66. Headwall Lakes

Distance: 14 km return
Elevation gain: 430 m

September 28, Thursday, was a nice day in the middle of cooler weather and the snow had melted so we enjoyed one last hike for the season.
Headwall Lakes starts at Chester parking lot and follows various poorly labeled snowshoe trails. There was a significant number of people hiking to Chester Lake but we had the whole trail to ourselves.

After we left the wide trails we followed a creek, still gurgling.

This part of the walk was in the woods, shady and cool so we were glad to reach a rock slide with views of the sun, mountains and Chester mountain.

The trail was very level up till now. Ahead were some steep ascents and headwalls, thankfully not too long.

We arrived at the first lake and were disappointed to see how gray and colourless it was.

So we went on to the second lake to reach our goal and take our picture.

As we sat and watched, the wind changed and the reflection on the water became much clearer, it changed continually with the wind.

We decided to go back over the headwall to get out of the wind  and were very pleased to see the new blue colour of the first lake also. It was so warm, I took a real half hour nap before continuing on down.

There were a few larches at their peak mixed among the evergreens and adding to the beauty of a lovely day, our last hike of the season.

65. Upper Kananaskis Lake Circuit

Distance: 15 km
Elevation gain: negligible

Wednesday, August 30 was a hot, smoky day so we chose an easier hike with limited views anyhow.
The breeze made the temperature comfortable and the smoke made everything dim. We had a great hike with Ruth and Lisa.
We started out with a view of Mt. Indefatigable in front of us and rued the fact that we couldn't climb it again for this blog because it had become grizzly bear property.

The trail was very easy to walk on, even the rock slide had been leveled somewhat.

Canada geese dunking for food among drowned tree stumps was the most interesting wildlife we saw.

A few waterfalls along the route added interest.

It was a good place to pose for the group picture.

Flowers had mostly gone to seed but the twisted stalk looks better that way.

Most of the trail was wide enough to walk side by side so chatting made the kilometres pass easily.

The lake was very calm, filled with dull reflection, until the wind came up briefly around 3:00, causing ripples and threatening rain. At the interlakes section, the beach was covered with thousands of driftwood stumps which were left from the logging done when the lake was formed and expanded.

We had to at least touch the water in the lake we had circumnavigated and give it a chance to relieve our lactic acid. It was not glacier, ice-cold but very refreshing.

Since it was too early to eat supper yet, we drove up to Wedge Pond first and there enjoyed eating together in 27* temperature and gentle sunshine with a view of a smaller lake. A lovely day.

June 2018, Doreen and Lloyd visited from Ottawa and we hiked a few kilometres around the lake.
The day was clear although cool and windy - the views were awesome compared to the smokiness the year before.

64. West Wind Pass / Wind Tower

Distance: 10.6km round trip
Elevation gain: 988m

August 23, Wednesday, time to do another hike. We chose Wind Tower and based on the description decided not to invite anyone else. The tower at the end of the ridge looked very stark and impressive from the road and we prepared for a slow and steady pace.

The trail started ascending immediately and never stopped. The tower remained daunting.

After reaching the pass, we analyzed the tower and expected a zigzag climb up the side to a leisurely walk on top to the end. Not so. The hike along the side to the ridge started out in bushes, with low headwalls to climb periodically.

The trail was well marked with cairns everywhere.

Much of the way we could see Spray Lake behind us, growing as we climbed and getting smokier as the day progressed. Across the lake was Goat Glacier where we fondly remembered camping and hiking earlier.

Then the trail turned up and we started a long, steep climb to the tower. The rocks were not very slippery or treacherous.

Beside Wind Tower and part of it is the massive Mt. Lougheed.

We reached the top, finished our lunch and totally rested in the sun and shelter breaks from the warm wind. What an accomplishment! I didn't need to be ashamed of my quads being tight for the next couple days. It was work.

To the north, Herm pointed out Canmore and Wind Ridge as well as various other familiar landmarks.

A half hour sleep and we had to descend, more easily than I had feared.

Since it was still a very warm day at the bottom we had a light supper at Driftwood picnic site before we went home, just stopping to take a picture from the highway near Deadman's Flats.

