Highwood Pass

Sat. 28 September:  The Highwood Pass

“The Pass is Open!! The Pass is Open!!” was the passioned cry from the classic musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”.  And finally, after the devastation from the June floods, the highway from the Kananaskis Valley up to the Highwood Pass was now opened to traffic.  Naturally I was curious to see the damage, but I was also hoping to see some snow and colorful larches, so everything pointed to the Highwood.

There was plenty of colour in the Kananaskis Valley as I drove all the way south from the Trans-Canada Highway to the winter gate.  Past the gate, I had glimpses of snowy peaks, and as I reached the Highwood Pass, there was a skiff of new snow on the road.  At this early time in the day, there were only two cars in the summit parking area, but this would change dramatically as I was to discover.  

The road had actually been opened about five kilometres beyond the Pass, at a wide point in the road opposite the sign for the Lost Lemon Mine.  I walked down the road past the concrete barriers, to a bend in the road where Storm Creek ran under the highway – or used to.  For during the June floods the creek had run wild, taking out half the road and creating a new path for itself.  The repair crews had not reached this area yet, so I could see the extensive damage for myself.  Further down the road, the expanded creek had taken out a smaller section of roadside, which would be an easier job to repair.  In the meantime, it will not be until next summer before this road will be reopened.  It was a cold morning with snow on the mountains and specks of snow flying in the wind.

Back up at the snowy Pass, in the short time since I had driven past, a dramatic change had taken place.  Dozens of car had arrived, and more were streaming in, unleashing multiple hiking parties, some of which were already heading out on the trails.  This turned out to be a good thing.  The advance parties had selected good paths through the snow, making the tricky route-finding decisions for me.

I wrapped up well, and strode down the icy path.  The trail soon headed up through the trees, and I was glad to have my MICROspikes with me on what was instantly a slick and slippery trek through the snow along steep-sided forest.  Ahead of me one group was having difficulties, and as I passed them, their leader was offering them an easier alternative further down the valley, which I think they took.  But the two groups ahead of them were making steady progress and I was happy to follow them. 

The trail up to Pocaterra Cirque is an exciting one.  Coming out of the trees, it curves around below steep open mountain slopes before heading into a wide and colorful larch forest, with views down the north side of the Highwood Pass.  Climbing beside a stream it then arrives at a tiny lake called Pocaterra Tarn.  Here I passed the next group of hikers (mostly Japanese) and continued up the valley to one of the prettiest places in the Rockies. 

Here the valley flattens out a bit and scattered larches frame the mountain wall above:  west to Grizzly Col and Mt. Tyrwhitt, and north to Pocaterra Ridge, all covered in drifted snow.  I enjoyed the climb up through the rocks to the treeline where I found the perfect rock where I sat and watched the Japanese hikers making their way up towards Pocaterra Ridge.  One party of three plus a golden retriever were heading up the open snow slopes towards Grizzly Col.  I’m not sure if they were planning to continue up the impossibly dangerous looking scree slope to the top, but they were headed that way – and there were no reports of missing hikers in the papers the next day!

I found the final golden larch tree high up these slopes, before turning around and contouring across to the Grizzly Col trail before dropping back down.  It seemed a very wintry place to stand for a late September day.  The larches were certainly colorful but were not quite at peak color.  The Fall seems to be very late this year.

On my way down I passed all sorts of groups heading up, most of them slipping and slithering along the trail.  People of all ages, some very young, several with dogs, and others in sneakers.  The lure of the larches had brought out folks who were not all equipped for this challenging high mountain trail. 

It was a festive scene in the parking lot, as I greeted a group of Brits beside their car.  The traffic was not very heavy as I dawdled northwards down the Kananaskis Valley, stopping to take pictures of colourful mountain scenery.  It was a great day to be out in the high country, even if the half the city had apparently responded to the call that the Pass was now open!

Statistics (Road: Lost Lemon-Mt. Lipsett):

Total Distance: 3.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:         120 ft.

Max. Elev.:        6,725 ft.

Time on Trail:     44 mins.

