mountain views, and to change my gear.

From here it was literally downhill all the way, back eastwards to the winter gate.  A truck had come up the road to the summit and back down, and the compressed snow made for a fast ski track.  As I glided down the road, I met a couple of runners making their way uphill.  Further down the road were other people plodding uphill in their snowshoes. 

By the time I returned to the winter gate there must have been thirty or more vehicles parked beside the road.  On such a perfect weekend day, I had expected to meet more people out on the trails.  But not so many people know this route.  The river gorge is a magical door into a fabulous back-country.  Today it was looking its best, with the new snow cover and ice-laden trees, under a dark blue sky and sparkling sun.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 3.0 km (hike) + 6.0 km (‘shoe) + 5.0 km (XC ski) = 14.0 km

Height Gain:        750 ft.

Max. Elev.:       5,700 ft.

Time on Trail:    5 hrs. 16 mins.

Start hike:            7.56 am

Cobble Flats:      10.58 am

Rainy summit:    12.13 pm

Car:                    1.12 pm

Start Temp:       minus 9 deg.C

Finish Temp:     plus 4 deg.C

Weather:          Totally cloudless, hardly a breeze