Head above the Clouds

Sat. 4 June:  Wasootch Ridge:  My head above the clouds

Today I stuck my head above the clouds – to find a nice sunny day up there.  Back in Calgary it had been a foggy, drizzly morning, and although it stopped raining further west, the clouds were still low as I parked in the Wasootch parking area off the Kananaskis Highway.  Yet somehow I knew the good weather wasn’t far away.  In fact it was about a thousand vertical feet above my head.

It didn’t take long to gain that height.  The trail immediately rose at a steep angle up the forested slopes to the lowest part of the long ridge.  Wasootch Ridge heads fairly straight for several kilometers in a southeasterly direction, rising and falling along a switchback ridge to the far end where a dramatic peak, over three thousand feet above the valley floor,  needs scrambling skills to ascend. I wasn’t planning to go that far, but I hoped to travel along the ridge until I was stopped by snow or by fatigue!

I climbed to the lower part of the ridge top, still in the mist.  A very steep section now followed – which was thankfully hidden from view in the cloud.  I plodded up the trail through the trees, blissfully unaware of the steep drop-off to my right.  Suddenly, above me a hazy sun shone through the cloud, and almost immediately the clouds parted to reveal a world of snow-clad mountain peaks sticking out of the mist.

A little higher up, as I came up to the higher part of the ridge, I was treated to spectacular views up and down the Kananaskis Valley, with the clouds filling the valley to about a thousand feet, above which the mountains rose into a mostly clear sky.  The most spectacular view was north up the Kananaskis Valley to an island in the mist.  This was the Barrier Lake fire lookout hill, which revealed itself as the perfect choice for a fire lookout, the mist accentuating its isolation from the peaks all round it.

Having reached the main ridge top, I followed the ridge for two or three kilometers as it rose then dropped several times.  The ridge was tree covered, but with plenty of good vantage points.  Higher up I had to negotiate some large snow drifts.  Luckily they held my weight. 

Even higher up, the ridge suddenly narrowed down to a knife edge, but one covered by wiry trees.  These hardy pines cannot be brushed aside as you walk past them.  They catch your clothing and tear your jacket if you aren’t careful.  Up here were great views down to the deep valleys which parallel the ridge on each side:  Porcupine Creek to the north and Wasootch Creek to the south, both leading to an impressive array of snowy peaks to the east.  The summit of Wasootch Ridge looked impossibly distant and inaccessible, even from halfway along the ridge.

Finally I came to the end of the main forested section of the ridge, at a point where it dropped steeply down to a snowy col.  I decided that here was a good place to stop.  I was on top of a cliff with a bird’s eye view down into Wasootch Creek and the avalanche slopes across the valley.

This is a strenuous trip, and I would not be surprised if many people only get this far, especially this early in the season.

I could see that the mist had risen out of the Kananaskis Valley, revealing the road and Barrier Lake below.  To the south and west were the snowy slopes of the Nakiska ski hill.  I was most of the way back along the high section of ridge before I met my first hikers.  It was two groups of about six people in total, one woman carrying her baby in a backpack.  The guy told me he had been up here two weeks ago when the snow was much more plentiful.  They hoped to reach the summit – good for them.

My MICROspikes were very handy in descending the very steep slopes all the way back down off the ridge.  A young couple was toiling up the hill.  Back at the car park a large organized hiking group of about ten people was getting its final instructions in readiness for an assault of the ridge.  As usual I had the solitude simply by getting up early.

Driving the short distance south along the Kananaskis Valley, I dropped into the bookstore at the Kananaskis Village to buy the second volume of Gillean Dafferns’ Kananaskis hiking bible – this one with a bright red cover.  Back in Calgary I found that it had only just stopped raining!

       View across to the Trans-Canada Highway corridor and Yamnuska behind

Statistics
Wasootch Ridge
Sat. 4 June
Total Dist.	9 km (hike)
Height Gain	2,000 ft.
Max. Elev.	6,450 ft.
Time	4 hrs. 20 mins.

Other Stats.
Start hike:      7.33 am Far point:      10.01 am Ret. to car:    11.53 am	Temp:  +4 to +9 deg.C Misty then sunny.  Dry under foot with a few isolated snow drifts

Snow-shoe Country

Sat. 26 March:  Upper Kananaskis Lake

If it’s foggy or snowy in Calgary, you can bet that it’s different in the mountains.  Today proved the point.  It was a miserable misty morning in the city, with light snow falling, but down at the Kananaskis Lakes, the sun was shining.

