The Snows of Banff

Sat. 25 May:  The Snows of Banff

The jagged ridge of Mt. Rundle (9,672 ft.)

So much for the end of the snowy season.  It had rained non-stop for two days in Calgary.  In the Rockies it fell as snow.  As a result, my hike today ended up in a slog through wet snow drifts, with clumps of snow falling from the tall trees onto my head.

I selected a popular hiking trail in Banff today.  I was scheduled to meet up with some friends in Banff later that afternoon, so decided to take advantage of being in the National Park to take a look around the Mount Norquay area.  This ski hill sits directly north of Banff townsite.  After much debate in the local newspapers, Norquay has just been granted permission to create a summer tourism business to complement its winter ski hill. 

The switchback road soon led up to the snowline, and to a large parking area.  There were just three cars parked, beside the trailhead for Stoney Squaw Trail.  Footprints in the snow indicated a number of people were ahead of me on the trail.  Stoney Squaw mountain is a rounded, forested hillside which overlooks Banff.  It’s only a couple of kilometres and about 600 vertical feet to the summit, but the limited views down to Banff and the Bow Valley are worth the effort.

Halfway up the forest trail I met the other hikers – a family group of about ten people, consisting of parents, kids, and (I think) a baby.  A brief “hello” was all they gave me.  A little further along the trail, I realized that they were probably not feeling very happy, as they had taken a wrong turn and had started to head south down the mountain instead of continuing round a corner and up to the summit.  When snow covers the trail, especially in the woods, beware!  It is very easy to wander off course.

The final steeper section leading to the summit required me to step through wet snow drifts, making this popular hike a slightly more challenging affair today.  I was not suprised to find that nobody had been up here since the recent snowfall.  The mist hid the view of Cascade Mountain, but I did get some good glimpses of the Bow Valley and of the Vermilion Lakes with the peaks hidden in the cloud.  There were occasional flying snowflakes up there, and it felt and looked more like winter than spring.

I was glad of my rain jacket which protected me from melting snow dripping and cascading off the trees.  Soon enough I was back at the car park, happy to dry off in my warm car.

Back down in Banff townsite, the weather had magically jumped forward several months.  The weather was improving, with sunny spells and dry streets.  Here I met my friends.  After a short visit to admire the Banff Springs Hotel, where we chatted to a young couple from Glasgow, we turned our backs on the snow-plastered mountains and headed out onto the prairie, hoping that we could now finally leave this long winter behind us.

Statistics:

Total Distance:   4.4 km (hike)

Height Gain:          600 ft.

Max. Elev.:         6,180 ft.

Time on Trail:      1 hr. 40 mins.

Start hike:              1.00 pm

Top:                      1.58 pm

Ret. to car:            2.40 pm

Temp:                +8 to close to zero at top

Weather:           Cloudy, light showers, snow specks at top.

My trail started in the Mt. Norquay ski resort parking lot, above Banff.  Note the not-so-friendly looking bear on the sign!

New snow on the Stoney Squaw trail

The wet snow got deeper the higher I climbed

Snow drifts near the summit

Trans-Canada Highway from Stoney Squaw summit

Bow Valley and Vermilion Lakes from trail.  Overcast skies and new snowfall in the mountains

Spring snow in the Rockies

Mount Ware

Fri. 17 May:  Mount Ware

Today we chased a large grizzly bear up Gorge Creek – or so a fellow hiker advised us.

This was one of those rare weekends when the forecast appeared to guarantee rain, and lots of it.  So when JM and I started out from Calgary early on Friday morning under clear skies, it seemed that somebody had got it completely wrong. 

However, all day we watched the clouds appear out of thin air until they filled the sky.  By early afternoon, isolated rain showers were sweeping the foothills, but we stayed dry.

It was unclear exactly what our plan was, as we had expected bad weather.  We made a last minute decision to do a more strenuous trip to Mount Ware, which J had not climbed before.  To get there you park at the end of the Gorge Creek Trail road, which starts in the Sheep River Valley.  You then follow the Gorge Creek hiking trail westwards, before heading up the mountainside.  There is a nice loop up over the mountain and back down into Gorge Creek.  It all worked out as planned.