63. Piper Pass

Distance: 21k round trip
Elevation gain 617 m

Wednesday, August 2, we hiked Elbow Lake/Piper Pass with Harry and Tena. We hoped for nice weather and not much smoke. The theological/spiritual discussion in the car made the miles fly by and we were at the trail head before I realized it. The first part of the hike would be very familiar because we had already done Tombstone Lakes and Rae Lake in previous years.
We got right to work and hiked up to Elbow Lake.

The next part of the trail was a quite level, old, wide road which made conversation easy and again the kilometers passed quickly.

We had to turn north off this road into Piper Valley and cross the ice cold Elbow River but we were prepared.

After the wide road, the trail to the meadow was very narrow but clear.The day was warming up.

The most beautiful wildlife on this hike was the butterflies. I counted 6 varieties including this painted lady (which was also frequently seen in our backyard this August).

Also along the narrow trail were small clearings filled with flowers.

Then the woods opened up with a grand view to the pass. Harry and Tena explored the meadow while we tackled the pass.

Once up the steep, scree trail we took a picture of our successful selves with the other side in the background.

Then a picture back down the trail we had come up. Definitely a warm day now.

On the way back we decided to try a bushwhacking shortcut described in Copeland's book since we had seen a small cairn marking the beginning. Herm led the way and did an excellent job leading us back to the main trail. This time the streams were small enough to rock hop across.

We got back to the trailhead having taken significantly longer than the book suggested, but it was still a beautiful warm day and the picnic tables were in the sunshine so we ate a picnic supper at the end of the parking lot. The day was everything we had wished for.

62. Tent Ridge

Distance: 10.6 km
Elev. gain: 780 m
Difficulty: challenging due to slight scrambling

Monday, July 17, we did Tent Ridge, long on Herm's list. It was so smoky from fires in Banff that we almost turned around. We didn't but the potentially vast views were completely hidden in the smoke.
In the parking lot near Mt Shark, Herm rechecked his camera and noticed there was no power - so no pictures due to smoke and no camera.
It was a beautiful ridge walk hike with lots of flowers at lower elevations. The scrambling and rocky terrain were not dangerous but required close attention so the whole thing was not relaxing. The downhill was long and steep.
We're glad we did it but are sorry for the limited vista. A hiker we met took some pictures for us but obviously forgot to send them so I am including a few we found on the internet.

61. Whaleback

Distance: about 8 - 10 km
Elevation gain: 300m

On Friday, June 9, Margaret set off with Herm and me to explore the wild flowers of the Whaleback region. After 1 1/2 hours drive south on Hwy 22 we found a pull off and started walking in this gentle, green, rolling landscape. We immediately found a great variety of flowers along the disturbed trail and so eagerly continued.
The 3 flowered avens was perhaps the most common along the trail.

The wind flower or cut leaved anemone was one of the best because it was a first time seen. It wasn't 100% open.

The biggest thrill was a large, surprising splash of yellow on a hillside ahead of us. Just in case we wouldn't see it again, we detoured to discover balsam root. We saw loads of it again on top of the ridge and I found out we had actually seen it 20 years ago in Waterton.

I had taken my book and was able to discover and verify many names;

like crested beardtongue,

blue beardtongue,

shining arnica,  (rather than more alpine heart-leaved arnica)

Parry's townsendia, another first

blue camas, a wonderful first

and a field full of prairie onions, not quite in full bloom.

 Unfortunately, my book was not complete and there were a few unknowns.

From the road, we followed a track to Black Mountain, more like a ridge,

 we went through a gap and looked at the Whaleback ridge.

We crossed the valley and climbed most of the way up the ridge - the terrain was steep with uneven footing.

But we made it since we're not yet as decrepit as these weathered limber pines.

We posed for the requisite picture.

And headed back for the gap in the Black mountain following a circular route to discover more flower varieties.

The hike exceeded expectations for a wildflower adventure both in variety and number. We are inspired to go again, reach the top, go farther and see the flowers at a slightly different season.
Stay tuned.