Nevertheless, winter was still in full force down there, with huge accumulations of snow everywhere, and the lakes frozen over and snow-covered.  People were still enjoying ideal conditions on the ski hills and on the cross-country ski trails.  Today J and I had decided to try a snow shoe trip around the Upper Lake.  Although we did not succeed, we had an awesome day snow-shoeing beneath the Great Divide.

We ended up doing two separate trips, the first along the south side of the Upper Lake, and the second trip above the  northern shore.  The lake is ringed by gigantic snowy mountains.  The southern skyline is the Great Divide and the border between Alberta and BC.  The clouds mostly hid the summits, but there was plenty of blue sky overhead.

The Upper Lakes car park was piled ten feet high with snow, but there was room for a few cars to park.  The two washrooms were almost buried by the drifts.  The trail around the lake was immediately scenic, with views out across the wide lake to the mountains surrounding it.  The trail was packed down, and so we made good progress as far as the footbridge across Sarrail Creek, and the junction for the Rummel Lake trail. 

After this, the trail became harder to navigate, and soon petered out.  Instead of a trail, there were just deep snow drifts between the trees on the steeply sloping mountainside just above the edge of the frozen lake.  We considered walking along the lake itself, but there was no trail and we were not convinced this would be a safe route.  It was clear that we would not be able to go much further, and we would soon come to a series of dangerous and steep avalanche slopes. 

So we turned around, and made our way back along the trail to the car.  It was a sensible decision.  We had hoped to reach Hidden Lake, but that would have been another four kilometres along an impossible route.

As we walked back along the trail, we heard the sound of a small engine, perhaps a chain saw.  We wondered who might be cutting down trees on a winter Saturday.  Then as we came around the corner, we could see a party of ice fishermen out on the lake, drilling through the surface to reach the water below.  They were setting up for an enjoyable afternoon of fishing out on the frozen lake.

Back at the car, we then drove around to the Interlakes parking area, on the north side of the Lake.  Here we would travel west above the lake, below the steep slopes of Mt. Indefatigable.  A couple of snow-shoers were preparing to head out, and a lone backpacker was just setting off up the trail with a heavy pack.  He told us that he was heading out to the remote Forks campsite, and he was loaded down with beer!  A very adventurous person.  He’d need to do a lot of shoveling of snow just to make space for a tent.

This was snow-shoe country today.  The snow had drifted across the trail, and despite several people having been up the trail in recent days, the snow was deep and the only way to travel was with a pair of ‘shoes.

We decided to take the higher route on the outward journey, and so we steadily ploughed our way through the trees, gradually gaining height.  We crossed two narrow avalanche paths, before coming to the start of the huge boulder field.  Here we were faced with a wide and steep area of packed snow.  The surface was hard and a bit icy, so we removed our ‘shoes and put on our ‘spikes.  This was a safer way to cross the slope. 

Above us the steep snowy mountainside rose up to the ridge high above us.  Ahead of us to the west were the spectacular peaks of Lyautey and Putnik, their peaks hidden in the clouds.  Below us to the left was the Upper Lake and the Great Divide behind it.  From here, we could see how foolhardy it would have been to force our way along the south side trail.  Several avalanche slopes descended vertically, it seemed, straight down across the trail into the lake.

So now we were at the junction with the Forks trail, high above the lake, with the boulder field spread out below us.  Except that it was actually a smooth snowfield, with the deep snow covering even the largest boulders.  We dropped down the hill, past the viewpoint bench, which was completely covered by the snow.  Following some earlier traveler, we snaked across the open ground, to another equally spectacular, but lower, viewpoint above the lake.  This was an ideal spot for a picnic lunch, in the natural amphitheatre of mountains.  A small avalanche thundered down Mt. Lyautey opposite us.

Before the lake had frozen, the waters had dropped dramatically, and the islands seemed to sit up by perhaps twenty or thirty feet more than normal.  But of course it was all a big frozen scene, with no sign of Spring thaw yet.

