Blueberry Hill

Mon. 29 November: Blueberry Hill

“I found my thrill
On Blueberry Hill”

sang Fats Domino. Reading my diary from my two previous visits to Blueberry Hill, in 1984 and 1988, I seemed to have made light work of the hazardous ski trip down from this magical viewpoint. Today, over twenty years after my last visit, I decided to make life a little easier by snow-shoeing it. It was still a good workout.

This would be a rare Monday trip, designed to avoid the crowds on one of the most popular cross-country skiing trails in Kananaskis Country.

It was still almost two hours before dawn as I left the city. Venus was brightly shining in the southern sky. The first signs of dawn came soon, in a cloudless eastern sky. By 8.15 a.m., the sunshine was lighting up the high ridges as I drove down to the far end of the Kananaskis Valley. Not surprisingly the Elk Pass car park was empty. I had the trails to myself.

Today I returned to the same trail which I had biked just a few weeks ago in early October. What a change now! The snow was already quite deep, and hanging on the trees, and the skiing conditions were already excellent – as always.

Some of the snow-clad bushes by the side of the trail looked uncannily alive, such as the three snow people riding a motorbike – but perhaps my imagination was running away with itself.

Temperatures were around minus 13 degrees C, which is a good skiing temperature. I needed two layers of gloves to avoid frozen fingers, but had no difficulty climbing the first steep hill to the powerline. Heading down the other side of the hill was a little trickier because these skis are a little light-weight. Upper Fox Creek is always a delight. The tracks were set and the snow hung on the trees. Ahead were glimpses of wintry mountainsides, with a slight mist rising from the lake.

Minus 13 degrees might sound a little chilly, but it was almost tropical compared to the temperatures earlier in the week. In Calgary it had dipped down to minus 30 C with a wind chill close to minus 40. Someone told me that at Lake Louise the wind chill had been minus 52 C, and the ski hill had shut down. So today was ideal for an outdoor trip.

At Blueberry junction, I left my skis behind a tree and proceeded up the Blueberry Trail wearing my snow shoes. The ’shoes certainly made this an easier trip. The first part of the trail is quite steep, and I might have had some difficulty with my skis. I had forgotten that the middle part of the trail was reasonably flat, as it passed below the towering cliffs of Mt. Fox. I had also forgotten that Blueberry Trail is over 3 km long, and gives you a good workout whatever you’re wearing on your feet.

The last section climbs up to the narrow forested ridge and its picnic table. Here is a spectacular viewpoint for the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes. The western skyline is dominated by Mt. Putnik, 9646 ft., below which I could clearly see the rounded summit known as Upper Kananaskis River viewpoint, where I had stood only last month.

It was so cold today that the water in my water bottles had frozen almost solid, but I had also brought along some hot chocolate in a thermos, which warmed me up. Returning down the trail, it seemed to be a long steep downhill journey. I wondered how, a quarter century or so ago, I had ski’d down this route with apparently such little difficulty. Today I was glad of my snow shoes.

Back at the junction, I put my skis back on, and enjoyed the long glide back down Upper Fox Creek. Somewhere near the lower end of the creek I saw my first people, a couple of skiers, coming up the trail. We greeted each other politely.

In a slightly adventurous mood, and not wishing to tackle the steep powerline hill again, I turned right into lower Fox Creek, on a trail which was very narrow, but luckily not too steep. The Kananaskis Country website currently shows this trail as “not recommended”, but it was manageable with caution, as it twisted through the trees, gradually dropping down the snow-filled valley. This trail finally links to the bottom end of my original Elk Pass trail, where I whizzed down the final slopes back to the car, meeting just one other couple along the way.

Instead of the crowded weekend scene, the car park was deserted except for my car and three others.

It was such a perfect day that I decided to take a chance and return to town over the Highwood Pass. The winter gate was due to close at midnight tomorrow, and so I wouldn’t have been surprised if the road had been unploughed. But, although snow packed, it was in good winter driving condition. There was only the occasional vehicle to be seen, and I think these might have been hunters.

On my way down to the Highwood Junction, I stopped at some of my favorite places, such as Cat Creek, where a large horse trailer was parked. They were probably out hunting somewhere over the Highwood River, which was now totally snow covered and silent.

With the winter gates due to be swung closed in just over 24 hours time, this would be my last trip into this magic Highwood country until next June.

Driving east along the Highwood valley, the wind was blowing the snow across the road – it was almost as if I was driving along a flowing river of mist. It was a relaxed journey back through Longview and Turner Valley, and into the city just before the Monday rush hour. And yes, I did stop at the Turner Valley store for essential supplies!


Statistics
Blueberry Hill
Mon. 29 November

Total Dist. 11.0 km (ski) + 6.4 km (’shoe) = 17.4 km
Height Gain 1230 ft.
Max. Elev. 6730 ft.
Time on trail 4 hrs. 17 mins.
Temperature minus 13 degrees C at start