It’s very rare for me to meet many people on the trails, especially at the start of my journeys, as I start so early.  Today, a guy with his dog were just a couple of minutes behind us as we left our car. They soon caught up with us, and so we stopped at the little bridge over the creek for a brief chat.  He looked like a hunter or a rancher, and he had a large camera strung around his neck.  He continued ahead of us up the trail.

A little later, as we strode along Gorge Creek trail, we were surprised to see our hiker friend heading back down the path towards us.  He told us that he had seen clear signs of a large male grizzly bear and he reckoned it was only about an hour or so ahead of us and travelling up the same route as we planned to take.  He showed us a photo which he had just taken of a large grizzly bear paw print, and told us that this was the resident grizzly and there were always bears up this valley.  He also said that his dog had saved him a few times in the backcountry by warning of bears, and so if we heard barking, we should quickly reverse direction!

So we followed him up the trail and he was soon well ahead of us again.  We found the junction for Mount Ware (marked by a tree with branches cut off on one side) and headed up the forested hillsides to the open ridge, and from there up to the steep summit ridge.  The trail was exactly as I had recalled it, which I hope impressed J who I think was wondering if I really knew where I was heading.   The last steep scramble on loose rock brought us to the narrow summit, with spectacular all-round views.

Already the clear skies had given way to banks of clouds, some of them looking a little threatening.  But there was also quite a bit of sunshine to bathe the summit with a bright light.  The cairn has grown since my last visit here a year ago. This is a nice change from all those hills where some unknown forces have flattened many summit cairns.

We stayed only a short time before dropping down the steep rocky north-eastern face and contouring round the mountain where we picked up the trail back down to the valley below.  As we dropped down the mountainside we could see our earlier hiking companion up on the high ridge, also making his way down.  He would stay ahead of us all the way.

The wild flowers were just starting to come out, mostly crocuses, and some of the trees were only just budding out.  Spring was a little behind up here in the high foothills.

The double creek crossing allowed us to demonstrate our own methods – my double dry sack and J’s bare feet and sandals.  He told me the water would freeze your feet solid in less than two minutes.

We saw no signs of our grizzly, but made some noise just to let him know we were around.  As the hiker said, the bears don’t recognize that May 15 meant the winter gate was now open and humans would be flooding into bear country.  So it’s always good to let the bears know you are around.  We did, however, catch a tick trying to sneak up J's back on its way to a free meal.  This particular area is tick heaven (or hell), especially at this time of year.  It's a good idea to be on the lookout for them.

The uphill sections on the return journey seemed a little cruel after such a fine trip, but we made good progress back to the car.  On the final stage we passed four teenagers, three girls and a boy, happily heading up the valley in hiking shorts.  We forgot to mention the bear.  That was the extent of travelers on the Gorge Creek trail today.  Given that this is the May long weekend, our grizzly must expect some company over the holiday.

Statistics:

Total Distance:   15.2 km (hike)

Height Gain:       1,800 ft.

Max. Elev.:         6,980 ft.

Time on Trail:      6 hrs. 04 mins.

Start hike:              7.44 am

Jn. Mt. Ware Tr.:   9.20 am

Top:                    10.37 am

Ret.to Jn.:             12.15 pm

Ret. to car:             1.48 pm

Temp:                +3 to +14 deg.C

Weather:           Started cloudless. Clouds building up all morning. One spit of rain.  Cool breeze.  

Early morning mist along Highway 22

Dropping down into Gorge Creek from the trailhead

On Gorge Creek Trail heading west

Clouds starting to form on the mountains

Turning up onto the Mount Ware trail

Mount Ware from below

Looking northwest towards Threepoint Mountain and some large snowdrifts

On the summit ridge of Mount Ware

Mount Ware summit (6,980 ft.)

Dropping down the steep rocky slopes of the mountain

Heavy cloud build-up during the morning

Mount Ware in profile

Back down in Gorge Creek, with  Bluerock Mountain in the background

Gorge Creek - a lively stream

Viewpoint at bend in the stream

Dropping back down Gorge Creek

Beyond the Gate

Mon. 13 May:  Sheep Valley Road/Missinglink

This beautiful Alberta valley had one more day of solitude before the winter gate was due to be flung open on May 15th.  Then the hordes of campers will flood westwards up to Bluerock campsite for the long weekend, and another frenzied season will have been launched.