As we prepared to return  eastwards above the lake, a group of four young people passed by us on their way to the Kananaskis Falls, making good progress on their ‘shoes.  We followed the lower path, back through the forest.  This trail had been nicely packed down.  Snow-shoeing is perhaps one of the better ways of getting a good workout, and by the time we returned to the car, we had both done as much as we wanted to do.  It’s always tempting to keep going a bit further, sometimes underestimating the effort needed to get back again.  Today we had it figured right. 

A breeze had sprung up as were having our lunch, and it soon turned into a strong westerly wind.  It felt warm.  Perhaps finally, some Spring weather might be blowing across the mountains to unfreeze a wintry Aberta.  Or perhaps that is just wishful thinking!   

Statistics
Upper Kananaskis Lakes
Sat. 26 March
Total Dist.	1.3 km (hike)   +   8.7 km (‘shoe) = 10.0 km
Height Gain	200 ft.
Max. Elev.	5,800 ft.
Time	5 hrs. 01 min.

Kananaskis Ski Trails

Sat. 19 February: Kananaskis Ski Trails

The snow conditions this winter have been the best I can ever recall. Today the cross-country ski trails down in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park were in just about perfect condition. The only problem was that, arriving at the Pocaterra trailhead, at sunrise on a cloudless morning, I found that the temperature was minus 25 degrees C! Not surprisingly I found myself alone in the cosy log cabin which acts as the warming hut.

I had started early from town, and ahead of me, sinking towards the western horizon. was a large moon, just past full. Coming up over Scott Hill on the Trans-Canada Highway, I was treated to the spectacular sight of the snow-covered front ranges, looking as high as the Himalayas, hanging in the air.

Halfway down the Kananaskis Valley, I saw a huge elk stag with an enormous set of antlers, standing beside the road. He moved into the trees, but not before I had taken a picture. I was a little disappointed later to find that, in studying the picture on my computer, he had a large number tag in his ear. He was elk # 133!

I had never been inside the Pocaterra warming hut before. It was a pleasant surprise. This spacious log cabin had several tables and benches inside, arranged in front of a log fireplace. Outside were ski racks and a groomed area for new cross-country skiers to practice on. The two large thermometers outside the hut showed that it was minus 25 degrees C.

My journey today would take me up the easy Pocaterra trail, then right onto Lynx, connecting to first Woolley then Meadow, and finally Lodgepole, to bring me back to the start, in a loop which was just short of 12 km.

Pocaterra had just been groomed and track-set, earlier that morning, and amazing to relate, for a sunny Saturday on the most popular route in K Country, I was first on the trail – and I had it all to myself. As I came towards the junction with Lynx, the first sunshine was starting to reach the trail. It was a cloudless, but very cold, day. I wore two hats and two layers of gloves.

Turning onto Lynx, I left the immaculately groomed tracks behind, and was now on skier set tracks. It had snowed almost every day last week, and there was about 3 inches of fresh snow on the trail. Lynx is rated as intermediate, mostly due to one long hill, which was uphill in my direction.

Today’s conditions were as perfect as you will ever find. The “easy” trails were ridiculously easy. The “more difficult” trails were easy, and the “most difficult” section which I encountered at the end of Lodgepole, was a joy. My new boots and old metal edged skis made this one of the most enjoyable outings I have ever had, in over thirty years of cross-country skiing.

Near the junction of Lynx and Woolley I met a guy and then a girl on the trail. They were the only skiers I saw until I returned to the warming hut at Pocaterra.

Woolley runs beside an open meadow with views across to the snowy peaks above, and frozen forested hillsides. In summer there is a lake beside this trail. Meadow Trail actually climbs up through the trees before dropping down a long hillside into the Visitor Centre car park.

I stopped here to enjoy the warmth and comfort of the lounge. This tall-ceilinged log building has a fireplace and comfy seats, with huge windows looking out to the mountains. A group of older people was preparing for a short outing on the ski trails.

Back on Meadow trail, I enjoyed a long descent through the trees, until coming out onto Lodgepole, beneath the power-lines. Here was the only “difficult” section of my trip, a very steep descent. It was a joy, as I whizzed down the steep slope under perfect control.

I was soon back at the start. By now, several other groups had arrived and were preparing to set out on the trail. Inside the warming hut, a dozen younger people were splitting up into the “fast” and “slow” teams for a trip up the same route as I had just completed. It was a relaxed setting and I was glad of the warm cabin to enjoy a sandwich and hot drink, before heading back to town.

