Soggy Elbow and Frozen Highwood

Sat./Sun. 28/29 May:  Soggy Elbow and Frozen Highwood

Two short trips in two days – but what a contrast.  On the first day I hiked through the snow up a ridge, on an overcast day threatening rain showers, while the very next day I was biking along a road under cloudless skies – but with temperatures only just above freezing.

The forecast for Saturday was not promising.  I was curious to see how much snow had fallen in the mountains over the past week, so decided to drive up the Elbow Valley road – opened two weeks ago.  There was some snow at the Rainy summit, and lots of new snow on Forgetmenot Ridge, hiding a little gloomily in the cloud.  

My first stop was at Elbow Falls.  I guessed that the water might be quite high, and I was right.  It was racing over the Falls with a thunderous roar.  M had told me she had kayaked over these falls recently, but today it would have been impossible.  It was a grand sight.  There was water everywhere, even running down the viewing trail which runs beside the river.  I noticed a very human rock face which looked to be guarding the falls.  It seems that the mountains are full of rocks and cliffs which have a human profile – unless it’s just a sign that I am spending too much time in the outdoors.

At the far end of the road, by the pedestrian footbridge, there was just one car from Saskatchewan which had been parked overnight.  The campsite looked to be deserted – not surprising given the rain and snow and cold temperatures.  Just as I was returning across the suspension bridge, three cars carrying a Japanese family party pulled into the parking area, one guy clutching a brand new map, and several of them wearing shorts.  Good luck, I thought.

Returning back down the valley, I decided to stop at Allen Bill Pond and hike up Fullerton Ridge – a route which C and I last did in 1993.  A large picnic party had assembled by the small lake, the families braving the threat of rain (it stayed dry).  

Passing under the road bridge by the rushing Elbow River, I soon came to a very soggy part of the trail.  In fact it looked very much like a stream-bed, and I only just managed to stay dry crossing the muddy and wet sections.  On Fullerton Loop I soon encountered snow on the trail.  A friendly hiking party of bikers (or quad drivers) came striding down the trail.  

The path climbs up a valley at a gentle angle, before crossing over the stream and climbing a little more steeply to the ridge top.  There are good views across the Elbow Valley to the Front Ranges – except that today the visibility was poor. But I did get a few sunny breaks.  The trail completes the loop by following a pretty tree-lined ridge as it drops back down to the valley floor.  Somewhere along that section I met the only other person on the trail, a girl with her two black Labradors.  This ridge gives a good bird’s eye view back down to the Elbow River and Allen Bill Pond.  There seems to be a small village hidden in the trees, where the park maintenance people probably live.

Safely back across the quagmire, I returned to the car, having remained dry – apart from my boots.  This was a soggy, snowy walk.

Statistics
Fullerton Loop
Sat. 28 May
Total Dist.	6.7 km (hike)
Height Gain	700 ft.
Max. Elev.	5,249 ft.
Time	1 hr. 51 mins.

Other Stats.
Start hike:     10.25 am Top:              11.34 am Ret. to car:    12.16 pm	Temp:  +8 to +11 deg.C Overcast, sunny spells.  Poor visibility.  Some snow on trail.

The next morning, Sunday, I was up very early, and was able to enjoy the 5.30 a.m. sunrise over the prairies as I drove south out of town.  I always enjoy the drive down to Longview, taking the short-cut through Turner Valley to bypass the road through Black Diamond.  It was a cloudless morning and there was a lot of new snow on the mountains and the foothills.  Entering Kananaskis Country, I could see that the Bull Creek Hills had a fresh snow cover right down to the road.  They had been almost snow-free a couple of weeks earlier.  The grass was bright green after all the recent rain.

Not surprisingly there were no other cars at the winter gate, it not being 7 a.m. yet.  There was, however, a large oil or gas truck parked by the road, for some reason or other.  Perhaps the driver had spent the night there before heading down the forestry road.