Today, however, this quiet valley was mine to enjoy.  Being a Monday morning, I was alone as I biked west along the road beyond the gate.  The valley was not completely empty.  Two trucks passed by, their occupants probably on campsite preparation business; a lone individual stood in the wide meadows studying the bighorn sheep; and much later, on my return back down the valley, a middle aged couple passed me on their bikes.  Not exactly a crowd.

It was a bright, sunny day, but over the mountains lay a spectacular line of dark clouds, threatening to race eastwards across the prairie.  Higher up the hillsides I encountered strong westerly winds.  But this is the magic of Alberta.  The clouds were fastened to the line of mountains, and there they stayed until later in the morning, when a few small clouds struggled free.  It was a perfect day to be outdoors in the foothills.  Later in the day, the clouds would build up over the city, but for now they formed an impressive line along the western horizon.

I biked westwards along the wide, paved road, as far as the Bighorn parking area.  This was a perfect setting for lots more scenery photos, to add to the large collection of pictures nobody will ever see!  Since the previous week, spring had arrived in a rush.  The grass was quickly turning green, and leaves were coming out all at once, creating a colorful spectacle of light green against the blue of the sky.

Just past Bighorn, I pulled my bike into the woods beside the road, and set out on a short hike up the grassy hillsides to a spectacular viewpoint on the high ridges above the valley.   The steep, open slopes drew me upwards, with views which improved with every step.  I passed through deciduous woodland, up onto the higher slopes leading to the flat ridge top.  There had not been many wild flowers on the lower slopes, but here on the ridge, the crocuses carpeted the ground.  Here I found an ideal rock to sit on.  The westerly wind was strong, and I enjoyed the birds-eye view of the Sheep Valley and the mountains and foothills.  The fire lookout high up on Junction Hill, far across the valley, was clearly visible.

On my way back down the hillside I came close to some white tailed deer which, because of the wind, had not detected my presence until I was close enough for some good photos.  Back down by the road, I collected my bike and returned eastwards along the valley, stopping to enjoy the various views along the way, and speeding down the long hills.  The Sheep River was running swiftly through its canyon.  The racing brown waters would have made a river crossing either dangerous or impossible for a lone hiker.

Back at the winter gate, a young man was settling his small child into his bike seat for a trip up the road.  An elderly couple was returning to their car from a short walk.  It was a peaceful Monday, and the last time this corner of the world will be so quiet until the winter gate swings closed in December – but who’s thinking about winter, now that spring has at last arrived.

Statistics:

Total Distance:    3.0 km (hike) + 16.0 km (bike)    = 19.0 km

Height Gain:          770 ft.

Max. Elev.:         5,690 ft.

Time on Trail:      3 hrs. 30 mins.

Start bike:            7.57 am

Start hike:            9.04 am

Top:                    9.47 am

Ret. to bike:        10.29 am

Ret. to car:          11.27 am

Temp:                +5 to +17 deg.C

Weather:           Warm, sunny, strong W. wind on hillsides, cloud over mountains

Grotto Canyon

Sat. 11 May:  Grotto Canyon - and Beyond

Not many people travel as far up this spectacular mountain valley as we did today.

Grotto Canyon forms the lowest part of Grotto Creek, which stretches for many kilometres up into the mountains.  It is spectacular, and that’s why it is also popular, even when the snow and ice are still partially blocking the way.  Today my perennial hiking partner J was accompanying me.

The route starts in an unexpected manner, with the powerline trail from Grotto Pond leading past the modern Baymag Magnesia plant, throbbing with energy this morning.  But we soon turned up into the mountains and the modern factory was immediately forgotten.  We entered a steep-sided canyon, with a small stream running along the gravel floor.

At the first corner we were faced with packed snow and ice which filled the floor from wall to wall.  Luckily, as an afterthought, I had packed my MICROspikes, and J had his Yaktraks, so a slightly hazardous, slippery journey became a stroll.  Somewhere along this section were the pictographs, but we did not see them.  We passed areas of smooth limestone along the canyon walls, caused by the force of the water racing at more than two metres height through the gorge.

Up on the steep walls of the canyon we noticed many clips and karabiners, awaiting the hordes of climbers who make this their home most days of the year.  On our way down, several of them were already at play, suspended from the rock, trusting their lives to tiny metal pins in the rock wall.  A long rope had been attached to the cliff from a point several hundred feet above the canyon.