The thermometer now showed minus 15 so it had warmed up a lot since I had set out. But it was still a cold day. Of course the best thing about skiing in temperatures below minus 15 is that you can hardly go wrong with the waxing, and that made the whole trip so much better, with great gliding and also good traction up the hills. In fact, it was the perfect day out on skis.


Statistics
Kananaskis Ski Trails
Sat. 19 February

Total Dist. 11.9 km (XC Ski)
Height Gain 260 ft.
Max. Elev. 5,545 ft.
Time on trail 2 hrs. 42 mins.

Troll Falls, Skogan Trail

Sat. 12 February: Troll Falls, Skogan Trail

Today my hiking colleague J and I tackled some interesting challenges: wild winds and snow drifts, an ugly Troll guarding his frozen waterfall, steep trails, falling snow, and – for J – his first snow-shoe experience. We survived all these challenges for a great day out in the mountains.

The forecast for Kananaskis Country today was for sunshine and temperatures over zero. Not that we believed it! The skiers rush-hour westwards out of the City was busier than usual, thanks to all the snowfall of the past week. Conditions on the slopes would be ideal today.

Turning south on the Sibbald Creek trail, we immediately left all the traffic behind us. Our plan was to park in Sibbald Lake Recreational Area and walk/snowshoe up to Eagle Ridge. I had done this same trip exactly one year ago today, with only my MICROspikes for help. Today, I thought, we would probably need our snow-shoes, due to all the recent snow. I had overlooked the fierce Chinook winds.

As we drove into the parking area we were hit with violent winds, which were whipping up the snow into a frenzy, drifting crazily across the road as we came to a stop. Getting out of the car, we immediately realized that any idea of travel up to Eagle Hill would be close to impossible, and also that if we didn’t get out of there quickly we would be drifted in. As it was, we only just made it out of the deserted parking area, skidding through the drifting snow.

Plan “B” was for us to continue on the Sibbald Creek trail, into the Kananaskis Valley, where the wind might be less fierce.

We decided to visit the trails below Nakiska ski hill, and this proved to be a good choice. But we would not have it all our way. Instead of howling winds, we now contended with falling snow – but we were happy with the bargain.

Parking below the powerline at Stoney Trail, just off the road to Nakiska, we put on our snow-shoes. This would be J’s first snow-shoe trip, and it took him no time at all to master them.

After a kilometre or so following the powerline down the valley, we turned off into the trees on the Troll Falls trail. We were soon standing below the incredible sight of the frozen waterfall, looking just as if it had been suddenly frozen in mid-fall. It was truly impressive. And guarding the scene was the ugly Troll, who this time I recognized immediately, unlike my previous visit last summer. The Troll and I had a chat as J was busily capturing the scene on his camera. Leaving our Troll and his gloomy canyon, we headed up the hill onto the Skogan Pass trail. We were first on all the trails today, breaking through the two or three inches of new snow, and being careful not to step on the signs of a ski trail which was occasionally visible.

These gentle uphill trails made the perfect workout for the snow-shoer, and J became an instant expert, leading the way uphill with the author working hard to keep up. To our left we had the occasional glimpse of the Nakiska ski hills, but it was misty and the snow was falling steadily. The occasional sound of human voices carried across the hillsides. Up on this lonely trail, we saw no-one until we were heading back down.

Eventually we reached the junction with Sunburst Trail, at the powerline, high up on the forested hillsides, and decided to stop for something to eat before turning around. It was not too far from here to the Hummingbird Plume fire lookout, but we were already 5 km from the start and we agreed that we had done enough for one day.

As is always the case, the downhill journey on our snow-shoes was great fun, especially on the slightly steeper sections where we could stride confidently down the slopes. Now we came across a skier puffing his way up the hill, and then more skiers and some snow-shoers. The day had come alive. We agreed once more that early starts were a very good thing.

It seemed quite a long way back down the hillsides, and steeper than they seemed coming up. Eventually we followed the trails back down to the start, where there were now a dozen other vehicles parked, and people preparing to head out into the snow. The temperatures must have been very close to freezing as the snow was very “wet”, if that makes any sense.

Returning up the Kananaskis Valley and back into town, we immediately left the snow behind and returned to sunny skies. The city had been basking in warm Chinook sunshine, while we had spent the day being snowed on! A very good opening to our joint campaign for 2011.