It was freezing cold, and I wore gloves and my wooly hat as I biked up the road beyond the winter gate.  The valley was full of elk and white tailed deer, very sensitive to my presence and disappearing rapidly over the hillsides as I approached.  One huge herd stood above me on the mountainside.  It must have been close to freezing here, as the sunlight had not found its way down onto the road until I had biked further up the valley.

Given the late snow cover, it was not practical to be trying to hike the mountain trails. This road was one way of getting into the magic wilderness without very much effort.  Two weeks previously, I had biked along this road and had been able to make it about 15 km up the Pass.  So I had hoped to go further today.  I was disappointed.  The recent snow and cold temperatures soon put a stop to my plans after only about nine km.  There was ice and snow on the road and further progress was simply impossible. 

I was in no hurry to leave this mountain wilderness and enjoyed snapping away with my camera at all the snowy mountain peaks which lined this magnificent valley.  The Highwood River was running high, and I would not have wanted to try a crossing today.  Returning to the winter gate I saw just one other vehicle, and its occupant readying for a bike ride up the valley.  He did not stop to ask me how far he might get, so he would have found out for himself soon enough. 

It was still a cold, but sunny morning, not yet 9 a.m.  How funny it might seem to many people that anyone would get up so early on a Sunday morning to bike in the freezing cold up a lonely valley, and 18 kilometres later, be completed so early in the day.  But why not?  The sun rises early at this time of year, and the morning is the best time to enjoy the wildlife, and you are guaranteed tranquility even on a cloudless weekend day.  I simply felt very fortunate to be there.

Statistics
Highway 40 from winter gate
Sun. 29 May
Total Dist.	18 km (bike)
Height Gain	600 ft.
Max. Elev.	5,560 ft.
Time	1 hr. 39 mins.

Other Stats.
Start bike:       6.52 am To snow:         7.47 am Ret. to car:      8.31 am	Temp:  +1 to +4 deg.C Cloudless, cold

Rainy Pass

Sat. 26 February: Elbow Winter Gate to Rainy Pass

Today a noteworthy event - the forecasters got it exactly right! They called for the snow flurries and cloud to clear away by 10 a.m. leading to clear skies, and a windchill around minus 16 degrees C. This is exactly what happened.

J and I were in two minds as we left the city heading west on Highway 8. We had thought that we would have a go at climbing Eagle Hill, abandoned two weeks ago due to wild winds and blowing snow. But as we drove west, the wind was blowing the snow across the highway, and it was almost as if we were driving along a frozen river. So as we reached the end of the road, where one has to turn right or left, we made an instant decision to turn left and head into Bragg Creek and up the Elbow Valley.

The road was snow-covered and icy, but the mountains were clear ahead, and already there was a hint of some blue sky appearing between the clouds. Parking at the winter gate, we were a little surprised to find a half dozen cars parked already, yet it was not quite 9 a.m. Snow was piled up around the gate.

Our plan was to walk up the road, beyond the winter gate, as far as Rainy Pass. From there we could either make a loop down to the Elbow River, or simply return down the road. There was packed snow on the road surface beyond the gate, and we soon strapped on our snow shoes, for better stability. From here it was a steady climb up the wide road, for five kilometres, curving up the forested valley to Rainy Pass. After a kilometre or so, there was a very good view of the Elbow River, as it swung away to the south side of Rainy Hill, below the high cliffs of Quirk Ridge (Iyarhe Ipan).

As we climbed the pass, gusts of freezing wind would blow the snow across the road in swirls. We could see little whirlwinds of snow high up on the forested slopes above. But by now the strong winds were blowing the clouds away, and the sun came out. It was still very cold, especially in the gusts of wind.

After what seemed like a long slog, we came round a corner in the road, and above us we could see the gentle summit, and then, reaching the top, we were treated to the spectacular view of the snow-covered Front Ranges, right ahead of us to the west. The high ridges of Forgetmenot Mountain dominated the view to the west, with the wilder, more remote Mts. Glasgow, Cornwall, and Banded Peak to the right.

Here on the top of the Pass was a perfect place for a picnic lunch – if we could find a sheltered spot. A group of trees above the road gave us good shelter as well as a panoramic view. The original road down into the Elbow Valley lay hidden in the trees behind us. I had travelled that way last year. Today we decided not to chance that route, as there had been so much snow that it might have been impassable even with snow shoes.