Dep. car:             9.27 am

Ret. to car:        10.11 am

Temp:               +1 deg.C

Weather:           Mostly cloudy, gusts

Highway 40 south of Lost Lemon barrier

Lot of flood damage along the road

Creek will need realigning

Statistics (Pocaterra Cirque):

Total Distance: 5.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:         490 ft.

Max. Elev.:        7,710 ft.

Time on Trail:    2 hrs. 36 mins.

Dep. car:             10.21 am

Pocaterra Tarn:   11.09 am

High point:           11.59 am

Ret. to car:          12.57 pm

Temp:               Zero deg.C

Weather:           Cloudy, sunny breaks

Trailhead for Pocaterra Cirque at Highwood Pass

Colorful larches

Pocaterra Cirque, view north to Pocaterra Ridge

Hiking group in Pocaterra Cirque

Looking back towards Highwood Pass

Group headed for Grizzly Col

Route to Grizzly Col, Mt. Tyrwhitt

Wintry scene for late September

At treeline: the final larch

I turned around here, below the Grizzly Col route

Mt. Tyrwhitt from treeline

A whole forest of larches up here

Pocaterra Tarn

Snowy route back through the forest

Rocky Mountain peaks

Back down into Fall:  Wedge Pond

Sheep Valley

Fri. 27 September:  Foran Grade/Windy Point Ridge

Sheep Valley classic

What better place for an afternoon hike, especially if you have an out-of-Province visitor you want to impress.  My Irish visitor P M and I only had an afternoon to spare, and it was after 2 pm that we left town, heading south to Turner Valley, then west into the Sheep Valley.   That still left us plenty of time for a good hike up Foran Grade Ridge then across and up to the spectacular Windy Point Ridge.

As we prepared to head up the trail, two horse riders came out of the woods, with a friendly greeting.  A little higher up we passed two hunters with guns, reminding me that I needed to find my bright orange toque!  Foran Grade is a good choice as it’s a fairly gentle trail, but with spectacular views west to the Front Ranges.  You also get glimpses eastwards to the prairie and the city.  There are no larches up here, but there was a little colour in the deciduous trees, brightening up a cloudy day.

At the col below Windy Ridge, we still had plenty of energy so we made perhaps the perfect angle up through the trees and onto the steep open slopes to the ridge top.  Here the mountain views suddenly open up, as you come to the edge of a steep cliff.  This was the first peak I ever climbed in Kananaskis Country back in early 1982 and I have come back several times since – and each time it’s a joy.

We negotiated the steep rocky descent from the ridge, down onto the wide grassy ridge leading to the road below.  Here a hunter was checking out the hillsides.  We returned eastwards high above the Sheep River, along the Sheep Trail, enjoying the pastoral scene, avoiding the cows and the cow pats!

Returning to the car, we drove west up the valley to Indian Oils parking area, to inspect the flood damage.  The bridge had been swept away in June, and we could see twisted metal girders lying in the riverbed several hundred metres downstream.  Across the road, a large moose ambled through the trees, hopefully aware of the dangers of hunting season.

Returning east, we were struck by a spectacular display of what looked like sun rays in the eastern sky.  Of course, the sun was setting in the western sky at the time, so we had no idea what could cause this display.  Thanks to the friendly CTV meteorologist, David Spence, we later learned that these were apparently rays of sunlight that shine through gaps in clouds, and are known as “crespucular rays”.  I may have been up the Sheep Valley countless times, but today I leaned something new!

Statistics:

Total Distance: 8.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:         980 ft.

Max. Elev.:        5,750 ft.

Time on Trail:    2 hrs. 58 mins.