Statistics
Troll Falls, Skogan Trail
Sat. 12 February

Total Dist. 10.0 km (snow-shoe)
Height Gain 820 ft.
Max. Elev. 5,645 ft.
Time on trail 3 hrs. 42 mins.

Warm-Up

Sat. 5 February: McConnell Ridge

The Passionate Hiker is back on the trails, after a five week break.

Today was a warm-up exercise, but given the time which has passed since my final trip of 2010, today was hard work.

Not that January was wasted. The author completed his account of his 2010 adventures – a 394 page bound volume – and has also created another small account of adventures in the mountains, which is now at the book binders. Also, in January, the Passionate Hiker has developed a nine page listing of potential hikes for 2011, comprising 59 new routes. Not that I expect to cover them all this year!

M wanted a ride to Canmore to pick up her car, so we combined this with my first trip of the year. Joining the skiers rush-hour, we sped west to the snowy Rockies, and were soon in Canmore. We had a nice breakfast together before I returned east on the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) and south onto Highway 40 down the Kananaskis Valley.

Today I would snow-shoe up the popular zig-zag trail from Barrier Lake to the McConnell Ridge viewpoint. I was first in the car park. There had not been anyone on the trail since the snowfall earlier in the week. Barrier Lake was of course frozen over, and a cold westerly wind blew across its surface. It was mostly cloudy today.

The Chinook winds had blown the snow off the pathway over the dam, but as soon as I headed up onto the hillsides, the snow was lying, and it was soon time to put on my snow shoes. This is a great trail for a warm-up. There are twelve switchbacks leading to the top of the ridge. Zig number three and the final zag number twelve were quite long, and the latter steep, but the other switchbacks were fairly short. It was just a matter of slowly shuffling up the trail, getting back some of the stamina I used to have before my recent break. Higher up the trail, the snow had drifted over since the last person had come this way, but this was ideal for my ‘shoes.

Finally I reached the site of the old Pigeon fire lookout, removed in the early 1980’s. Despite the cloud, it was still a superb view down to Barrier Lake and the Kananaskis Valley, and the mountains all around.

To reach McConnell Ridge, one has to climb a steep trail up through the cliffs, onto the summit. The snow had really drifted here. I removed my snow shoes and put on my MICROspikes, as the gradient became much steeper. Reaching the cliff, I could hardly gain any grip, even with my ‘spikes. But I heaved myself up the steepest bit and came out onto the summit. The snow had drifted deeply on the ridge-top. This is called Prairie Viewpoint, as one can also see east across to the distant prairies.

This was enough for me today. The extra few hundred feet to the fire lookout would most likely be engulfed in deep snowdrifts and I wasn’t sure I was up to that final push. So after admiring the stunning views, I very carefully returned down the cliff, making sure not to make one little mistake – which might have been costly. Now with my snowshoes back on, I ploughed happily downhill, even taking some of the steep shortcuts between the switchbacks. Here I met a guy hiking up the hill with his dog. Much lower down the hillside I passed a man and his son with their dog, but that was it.

Out on Barrier Lake, a couple of ice fishing tents had been erected, its occupants protected from the cold westerly breeze.

This had been an ideal place to declare the 2011 season open. Returning to town, I saw a winter storm sweeping westwards over Moose Mountain. Just a couple of hours later, M told me that the TCH was engulfed in the snow and cloud, making it a very tricky drive home for the ski crowd. But I was already back home, and enjoying a long, hot shower.

I wonder what adventures 2011 may bring? My list is ready!

6 pm Sat. winter storm warning:

An Arctic ridge is continuing to push cold air into the Mountain Parks against the foothills. Unstable and moist airmass combined with upslope flow will be generating heavy snow fall amounts in the Kananaskis, Okotoks, Crowsnest Pass and Cardston regions tonight. 10 to 20 centimetres of snow is expected to fall by Sunday morning in these regions. Another low pressure system will develop by Monday morning located just south of Alberta border. This system will continue to generate upslope flow over the foothills. Another 10 to 20 centimetres of snow is expected to fall by Monday morning in the Banff, Kananaskis and Jasper regions. The heavy snow fall is expected to end by Monday evening.

Statistics
McConnell Ridge
Sat. 5 February

Total Dist. 2.2 km (hike) + 7.6 km (‘shoe) = 9.8 km
Height Gain 1,640 ft.
Max. Elev. 6,150 ft.
Time on trail 3 hrs. 40 mins.

