The Passionate Hiker: TOP TEN (1): Mt. Allan – Centennial Trail (August 1983)

TOP TEN: INTRODUCTION

The Passionate Hiker seems to have run out of steam.

Instead of reporting on his current modest hiking exploits, he has now turned for inspiration to those more energetic years long past.

Three and a half decades ago, this author was equally passionate about hiking, and much less cautious. Between 1983 and 1987 he had several exciting trips in and around the Canadian Rockies, which were captured at the time in a diary and in photos.

This “Top Ten” series of blog entries recalls some of the more strenuous or memorable adventures from that time period. No doubt the younger reader will find these events strangely archaic, but that was the way we did things back then, and here we are, having survived to tell the story today.

The “Top Ten” consists of eight mountain hikes, plus a canoe trip and an overnight journey on skis. These represent the highlights from a long list of adventures in the mountains during that period.

I omit full names, but perhaps you can recognize faces, even from that long ago. The photos come from my own dusty archives, and often from my long-time hiking colleague John M, for which I am very grateful. I have turned to the internet for pictures of a couple of trips where no photos survive.

The original diaries have been edited only to shorten them up a bit, but I have kept the original titles and wording.

The stories are told in chronological order, between August 1983 and August 1987, as follows:

1. Mt. Allan - Centennial Trail

2. Room with a View

3. Climbing into Winter

4. Mist Mountain

5. Great Divide Marathon

6. Through the Rockies – by Canoe

7. Skoki Lodge

8. Temple Triumph

9. Up the Crowsnest

10. Crypt Lake Classic

Today’s blog covers: 1. Mt. Allan - Centennial Trail

TOP TEN (1)

More than three decades ago, between 1983 and 1987 the Passionate Hiker was busy setting the foundations for his career, and his family, in Alberta, but it didn't stop him from going on a number of exciting adventures in the Canadian Rockies.

Here is the first of his selected "Top Ten" trips during that time frame. The narrative comes from his diaries, written at the time. Several of the photos come from the original negatives and have never been printed before. He is also grateful to his long-time hiking colleague John M for many photos used in this blog. Thanks, John.

High up on Mt. Allan, in Alberta's Rocky Mountains

SAT. 13^TH AUGUST 1983:

MT. ALLAN – CENTENNIAL TRAIL

Background to this Story:

During my second summer living in Alberta, I went on a major hike above 9,000 ft., with four work colleagues, west of Calgary in Kananaskis Country.

Our 19 km route over Mt. Allan (9,248 ft.)

My Diary:

“This route is not only the finest ridge walk in Kananaskis Country but the highest trail in the Canadian Rockies.”

With this accolade from my Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, how could I fail to have this high on my agenda for planned hikes?

Mount Allan also has two other points of special interest: the vertical climb from Ribbon Creek to the summit is 4,400 ft., exactly equivalent to Ben Nevis, Great Britain’s highest mountain; in addition, this mountain has been chosen as the site for the downhill ski races at the 1988 Winter Olympics – amid quite a bit of controversy.

An international team has assembled. Canadians Dave T and Tim G, of Novacor Chemicals (our client), Northern Irishman John M and Englishmen Roger H and myself, all of Fluor Canada. At exactly 6 a.m. on a cloudless pre-dawn morning we meet on the western edge of the city. A dazzling sun rises at 6.30 a.m. Speed into the mountains as far as Deadman’s Flats, where we leave one car, and we all pile into my car for the journey east then south to Ribbon Creek, where our walk starts.

We set off at 07.40 in the cool of the early morning, up into the forests from the new, almost deserted car park. Good views down to the Kananaskis Valley, dominated by the newly-opened 36-hole golf course. Already it’s rated as a ‘great’ course.

Meet a couple who are camping up on the mountainside as part of a University of Calgary survey team. A bit further on we come across a third member of the team spying out the valley below. Below is Marmot Valley, which would be the main ski route off the summit ridge. We agreed that it would be a shame to ruin this peaceful corner of the Rockies and that they should take their development plans somewhere else.

The rocky needles give great photographic foregrounds to the huge drop below, where several small lakes lay perched in the arms of the steep mountain faces.

Finally the summit! The summit area is a brown colour, in contrast with the green of our ridge and the light grey of the vertical mountain faces directly to the west of Mt. Allan. No cairn, just three plastic sheets weighed down and coloured white for aircraft identification. Each side the peak slopes rapidly away or disappears vertically to corries far below. Here we are at 9,200 ft. To the west the vertical walls of Bogart, Sparrowhawk and Lougheed bar the way, and prevent a view. These are all 10,000 footers. A sea of peaks to northwest and north. Eastwards the foothills give way to the prairies, where Calgary’s skyscrapers are visible.

The sun is very powerful up here, but we sit around with no shirts on. We enjoy the melon which I had heaved all 4,400 ft. up the mountain.

Head down the north ridge. Negotiate a triple rock band. Below us, a large group of bighorn sheep dash away out of sight. This is a superb green ridge with steep slopes on each side, leading to valleys far below. Negotiate another larger rock step – no problem. This gives way to a green valley, which becomes forested as it drops down to the Trans-Canada Highway.

Contour round onto the forested slopes of Colembola. Meet a couple on their way to the summit. Through the forest on a narrow track before hitting the forest road. For mile after mile we drop down and down through the cool forest, following the little orange stickers on the trees. Finally reach our first water of the day, a rushing stream.

Pop out of the forest, cross the Trans-Canada Highway and sprint to the car. Nine and a half hours from our start and having travelled 19 kilometres, 4,400 ft. up, 4,600 ft. down, giving total vertical distance of 9,000 ft.

Celebrate with some iced tea. Everyone slightly awed by our achievement.

STATISTICS:

Summit Elev. = 9,248 ft.

Height Gain = 4,458 ft.

Hike Distance = 19 km

Time on Trail = 9 hrs. 40 mins.