Dep. car:                  3.07 pm

Windy Pt. Summit:    4.33 pm

Road:                       5.12 pm

Ret. to car:               6.05 pm

Temp:               +8 deg.C

Weather:           Mostly cloudy, no wind

Sheep Valley from Foran Grade ridge

Foran Grade from Windy Point Ridge

On the summit ridge of Windy Point

Fall colors in the Sheep Valley

Back down on the road

Sheep River

This poor guy didn't make it across the road

Plenty of cattle up in the hills

Dark skies but no rain

Sheep River gorge and Windy Point Ridge

A shy moose

Strange cloud shadows in the eastern sky in late afternoon

Explorations

2-17 September:  Explorations in Kootenay, Lake O’Hara, Jasper

What could be a more perfect holiday for this author than one which includes all these elements:  dams, tunnels, bridges, ferries, abandoned steam trains, disused and active railway lines, crazy mountain roads, fire lookouts, ghost towns, cable cars, glaciers, lakes, canoes, bikes, tents and, of course, great hiking?  In the space of about two weeks, I experienced all these, and lots more.

“Explorations” is a good word to describe my extended camping vacation this September.  For much of the time I was retracing the steps of the silver miners in the Selkirk Ranges of BC, and then exploring spectacular areas of the Rocky Mountains.

I was kept busy, as these statistics will show:

Total Distance (foot/bike):    138.8 km

Height Gain (foot/bike):        9,080 ft.

Max. Elev. reached:              8,310 ft.

Time on trails:                        38 hrs. 37 mins.

What follows is a brief photographic record of some of my favorite pictures.  I have a separate diary for those who may be interested.

It's not just bear and elk you have to watch out for, as this sign indicates, on the Mt. Revelstoke road

Historic firetower on Mt. Revelstoke

Meadows in the Sky - 4,700 vertical feet above Revelstoke BC

Once the site of the world ski jumping championships, now abandoned

Looking up at the gigantic wall of the Revelstoke Dam, on the Columbia River

Heron, beside the Upper Arrow Lake

New Denver and Slocan Lake from 5,700 vertical feet above:  fires burning in Valhalla

Idaho Peak (7,479 ft) and Slocan Lake below

Good advice - but not needed today

Abandoned train at Sandon ghost town

Beside Slocan Lake in New Denver

Valhalla and smoke from the fires

Driving crazy mountain roads, over 5,000 vertical feet from the valley floor

In the Selkirks below Mt. Dolly Varden, heading for Alps Alturas

Alps Alturas, Marten Mountain, 9,010 ft.

The Sandon to Kaslo line, now a bike trail

SS Moyie at Kaslo:  launched in 1898, dry docked in 1957

This looks like a crossing of the Irish Sea!  But it's Kootenay Lake, between Balfour and Pilot Bay

Magic mushrooms - very tasty

Cable car over Carpenter Creek on the Galena Trail near Three Forks

Alamo Siding, abandoned silver mine

Idaho Peak, floating in the air 5,700 vertical feet above Rosebery

Racing along the Rosebery to New Denver railway line, beside Slocan Lake

At the Hills Garlic Festival at New Denver

Rosebery to Nakusp railway line beside Slocan Lake

Huge log truck ahead of me on the Galena Bay to Shelter Bay ferry

Low cloud above Galena

Mt. Seven hang glider slip, 3,845 vertical feet above Golden BC

Above the clouds on Mt. Seven (6,445 ft.)

No mushroom picking!!!  Sign in Yoho National Park

Emerald Lake on a stunning day

Emerald Lake, looking to the President Range (10,249 ft.)

Climbing the trail from Lake O'Hara to Wiwaxy Gap

Wiwaxy Gap (8,310 ft.), looking towards Lake Oesa

Lake Oesa

Looking back to Wiwaxy Gap.  The Huber Ledges trail cuts across the mountain face 

Lake O'Hara from Yukness Ledges

Opabin Plateau

Mary Lake and Lake O'Hara from West Opabin Trail

3 p.m. at Lake O'Hara Lodge means a "Hikers Tea"!

Early morning mist at the Elizabeth Parker Hut

Above Lake McArthur

All Souls' Prospect

All Souls' Ledges, looking towards Opabin Glacier

Lake O'Hara: Lodge at right, Opabin Outlook at centre

Biking beside the Athabasca River in Jasper

Christine Lake, Jasper - a jigsaw puzzle challenge

Long distance shot of a black bear strolling beside Maligne Lake, Jasper

Spirit Island on Maligne Lake

Stark evidence of global warming - the Columbia Icefields in retreat