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

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.

Above the Lakes of Kananaskis Country

Fri. 8 October: Upper Kananaskis River Viewpoint

I don’t go all the way down to the Kananaskis Lakes often enough. After this Thanksgiving weekend the last of the campsites close down. So this was my last chance this year to spend a couple of days hiking around the heart of Kananaskis Country.

Interlakes campsite stretches along the forested shoreline of the Lower Kananaskis Lake, and as the name suggests, the Upper Lake is just over the hill. This is a fine camping area, and I had plenty of ideal sites to choose from. By the time that dark descended, I had a fire going and was enjoying my usual gourmet dinner - some chunky chicken soup out of a can followed by a marmalade sandwich (more marmalade than bread).

There was a breeze during the night, and I could hear the water lapping along the shoreline just a few yards from my tent.

My plan for Friday was to bike up the short hill to the Upper Lake, then head west above the northern shore to Invincible Creek. From here it would be an unofficial hiking route up to a high viewpoint above the Upper Kananaskis River and Upper Lake.
Not far west of the penstock, where the trail started to climb, I hid my bike in the trees and continued on foot. The north side of the Upper Lake gives fine views across to the Continental Divide across the lake. Today some low lying clouds were trapped in the pass below the Elk Range, and overhead it was a mixture of sun and cloud. The trail crosses several impressive rock slides, and sooner or later there will be another one – hopefully when I’m not on the trail.

A sturdy little footbridge crosses Invincible Creek. Immediately after crossing this bridge I turned right off the main trail and followed the edge of the stream to an abandoned fire road. This road steadily climbed the mountainside, making good hiking, apart from all the deadfall across the trail. But having negotiated Mt. Daer fire road, this was no problem. In the latest version of Gillean Daffern’s guidebook, she suggested that a seniors hiking club was planning to clear the trail. No sign of that yet.

After a kilometer and a bit, the fire road ended and I was facing a murderously steep cutline, which had apparently been created as a firebreak during a previous fire. I just put my head down and kept plodding upwards until the grade finally relented. Here in an overgrown meadow, the guidebook told hikers to find a cairn indicating the start of a trail into the forest. The cairn was just a low pile of stones, and the trail was barely discernable. In fact, I decided to make good use of my red blaze tape. This turned out to be a good decision, as on the return journey I would have been lost a dozen times. This so-called trail, marked by about two bits of old blaze and a few piles of stone, made its way along the mountainside in thick forest, just below the open scree slopes above.

Finally I came to a tiny clearing, at the far end of which a dry streambed rose up the hillside. Following this streambed, I eventually came up onto a high point between the huge mountainside to my right and my destination ridge to the left.

I first climbed up the hillside too early and found myself looking west across a shallow valley to my correct ridge. So I headed back down to the col and then swung south and up the forested ridge to a superb viewpoint. A cairn marked the summit, which was surrounded by the grandest of mountain peaks, many snow covered, and some with glaciers.

I could follow the Upper Kananaskis River valley northwards to distant glaciers and mountain peaks with cloud pouring over them. Directly to my west was 9,646 ft. Mt. Putnick, and my southern horizon was filled by the huge Mt. Lyautey, 9,990ft. Far below me to the east was the Upper Kananaskis Lake. This is one view of the vastly popular lake that not many people will ever get, unless they are prepared to expend quite a bit of energy.

Returning back down to lake level, I was glad of all my new blazing through the upper forest, and I hope other travelers may also thank this unknown hiker for all this red tape.

I stopped for a picnic at my favorite park bench, at the junction with the trail to Point backcountry campsite. This is a good place for a birds eye view of the lake and of the twisting path that leads through the desolate rockfall landscape to the western end of the lake. Returning down the trail I met my first humans, a young couple with their younger children and older parents, all having a grand time except for one child who was running along the trail crying her eyes out. Picking up my bike I was soon back at the campsite.

I relaxed by the edge of the lake for a while. Later, a pink glow spread over the water and in the clouds above the mountains, as the light faded. A few more people had arrived at the campsite during the evening, but it was perhaps only about one third full. Many people had declared camping season over by now, and so it was perhaps only the warm weather which had encouraged this many people out into the mountains this long weekend.