As we strapped our snow shoes back on, a couple with a dog strolled up the snow-covered highway, heading west down towards the valley. The dog barked as it heard our voices. The couple looked back a little surprised to see us. Our tracks had been quickly drifted over by the wind.

We strolled back down the road, enjoying the now cloudless skies, but with a biting wind at our backs. This is a perfect outing for anyone wanting a good workout, with the reward of a “surprise” view at the top. But otherwise, it is a fairly ordinary route. Nevertheless, returning to the winter gate, we now counted over two dozen vehicles parked. We had met several people on the lower section of the road – hikers, snow-shoers, skiers, several of them with their dogs, even a woman towing her little baby in a carriage - its red cheeks glowing in the cold sunshine.

Back at the car, we were both feeling that we had certainly done enough for one day. We stopped at Elbow Falls to admire the icy waters. The volume of water was too great for the river to ice up completely, as had Troll Falls, but it was a very beautiful, wintry, and utterly Canadian sight.

Statistics
Rainy Pass
Sat. 26 February

Total Dist. 10 km (snow shoe)
Height Gain 800 ft.
Max. Elev. 5,700 ft.
Time on trail 4 hrs. 3 mins.

Temperature: minus 9 to minus 5 C (windchill minus 16 to minus 12)

Powderface Pass

Tues. 28 December: Powderface Pass

Powderface Pass - my final adventure of a record year. It was fitting that I made use of my MICROspikes and my snow shoes on this trip. Both were added to my outdoor arsenal only this year.

Despite the plentiful snow all along this trail, this popular route, leading to the Pass over the Powderface Ridge, was actually named after a Stoney Indian, Tom Powderface, whose family lived down in the Elbow Valley back in the early 1900’s.

Just as an aside, I searched the internet for references to Tom Powderface, and came upon the story of Tom’s death. The author wove a tall tale which makes amusing reading. She then relates some fascinating stories of the Stoney Chief Hector, who as a young man would go hunting in the Highwood – one of my favorite hiking areas. It was a little different in those days. There were more important things to worry about than meeting bears, such as looking out for one's "deadly enemies" who were waiting to ambush and kill you.

Anyway, back to today’s story. There was hardly any snow on the road beyond the winter gate at Elbow Falls. I strode up the road for a few hundred yards to the start of Powderface Trail. This is one of the more popular trails year-round, and I was counting on it being well compacted by many feet since the last snowfall. I was right. I was able to travel the entire six and a half kilometres to the top of the Pass wearing my hiking boots with my trusty MICROspikes for traction.

The snow conditions would have been good for skiers, but this trail is so popular with hikers and horse riders that any ski tracks are quickly obliterated. Nevertheless, higher up the Pass I did see that an intrepid skier had made it to the top.

It was familiar going up the narrow-sided valley, through the drift fence, and up to the junction with Prairie Link trail. Most people turn right here to make a loop with Prairie Creek trail, ending up back at their cars on a perfect hiking circuit of about eleven and a half kilometres. I continued up the Powderface Creek. The trail was initially gentle and fairly straight, but then it started to climb more steeply as the valley meets the hillside ahead.

There is a tight bend curving to the right, followed by another to the left. At this point, one is treated to a surprise view eastwards to the slopes of Prairie Mountain, and the downtown skyscrapers of Calgary on the prairie beyond the foothills, under clear skies. The trail continued to climb up the forested hillsides, finally reaching the Pass. Here was a different world. The long, snow-covered Nihahi Ridge dominated the views to the west. Above it the clouds were thick. A cold wintry breeze was blowing snowflakes around. This is a popular place in summer, with hikers reaching the Pass from the much shorter trail from the west, and then heading up onto Powderface Ridge.

There was a tempting high point above the Pass but I had already climbed over 1600 feet today and the route was not obvious. And it felt very much like real winter up here with the blustery wind blowing the snow around. So instead I clambered the few feet up onto the open ridge above the Pass, where I had even more impressive views east to Calgary as well as west to the mountains.

