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