Soon we came to “The Forks”, a tee junction in the canyon. Up to the right was a semi-frozen waterfall, known as Grotto Falls.  We climbed up the icy draw to admire the slender spray of water descending into a snowy hole.  Back down at the junction, the main canyon turns left into the most spectacular section.  Here the walls are vertical, and the passageway narrow.  We were forced to hop from one side of the bubbling stream to the other, to keep our feet dry.

Finally the valley opened up a little, and we came to the hoodoos, complete with cave, accessible by a short, steep scramble up the loose yellow sandstone.  Perhaps most people stop right here. 

Grotto Creek continues up a long, gradual valley, which is forested and steep sided.  There is a sort of trail up here, but the route consists mostly of rock hopping, crossing the stream back and forth to pick the best path.  We climbed gently and steadily, past some smooth rock slabs on our right, gaining good views of the Grotto Mountain cliffs to our left.  Finally the streambed opened out a little and we came to a small inukshuk, marking (we think) the end of the green trail shown on the GemTrek topo map.

This trail proved too tempting to stop here, so we continued up to a point where the valley flattened out a little and widened into a river of rocks.  For a while our stream disappeared underground but reappeared a little higher up.  After a bend in the riverbed, we passed through a narrow section, and into the final straight stretch of valley.  Ahead of us the mountain wall enclosed the valley.  The streambed would soon take a sharp turn to the right and climb steeply up the mountain slopes.

This was a good place to stop for lunch.  It was warm, with a perfect light breeze helping to keep us from overheating.  The lively stream threaded its way along the rocky valley floor.

The journey up through the valley seemed to be almost flat.  I had wondered why it had felt such hard work.  Now as we returned back down the valley, it was a much steeper downhill slope than we had realized.  The creek dropped down and down for an eternity.  I later calculated we had climbed over 1,800 feet from the trailhead at Grotto Pond.  We had gone much further up the valley than any of the guidebooks describe.  I calculated we reached grid reference 231624, for any map readers who may be interested.  It was worth the extra effort.

We were almost back at the cave before we saw the first people of the day – a young couple.  From here, all the way back through the canyon, we met more than twenty day trippers.  Many were wearing sneakers, which must have made their journey up the canyon quite tricky in places. We stopped to offer advice to several people wanting to know what was ahead.  Talk of canyons and caves helped to give them encouragement.

By now it was a hot afternoon and we sped back down the trail to the car.  Grotto Canyon is popular for a good reason, but I made a mental note to avoid it on a warm summer’s weekend.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 14.6 km (hike)

Height Gain:     1,890 ft.

Max. Elev.:      6,235 ft.

Time on Trail:   5 hrs. 47 mins.

Start hike:         7.55 am

Forks:               8.50 am

Inukshuk:        10.47 am

Far end:          11.23 am

Inukshuk:        12.03 pm

Forks:              1.06 pm

Ret. to car:       1.42 pm

Temp:             +6 to +24 deg.C

Weather:         Warm, sunny, occasional breeze

Trailhead at Grotto Pond on Hwy. 1A

Contrasting mixture of industry (Baymag Magnesite Plant) and mountain scenery.  The pathway skirts the Plant.

Heading into Grotto Creek.  Above is Grotto Mountain (8,878 ft.)

Some long sections of packed snow and ice in the lower sections of the canyon.

Signs of past water erosion in the canyon walls. A small stream was running along the creekbed.

Grotto Falls, reached via a steep, icy draw.

The path to this cave is steep and slippery.

Continuing on up into the upper Grotto Creek

Grotto Mountain.  This large boulder toppled down into the creek from the heights above.

This inukshuk marks, we calculated, the end of the trail shown on the GemTrek topo map.  We continued up the valley beyond this marker.

A baby inukshuk??

Higher up, Grotto Creek widens out.  Signs of gigantic flash floods in past years.  Ahead is an outlier of the Grotto Mountain peaks.

The upper canyon.

A lively stream in these upper sections of the valley.  Ahead is the final leg of the valley floor.  The creek then turns right and heads up the mountainsides.  We turned around here (approx. grid ref. 231624).

Returning down Grotto Creek, with the cliffs of Grotto Mountain above.

Steep slabs of rock beside the trail.

In the lower canyon, just below the Forks.

Looking southwest towards the eastern edge of Banff National Park.