Switching to my snow shoes, I made good time back down the snowy path. It seemed much steeper going down than when I was climbing up to the Pass. Back in the meadows at Prairie Link junction, I was perhaps a little surprised that I had not yet seen any other travelers. In fact, I was almost back at the start before I passed a group of five hikers plodding up the trail. There were signs of a horse and rider having come up the path this morning.

Although the skies had been mostly clear, except on the Pass, the sun was so low at this time of year that I only had a few glimpses of it in the valley. But the days are now getting longer. Today, for instance, there were now forty seconds more daylight than on the shortest day!

Back on the road, I passed a couple of groups out for an afternoon’s stroll. I had been first car at the gate this morning. Now I counted twenty three vehicles plus three horse trailers. Somehow I had missed all these people, but they were out there somewhere on the trails, and more people were preparing to join them. In fact the Elbow Valley was busy with families enjoying the last day of the Christmas Holiday. There is a popular slope by the road which some kids were tobogganing down, and there were cars parked by the trailheads of the popular hikes.

This had been a great way to end this year’s record-breaking campaign. During the trip, temperatures had risen from about minus 5 degrees C to minus 1 degree. But the forecast was for snow and falling temperatures. It was wintry enough today on top of Powderface Pass, and I was glad I had chosen today for my last adventure of the year.

The photo in this blog is a close-up of the eastern “face” of Nihahi Ridge. I have not touched it up at all, but is that a wry grin under a large hairy moustache, or a large scary open mouth?? One is never alone in the mountains - but then perhaps this is what happens when one goes on too many trips alone.

END OF MY 2010 BLOG
The Passionate Hiker

Statistics
Powderface Pass
Tues. 28 December

Total Dist. 6.5 km (hike) + 6.5 km (’shoe) = 13.0 km
Height Gain 1,670 ft.
Max. Elev. 6,650 ft.
Time on trail 4 hrs. 16 mins.
Temperature: Rising from minus 5 degrees C to minus 1 degree C

Disappearing Rivers

Fri. 12 November: Cobble Flats to Little Elbow via Wildhorse

No – I’m not crazy (as far as I know). I was NOT hiking the Canadian Rockies in sandals in November. But I WAS wading icy cold rivers in my sandals. Perhaps that qualifies me as at least slightly eccentric.

Keen to take advantage of a "bonus” hiking day, I headed up to the end of the Elbow Valley to have some fun by making two crossings of the Elbow River. The plan was to hike the northern portion of the Wildhorse Trail, below the northern slopes of Forgetmenot Ridge, returning by bike along the road. It was not a long trip, but it involved various river crossings and a route that was new to me.

A couple of inches of snow had fallen in the Foothills, but the road was bare and dry. While it was mostly cloudy, it promised to clear during the afternoon. I hid my bike at the end of the Elbow Valley road, just beyond Forgetmenot Lake, then drove back to Cobble Flats, where my hike would start. The last time I was at Cobble Flats, in late August, I was returning wet and muddy from my three day adventure along Quirk Creek and up Forgetmenot Mountain. The trip had ended with my splashing through the cold waters of the Elbow River with my bike, and not bothering to remove my boots. Today I needed to have dry boots, and so I sat on the wide stony edge of the river to remove my boots and socks for a wade across the icy river. The water came up to my knees. I sat in the snow on the opposite side of the river to put my boots back on, thinking that river crossings are always a lot of fun, even in the snow.

Now I turned right and joined the old snow-covered trail as it headed westwards. Soon coming to a small bridge over a tiny stream, I crossed over, and in a few hundred yards came to the junction with the Wildhorse Trail. Wildhorse runs southwards along the eastern flanks of Forgetmenot Ridge, to the remote campsite where I spent two nights in August. At this trail junction where I was now standing, Wildhorse Trail then turns west, passing below the northern end of the ridge, and leading to the far end of the Elbow Valley. The trail soon comes out into a wider meadow with mountain peaks ahead. Footprints in the snow showed me that one person had come the other way recently. Further along the trail, the number of footprints increased, indicating that several people had come part way along the trail from the western end. This surprised me since this involved a crossing of the Little Elbow river. The reason would be apparent soon.

