Showing posts with label Banff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Banff. Show all posts
Friday, June 28, 2013
Southern Alberta Flood - Trail Update June 27, 2013
Unless you've been living under a rock (or perhaps outside of Canada), you'll know that the worst flooding in the recorded history of the region occurred on June 20-22, 2013. As a result, the mountains, recreational areas, roads, and rivers are a mess. Bridges are gone, campgrounds are flooded and trails are washed out.
In the grand scheme of things, personal property and major road repairs must take first priority. Getting cities, towns and hamlets safe and habitable again is key to rebuilding. Knowing this, it could take some time before attention is turned to the rehabilitation of our recreational areas.
So where can we go while we rebuild? With so many different regions, it can be tough to keep track of what's open to the public. Here's a quick reference for this moment in time:
Banff National Park updated their trail report on June 26, 2013.
In summary, Sulphur Mountain and Tunnel Mountain are pretty much your only in town options, with Bow River/Hoodoo listed as Fair/Poor. All other trails, such as Fenland, Goat Creek, etc, are closed.
Lake Minnewanka Loop Drive is closed.
The popular Johnston Canyon and Castle Lookout trails are closed, while other trails further up the highway are open but muddy.
Lake Louise and area escaped the worst of the flooding, but are still wet. In fact many trails still list snow as your greatest obstacle. Remember that during the heat wave next week.
In Kanananskis, one of the hardest hit areas, there are even less options. Road closures, bridge washouts, and mudslides are extensive. It might be helpful to look at the closed areas first.
Canmore Nordic Centre is open for use! (as of June 27). Some trails wet and muddy with natural hazards. Highway 742 (Spray Lakes) is closed at the Grassi Lakes turnoff.
Bow Valley Provincial Park (as of 2:15, June 27) (too many to list, click link for details -- news is cautiously optimistic)
Spray Valley Provincial Park is closed due to access and flooding.
Cataract Creek is closed due to access and flooding.
Elbow Valley - The highway is closed at either the Bragg Creek turnoff or MacLean Creek depending on which web site you visit. The bridge right before Allen Bill Pond was washed out, so MacLean Creek is the furthest you can go. This impacts the Elbow Falls rec area, as well as the Beaver Flats campground. Paddy's Flats Group use and River Cove Groups use are also closed. Little Elbow is closed. MacLean Creek campground is open, with limited services, no power, water, or sewage disposal. The store will be open, but on generator.
Peter Lougheed Park is completely closed. Click the link for the affected areas.
Sheep River. Bluerock is closed, Sandy McNabb is open.
Lower Kananaskis River. Many of the day use areas shut down. The slalom course was destroyed and washed out in the flood, creating a very messy situation in the area.
I did not see a trail report for Highwood area, but the footage online shows the damage to be quite extensive in the region.
I'll do my best to update as more information becomes available. Make sure to also follow on Twitter (@hiphiker).
Monday, June 25, 2012
Bow Falls - May 5, 2012
It was a banner moment for the HipHiker household. The moment when our family hiking group no longer consisted of two pairs of feet along the dusty trail... but four.
Ok, so at 14 months (at the time), the boys weren't going to be kicking up too much dirt in their Stride-Rites, but it was time to see if they wanted to come along for the ride, so to speak.
Buying child carriers was a foregone conclusion for our family until a couple of friends mentioned their kids did not take kindly to the backpacks. Dropping $200+ (times two!) for something we might never get to use wasn't terribly appealing. I was lucky enough to find out the local twins club (Twins, Triples and More Association of Calgary) had loaners. We borrowed them for a few weeks, and started light.... Bow Falls in Banff.
Despite being twins, my boys are nothing alike. Benjamin is my outdoorsy kid, he'll giggle in a snowstorm and turn his head to smile into the wind. But he has never liked any carrier contraption we've put him in. He hated the wrap and barely tolerated a Snugli. Joshua on the other hand doesn't seem to relish the elements as much, but is good to go with any mode of transport. I was curious to see what this combination of personalities would bring to the trail.
Though they began with a lot of crying, once they were lifted onto our backs and realized how much they could see and touch, they got into the hike. Once they reached out and started touching trees.... nothing but smiles.
Not a bad way to start your hiking career... and not a bad view either...
Hitting the trail! Benjamin was already mesmerized by the view...
Now we just need to find time to buy child carriers of our own.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Finding Farley finishes first at Banff Mountain Film Fest
Finding Farley is an amazing story from so many perspectives -- outdoors, history, literary, filmmaking, Canadiana, the list goes on. I was delighted to read the documentary took top prize at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
The documentary follows husband and wife Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, their toddler and dog as they canoe, hike and sail from their home in Canmore, Alberta to the home of author Farley Mowat in Nova Scotia, tracing the very steps the author had taken many years ago.