Statistics
Upper Kananaskis River Viewpoint
Fri. 8 October

Total Dist. 12.8 km (hike) + 4.2 km (bike) = 17.0 km
Height Gain 1720 ft.
Max. Elev. 7300 ft.
Time on trail 6 hrs. 11 mins.


Sat. 9 October: Frozen Lake

This lake got its name for a reason. It’s usually only ice-free for about three months each year. Frozen Lake is cradled in the arms of Mt. Fox, held in by a steep headwall. What a find it must have been when some early explorer first stumbled upon it. Looking west to the mountain wall, you would never guess that it hid such a spectacular lake.

The approach to Frozen Lake took me on familiar trails, but ones which I had only previously traveled on skis in winter. I arrived at the Elk Pass trailhead, just down the road from my campsite, soon after sunrise. The first part of the trail rises steeply to the power-line summit, before dropping down into Fox Creek. This lower portion of Fox Creek was wet and muddy, which puzzled me, given the recent dry weather. But then I remembered seeing the cloud from my lookout trail yesterday, and I guess that it might have been raining here under that cloud. Also, it seemed that there had been a lot of truck traffic along this power-line access road, and this had churned up the surface.

But soon I was traveling along the gentle Fox Creek on a drier trail up the winding valley. The ski trail signs have all been removed and I suppose they put them back up again quite soon. Nevertheless I recognized the Blueberry Hill trail junction with its picnic table. Just a few hundred yards further on, I came to the West Elk Pass junction. Leaving my bike behind some trees, I turned right off the main trail, and before long I found myself on the Alberta-British Columbia border.

This is called West Elk Pass, but it is an almost imperceptible high point in a wide, flat valley. An information board and lots of good signposts directed me westwards along a cut-line directly headed for the mountain wall. Almost immediately, the trail down into BC and the Elk Lakes turned off to the left, while I continued straight on. Crossing a broad, damp meadow, the trail made one short, steep climb, and then a longer and steeper ascent, to an old boundary marker post. This dilapidated concrete post, covered by a zinc lining, was erected way back in 1916 by surveyors marking the Alberta-BC border.

From here, the trail rose steeply up the mountainside, before cutting diagonally across the steep forested headwall to the edge of the lake. Under sunny skies, it is probably a dark blue color, but today under a mostly cloudy sky, it was a deep green. The front side of the lake is a pleasant strip of trees, including many larches, now past their best. Steep, bare mountain slopes ring the lake on all other sides. The remains of a glacier sit directly behind the lake.

As I sat above the waters, admiring this grand setting, some mist rose up from the floor of the Elk Valley and drifted into the mountain bowl, before dissipating up the mountainside. The guide book suggests that you can scramble up to a grand viewpoint to the left of the lake, called “Taiga Viewpoint”. I did give some thought to clambering up there, but in the end decided that I would give it a miss. It didn’t look too impossible, but it was a bit more than I felt like doing today. In any event, my perch above the lake was spectacular enough.

I dropped back down the steep slopes and onto the cut-line. It didn’t take me long to return to the trailhead where I recovered my bike. Here I met two elderly couples heading for Frozen Lake. “Oh, WE should have brought our bikes, too”, exclaimed one of their party. And so they should. For my return journey back down to the car was an enjoyable coast along Fox Creek, with minimal effort. After the short hill back up to the power-line, it was one frantic breakneck ride back to the car. Halfway down the hill I flew past a group of young people idling up the hillside, one of them clutching what looked like a 12-pack of beer. I had completed my journey just in time to avoid the busy afternoon trails.

Returning to the warm and sunny campsite, I stopped to enjoy the perfect lakeside setting. Packing up, I was soon on my way back home. The journey over the Highwood Pass and down to Longview was leisurely as I was enjoying the clear atmosphere and recognizing all my hiking routes of the past year. It wasn’t as busy as the previous weekend, but judging from the number of parked cars, there were plenty of people out enjoying the long weekend. A sports car roared past me, but I soon caught up with them as they had been stopped by a police car hiding along the Highwood Valley.

I was glad to arrive back in town for a hot shower, and to enjoy the rest of the Thanksgiving Holiday at home.

Statistics
Frozen Lake
Sat. 9 October

Total Dist. 5.0 km (hike) + 9.8 km (bike) = 14.8 km
Height Gain 1620 ft.
Max. Elev. 7170 ft.
Time on trail 3 hrs. 47 mins.