Small ponds along the trail were rapidly icing up, and the scene was a wintry one. At a high point in the trail, a stone cairn marked the start of the route to the summit of Forgetmenot Ridge, a steep slog up the hillside for about 2000 vertical feet.

Now for the surprise. I came out onto wide open gravel flats. Here the Little Elbow River flowed out from the mountains – or not. For the entire river had disappeared underground, allowing people to walk right across the wide riverbed. It was a spectacular place to stand, surrounded by sharp-peaked snowy mountains – but no river. A little further along, I came to the Elbow River itself, which happily still had plenty of water in it. I crossed over the lovely pedestrian suspension bridge, and so back to the end of the road and my bike. I had met one group of three with a dog just before the bridge. They were the only people on this popular trail.

It only took me a few minutes to speed down the road back to the car. By now the skies were clearing, and it was another wonderful day in the Rockies. I drove slowly back down the valley, in no hurry to return to a busy city.

Statistics
Cobble Flats circuit
Fri. 12 November

Total Dist. 5.9 km (hike) +4.6 km (bike) =10.5 km
Height Gain 160 ft.
Max. Elev. 5330 ft.
Time on trail 2 hrs. 14 mins.

Travels with Joe

Fri. 22 - Wed. 27 October: Travels with Joe

This week my godson Joe, 16, has been visiting from England. This gave me the perfect chance to show him some of my favorite corners of the Alberta foothills and mountains. We wasted no time getting out there, despite the often wintry weather.

Friday 22nd: Elbow River Valley

Starting close to home, we explored the Elbow River valley, along with his mom (and my “oldest” friend) S. We enjoyed the reflections of Forgetmenot Pond, the swirling waters of Elbow Falls, and then a short stroll part way up the Fullerton Loop Trail to the first viewpoint.

It was mostly overcast but not particularly cold. There were some skiffs of snow in places, and more on the mountainsides, but no heavy snowfall warnings in the forecast – yet. On the way back we enjoyed an unseasonal ice cream in the village of Bragg Creek.

Statistics
Fullerton Loop
Fri. 22 October

Total Dist. 4.0 km (hike)
Height Gain 300 ft.
Max. Elev. 4900 ft.
Time on trail 1 hr. 10 mins.

Saturday 23rd: Banff and Lake Louise

Next day Joe and I headed west to Banff National Park. Here we took the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain and then strolled up the boardwalks to the observatory on Sanson Peak. Being a partly sunny Saturday, it was quite busy with tourists. After a burger at Bruno’s in Banff we turned westwards to Lake Louise. We drove up to the Lake Louise ski hill, and stood on the balcony of the Lodge, looking across to the front slopes. There were just a few patches of man-made snow. Yet the season will probably be in full swing by mid-November.

At Lake Louise itself, the lakeside was of course busy with sightseers, even a wedding party. The lake seemed to be colorless today, but as we climbed the switchback path, looking down we could see that wonderful duck-egg blue color of the water from above. It looked unreal, almost as if it was filled with blue PowerAid, we thought.

There was a steady procession of people coming back down the path: people of all ages, in assorted clothing, some more suitable for a high street, but everyone happy to exchange a cheery “hello” as we passed.

Mirror Lake was frozen over, but the path up to Lake Agnes only had a trace of snow on it. So Joe was not able yet to try out his new MicroSpikes, care of Mountain Equipment Co-op in Calgary.

Lake Agnes was also frozen over, and people were wandering about on the ice, some with skates on and hockey sticks. The ice looked a little thin to me, but nobody fell through so it must have been safe enough. We returned down the steps and along the pretty trail to Mirror Lake and then down to Lake Louise, detouring through the lobby of the Chateau to warm up a bit. It was dark by the time we reached Canmore. It had been a full day.