Heuer is also the author of "Being Caribou", a book about tracking caribou in their threatened habitat in Northern Canada and Alaska that has received rave reviews from conservationists and scientists alike.
From a personal perspective, I remember reading a piece in the (always great) Rocky Mountain Outlook when Heuer and Allison began their journey and getting chills at the mere thought of it. I read a piece in Canadian Geographic that included a photo of the couple carrying their canoe through downtown Calgary (making a stop as they canoed down the Bow River that skirts the downtown core's edge), only blocks from my old office.
It's extremely nice to see this effort com full circle -- Allison is the filmmaker of the award winning documentary. I can't imagine what this amazing couple will do next!
The documentary follows husband and wife Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, their toddler and dog as they canoe, hike and sail from their home in Canmore, Alberta to the home of author Farley Mowat in Nova Scotia, tracing the very steps the author had taken many years ago.
Heuer is also the author of "Being Caribou", a book about tracking caribou in their threatened habitat in Northern Canada and Alaska that has received rave reviews from conservationists and scientists alike.
From a personal perspective, I remember reading a piece in the (always great) Rocky Mountain Outlook when Heuer and Allison began their journey and getting chills at the mere thought of it. I read a piece in Canadian Geographic that included a photo of the couple carrying their canoe through downtown Calgary (making a stop as they canoed down the Bow River that skirts the downtown core's edge), only blocks from my old office.
It's extremely nice to see this effort com full circle -- Allison is the filmmaker of the award winning documentary. I can't imagine what this amazing couple will do next!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Fenland Trail -- February 16, 2009
Fenland Trail in February. Fenland is little more than a pleasant walk, but it's a great trail for when the winter has been dragging on too long and you hope for signs of warming weather.
Spring was still a long way off, but the firm hold of winter was starting to loosen in small ways. The layers of the ice from months of varying temperatures were starting to show through...
... the trail was worn through, down to the dirt in many places....
... and finding a nice place to sit along the Bow didn't seem like such an icy proposition....
Spring was still a long way off, but the firm hold of winter was starting to loosen in small ways. The layers of the ice from months of varying temperatures were starting to show through...
... the trail was worn through, down to the dirt in many places....
... and finding a nice place to sit along the Bow didn't seem like such an icy proposition....
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sundance Canyon -- January 10, 2009
Another beautiful hike to Sundance Canyon, this time deep in winter. Unbelievably, here in Banff the snow at the trail head wasn't deep enough to support cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, but it was just enough for a pleasant winter hike.
Closer to the canyon itself, these low bushes with the leaves still attached made for a contrast with the rest of the forest floor:
The snow was a little deeper at the canyon mouth, nice for the cross-country skiers who made the trek. I liked the look of this single track to the lonely, snow-covered picnic table...
So perfect you'd almost think the snow was photoshopped! It's strange that the only place I see any reference to miles is on old Park signs (which look so much nicer than the metal ones).
Mouth of the canyon... you can see the water swamped up around the trees on the right side of the photo, then promptly froze around the trunks...
A look up the canyon to the viewpoint/bridge..
A couple of trees had small ice crystal frozen to them, they were scattered all over the trees like nature's little decorations. This close-up didn't turn out like I'd hoped, but it's still cool to look at:
A little colour in the forest beyond the usual green and white!
Closer to the canyon itself, these low bushes with the leaves still attached made for a contrast with the rest of the forest floor:
The snow was a little deeper at the canyon mouth, nice for the cross-country skiers who made the trek. I liked the look of this single track to the lonely, snow-covered picnic table...
So perfect you'd almost think the snow was photoshopped! It's strange that the only place I see any reference to miles is on old Park signs (which look so much nicer than the metal ones).
Mouth of the canyon... you can see the water swamped up around the trees on the right side of the photo, then promptly froze around the trunks...
A look up the canyon to the viewpoint/bridge..
A couple of trees had small ice crystal frozen to them, they were scattered all over the trees like nature's little decorations. This close-up didn't turn out like I'd hoped, but it's still cool to look at:
A little colour in the forest beyond the usual green and white!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sundance Canyon -- Oct 05, 2008
Trail Directions: From Banff city centre, take Banff Avenue south across the bridge and turn right onto Cave Avenue. Park in the Cave and Basin lot. Trail head is near the back of the Cave and Basin building, along the paved path from the parking lot.
