Snagmore and Fullerton

Sat. 4 May:  Snagmore and Fullerton

This may be a popular area, but that doesn’t mean that it should be avoided. You can be strolling through pretty woodland trails and up forested ridges within a half hour’s drive of the City.

Snagmore Hill has a fairly new biking trail carved out of the forested slopes, called “Snag-no-more”.  It rises gently at first, then more steeply to a short tree-covered ridge, before plunging back down to the valley below.  I chose this trail because the Kananaskis Blog had asked for a check on any logging in the area.  There was none.

My long-time hiking colleague J was on this trip with me.  He kept a good pace, having hiked five kilometres a day around the deck of his cruise ship in recent weeks as he rounded Cape Horn!  That’s not fair is it?

Not much to report, just a pleasant stroll through the woods, with a short snow-packed section and no sign of any animals.

We decided that this first loop of 6.4 kilometres wasn’t enough for us, so returning to the Fullerton Loop junction, we set of around this highly popular valley/ridgetop trail.  Taking the anti-clockwise direction, we climbed the valley trail, which in places is quite steep.  Higher up there are clear sections giving views of the ridge ahead.  The final climb to the ridge was snow-packed.

At the top, we then branched off Fullerton to climb a little way up Ranger Ridge trail. Today was a spectacularly clear, sunny day, and I knew the views from the lower sections of Ranger Ridge would be breath-taking.  They were.  Here we met the first person of the day, a jogger coming down the trail with his dog.  As he passed by, he told us that the views only got better the higher we climbed.

Returning to Fullerton, we enjoyed the exposed ridge-top walk as we descended to the Elbow Valley below, passing only a few other walkers.  A cool easterly breeze was welcome on this warm morning. 

It was around mid-day, and the Saturday afternoon walkers were just arriving.  These trails would get busier after lunch, and even busier on Sunday, under the warm springtime sun.  The campsites were already open along the Elbow Valley, and I imagine they were lively places on this glorious weekend.. 

Statistics:

Total Distance: 13.9 km (hike)

Height Gain:      1,250 ft.

Max. Elev.:       5,300 ft.

Time on Trail:    4 hrs. 21 mins.

Start hike:            7.38 am

Snag. top:            9.02 am

Jn. Fullerton Tr.:  9.58 am

Ranger Tr.:         10.46 am

Ret. to car:         11.59 am

Temp:                +6 to +14 deg.C

Weather:           Warm, sunny

Lots of snow higher up.

Ice under foot

Please claim your lost glove from the Snagmore trail junction sign

Also known as "Snag-No-More" mountain bike trail.

The sun shining through the trees along the lower sections of Snagmore Hill trail

The northern side of Snagmore Hill had a few drifts along the trail

Signs of logging:  looking north across Iron Creek to the southern slopes of Boundary Ridge

Trailhead for the very popular Fullerton Loop

Banded Peak (9,626 ft.) from the lower section of Ranger Ridge trail

Moose Mountain (7,995 ft.) and the fire lookout on its summit

The Elbow Valley from Fullerton Loop ridge