Statistics
Sulphur Mtn. Summit
Sat. 23 October

Total Dist. 1.0 km (hike)
Height Gain 184 ft.
Max. Elev. 7667 ft.
Time on trail 0 hrs. 38 mins.


Statistics
Lake Agnes
Sat. 23 October

Total Dist. 8.0 km (hike)
Height Gain 1300 ft.
Max. Elev. 7000 ft.
Time on trail 2 hrs. 28 mins.


Monday 25th: Upper Kananaskis Lake

Off to the Kananaskis Lakes – despite a wintry look to Calgary this morning. A thin cover of new snow had fallen and it was spitting snow. But we ignored this and happily jumped into the car for the journey west along the Trans-Canada Highway and then south down the Kananaskis Valley. Clouds hung around the mountains, and there was new snow on the front ranges.

We stopped at Canoe Meadows and the Widow-maker to see if anyone was on the river – there was nobody there. Today was a colder day, with a promise of snow showers. Arriving at the Interlakes parking area between the Lower and Upper Kanananskis Lakes, we bundled up well, before setting off along the north side of the Upper Lake. There were no other cars parked here, and we did not expect to find anyone on the trail – and there were none. Sadly there were no large moose or elk or bear to be seen either. A year ago I had seen a huge moose at close range, but not today.

We hiked along the upper trail before dropping down across the boulder field and down to the western edge of the lake. Soon we were within the sound of the Upper Kananaskis Falls, which tumble down into the Upper Lake, with the high cliffs of Mt. Lyautey half hidden in the mist above. Here we stopped for a picnic at a convenient bench, before returning down the trail.

I thought Joe might like to have a look around a typical Canadian backcountry campsite, so we wandered through the Point campsite. There were huge piles of newly chopped logs, and even a large axe left for the use of campers. We thought that the two new, circular green loos might have been time machines in disguise. But opening the door, one sniff told us that they certainly were not. Campsite #20 would be my choice for the perfect campsite award, and I will return one day soon to stay there for a night or two.

Joe is a strong hiker and so it didn’t take us long to stride back up the boulder field, and along the lower route through the forest by the lake, back to our car.

We were not finished yet. I was curious to see the new footbridge that had just been installed at Sarrail Creek. So we drove to the eastern end of the Upper Lake, and strolled the 1.2 km around the edge of the lake to the creek. It was a nice bridge, but when I was here a year ago, the old one looked strong enough. Perhaps it had been damaged by a falling tree? Anyway, we stopped to admire the tumbling waterfall before returning back along the trail. There had been some isolated sunny breaks, but it had generally been overcast and quite cold, with a westerly breeze. So we were glad to climb back into a warm car.

Our return journey took us over the Highwood Pass, where the wind was blowing snow across the road, and then down the Highwood Valley. There were a few cars parked here and there – horse riders, hunters, and a few hikers – perhaps surprising for a Monday in late October. In the Cat Creek picnic area was a covered wagon – I had heard that you may come across these on the trails west of the Highwood, but had never seen one before. There were a few trailers parked in the Strawberry winter campsite – probably hunters. As we drove east we left the patches of sunshine behind us and entered a cloudy, overcast landscape. We were soon back in Calgary.


Statistics
Upper Kananaskis Falls
Mon. 25 October

Total Dist. 9.0 km (hike)
Height Gain 160 ft.
Max. Elev. 5800 ft.
Time on trail 2 hrs. 57 mins.

Statistics
Mt. Sarrail Creek Bridge
Mon. 25 October

Total Dist. 2.4 km (hike)
Height Gain 0 ft.
Max. Elev. 5700 ft.
Time on trail 0 hrs. 36 mins.

Wednesday 27th: Sheep River Valley

A cold, foggy morning in Calgary didn’t deter us from confidently heading out on our next adventure – which turned out to be a very good decision.

Driving south out of Calgary I tried to point out my office, half enveloped in fog. After finding a way across the blocked railway line in Okotoks, we turned west towards Big Rock. Here it was several degrees below freezing, there was a fog, and the snow and ice covered the interpretive sign. But we walked around the glacial “erratic” and had fun imagining how this huge rock made its way down from the distant mountains – was it carried by the glacier, or did it chase a Blackfoot Indian across the prairie, or perhaps was it carried by The Flood? All options I have heard!

