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  For the first time, I followed the route of the old highway which was superseded in the early 1980’s.  The well-graded roadbed, although becoming slowly overgrown by small trees, made for a good uphill slog.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