Continuing west, we passed through Turner Valley and up onto the Sheep River road.

We were in for a big surprise. Suddenly the fog dissipated, and we entered a sunny mountain world. If we had been in an aircraft, the prairie would have appeared as a sea of fog. Up here it was perhaps around freezing or a degree or two above, but the atmosphere was clear and the mountains stood out sharply along the western skyline.

Driving to the far western end of the Sheep Valley, we saw a group of horses being readied for a back-country expedition, and a guy preparing to offload a quad vehicle perhaps to go hunting up the Sheep River. We dropped our bikes off at the Indian Oils picnic area, then returned a little way east to Gorge Creek. My bear warning sign was still taped to the Indian Oils trail sign, over five weeks after I had put it there. I removed it.

Our first task was to cross an active Sheep River. Using our plastic bag technique we were mostly successful, except for a slightly wet sock which we quickly replaced. The Teskey Road trail is not marked on any maps but I knew where to find it. We picked up this old logging road by pushing our way to the back of the forested meadow on the other side of the river. After a straightforward ascent up a slightly clogged trail, we reached the Sheep River gorge and swung south through pleasant meadows into the forest. Joining the Sheep Valley trail, we continued along a wide, muddy trail, but it was frozen enough to allow us to stay dry. Dropping down to Dyson Falls, we sat by the Dyson Creek and enjoyed the sausage rolls which L had bought for us.

The next leg of the journey was familiar territory to me, as we strode along the Sheep Trail in a westerly direction. High above us to the left, on a distant ridge, we could see the Junction fire lookout – now closed up for the winter. The sun shone out of a mostly clear sky, although we could see some clouds bubbling up just over the mountain tops. In summer this might mean afternoon rain, but today they did not threaten.

The gradual descent through the forest brought us to the Indian Oils bridge and Tiger Jaw Falls. Back at our bikes, we relaxed in the sun, before speeding eastwards down the road. On the way, we stopped to walk across the meadow to the edge of the spectacular river gorge – a dangerous spot to stand. One final whiz down a steep hill and we were back at the car.

Reluctantly we returned to the foggy, cold world of the prairies, as the perfect Fall day was swallowed up in an icy mist.

Statistics
Teskey Road to Indian Oils
Wed. 27 October

Total Dist. 8.5 km (hike) + 4.7 km (bike) = 13.2 km
Height Gain 600 ft.
Max. Elev. 5410 ft.
Time on trail 3 hrs. 10 mins.

Elbow Valley Ski Trails

Sun. 30 May: Elbow Valley Ski Trails


Back into winter – so why not do some ski trails?

After three days of snow, the forecast for today was discouraging. But I wanted to get out for a walk, so again chose the Elbow-Bragg Creek area being the nearest to home.

And today, apart from digging out my long underwear again, I also decided to try out my new Lowa hiking boots. It would certainly be wet underfoot – a good trial for the boots. My old Asolo boots bought in Keswick, England, are no longer remotely waterproof, sadly.

The drive west along 22X was quite pretty in a wet, wintery way – snow on higher ground and green grass beside the road made for an attractive contrast. The further west I drove, the more snow there was. In fact, the Elbow Valley was so pretty with the snow on the trees that I drove all the way to the very end of the road, past the footbridge over the Little Elbow river, up to the campsite. Here, the snow was over 6 inches deep, and in contrast to the long weekend a few days ago, there looked to be very few, if any, campers – for good reason.

A faint watery sun could be seen behind the cloud, and the trees had a thick covering of snow on them. This looked more like a January day, not two days short of June, but at least it did not feel particularly cold – perhaps just above freezing point. I also stopped at Forgetmenot Pond, to admire the wintery scenery around the lake.

Now my hiking options today were severely limited, not only due to all the recent snow, but also by a mad bear roaming the hillsides somewhere on the north side of the valley. As a result, all the trails below Moose Mountain were cordoned off. The notices warned of “an extremely dangerous bear in the area”, and “attempts to capture it are in progress”, with bold yellow signs warning hikers to “KEEP OUT”. Good enough for me!

So I decided to explore the intriguing trails which link the Elbow Valley with Bragg Creek. These are cross-country ski trails, and – as I discovered last week – muddy at this time of year. But today they were covered in two to six inches of new snow, covering most of the muddy areas. The trail starts at Allen Bill Pond (which I always think should be Bill Allen Pond – but it isn’t). The first part of the trail follows the fast-moving Elbow River as it flows under the large concrete road bridge.

This trail is the route to a popular family hike up Fullerton Ridge – C and I did this together in the early 1990’s. One pair of footprints in the snow showed me that someone was ahead of me, but as expected, the prints turned left onto the Fullerton loop, and from here onwards, I was on my own. I would follow the so-called Elbow Valley ski trail due north for about 6 km, then return on the more winding Iron Springs ski trail, arriving back at the starting point.

This turned out to be a fascinating stroll into Narnia. The snow cover was generally about six inches deep, with very wet, sticky snow. Later in the walk I tried on my MICROspikes for added traction, but the snow and mud would almost instantly stick to the spikes, so I had to give them up. Anyway, my new boots had great traction so I did not slip at all. As I walked along through the snow, I would hear sudden “flump-flump” sounds all around me as clumps of snow fell off the tall tree branches and landed all around me on the trail. Luckily I avoided a direct hit.

The trail runs entirely in the trees, on a wide cutting in the forest, generally arrow-straight, but with some curves and bends, and a couple of steep hills. There were some hoof prints of deer, but no sign of any paw prints of mad bears! Finally, near the northern end of my route, I saw some fresh footprints, from some hikers who had started from the Bragg Creek end but had not got very far. I turned east onto Sundog trail – which I had ski’d last year – and soon I turned south onto the wide Iron Springs trail. The snow-covered road climbed gradually through the trees, to a high point, where there is a gate. Here the trees were under a heavy coating of snow. Some of these trees looked eerily alive, as if beckoning me on into their secret world.

A very light snow-rain mix started to fall, so I put on my rain jacket and pants, but it stopped a little later on, although by now it was uniformly cloudy.

Now the wide, snowy trail dropped down a gradual hill, in a southerly direction. The two legs of my hike today run very roughly parallel to each other, first on opposite sides of a small valley, then wider apart as they climb the gentle hillsides at the northern end of the trails. After a few kilometers, the Iron Springs trail turns eastwards, above a lake – which was completely hidden under the snow - to a wide junction at the bottom of a hill. It was just before I reached this junction that I spotted the fresh prints of a smallish bear and possibly a cub, weaving back and forth across the path, down into the valley then up again. I made noise, but never saw them. I then picked up the trail of a person and their dog, which was a little mysterious, as they had not followed the route either from Allen Bill or Bragg Creek, but had come into the trail system from an unmarked trail from the east, following Iron Springs creek.

As I was standing in an open section of trail, admiring the wintery scene all round, my cellphone rang. It was C telling me that at that exact moment, she was sitting on a beach at Ocean City, New Jersey, on a hot sunny day, and had just been swimming in the Atlantic Ocean!! What a contrast.

Soon I was safely back on the main trail again, and made my way down the snowy, muddy path to the car. At the Fullerton Loop junction I picked up the trail of countless boots, but mine were the only footprints on the ski trails. By the time I reached the car, a number of families were arriving, for a short afternoon stroll with their dogs.

Now it really is time for Spring to make an appearance – and to stay around! As for my new boots, despite tramping through snow for over three hours, my feet were totally dry, and the boots fitted perfectly. I'm keen to try them out on more demanding routes, to those lookouts which have been hidden in the clouds and the snow for the past couple of weeks.



Statistics
Elbow Valley Ski Trails
Sun. 30 May

Total Dist. 12.2 km (hike)
Height Gain 695 ft.
Max. Elev. 5049 ft.
Time on trail 3 hr. 32 mins.