Nat and I don't hike around the Banff townsite area very often. There's no real reason for this, maybe convenience, maybe that the truly challenging hikes are usually down some secondary highway, or maybe it's that fighting the weekend traffic of Banff isn't much like "getting back to nature".
Sundance Canyon had been on the radar for some time, but it wasn't until this overcast October Sunday that it seemed like the right time to go. We knew from the trailhead we'd made the right call:
History geek alert: The trail actually begins right beside the Cave and Basin site, which is the historical site of the discovery of Banff Hot Springs, which of course led to the creation of Canada's National Park system in the 1880s. The is one of the older bathhouses, long out of service:
They say it's the overcast days that give you the best colours in photos. No arguments here. The water really was that colour:
While there's certainly not the famous New England type fall foliage in the Alberta Rockies, the sight of the yellow scattered among the evergreens is striking.
There's only a brief window the trees at such an altitude turn bright yellow. Even more amazing to see it under that layer of white snow.
Rockies in the fall:
The entrance to Sundance Canyon:
Some colour on the canyon walls:
Our ultimate destination. The trail leads straight up the side of the canyon, but it's not as much of a climb as it looks, especially when the trail is cool and dry...
Part of the falls from the bridge:
Looking back toward the valley from the bridge:
From a viewpoint further up the trail, with the yellow leaves scattered throughout the valley.
Fall colours are so brief in the Rockies, while winter seems to linger for months on end, so we were glad to be able to spend a fall day in the mountains, knowing winter was around the corner.
Nat and I don't hike around the Banff townsite area very often. There's no real reason for this, maybe convenience, maybe that the truly challenging hikes are usually down some secondary highway, or maybe it's that fighting the weekend traffic of Banff isn't much like "getting back to nature".
Sundance Canyon had been on the radar for some time, but it wasn't until this overcast October Sunday that it seemed like the right time to go. We knew from the trailhead we'd made the right call:
History geek alert: The trail actually begins right beside the Cave and Basin site, which is the historical site of the discovery of Banff Hot Springs, which of course led to the creation of Canada's National Park system in the 1880s. The is one of the older bathhouses, long out of service:
They say it's the overcast days that give you the best colours in photos. No arguments here. The water really was that colour:
While there's certainly not the famous New England type fall foliage in the Alberta Rockies, the sight of the yellow scattered among the evergreens is striking.
There's only a brief window the trees at such an altitude turn bright yellow. Even more amazing to see it under that layer of white snow.
Rockies in the fall:
The entrance to Sundance Canyon:
Some colour on the canyon walls:
Our ultimate destination. The trail leads straight up the side of the canyon, but it's not as much of a climb as it looks, especially when the trail is cool and dry...
Part of the falls from the bridge:
Looking back toward the valley from the bridge:
From a viewpoint further up the trail, with the yellow leaves scattered throughout the valley.
Fall colours are so brief in the Rockies, while winter seems to linger for months on end, so we were glad to be able to spend a fall day in the mountains, knowing winter was around the corner.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sulphur Mountain -- July 20, 2008
Sulphur Mountain -- Banff. Trail details: Take Banff Ave through town to Mountain Ave. Park in the Hot Springs parking lot, trailhead is NW part of parking lot.
If you've been to Banff, Alberta -- heck, if you've seen a photo of Banff, Alberta -- you've probably seen a photo of Sulphur Mountain. While not as photogenic as my personal favorite, Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain is where all the action is -- the Banff Springs Hotel, the Hot Springs, the Sulphur Mountain Gondola. The Cave and Basin is located on the west side of the mountain -- a historic spot for the National Park system of Canada.
Dave and I had to hike it. What better way to spend a 6 year wedding anniversary?
Sulphur Mountain intimidated us for a long time. It is a long way up from the parking lot, and when thousands of people a year will fork over about $16 a pop to take the gondola up instead of hiking, it makes you wonder if they know something we don't.
One thing I didn't know was that the old ski lift machinery still stands on the mountain. As we encountered what I thought was a fire break, we instead saw relics from a bygone era...(look for the wires among the tree... can you imagine riding a chairlift up this narrow channel?)
Only a few steps later, we hiked under the gondola lift. The trail is largely switchbacks up the east side of the mountain, and crosses under the gondola run many times:
I call this my tourism shot... the gondola backed by Mt. Rundle:
Looking down the Mount Rundle range. Sulphur is a steady climb of switchbacks, but an excellent one for views:
Sulphur is also a very popular hike, so the odds are the only wildlife you're going to see are the little guys who are used to being fed.... like this critter:
The trail has plenty of wildflowers as well. First up the Yellow Columbine (aquilegia flavescens). A little blurrier than I would like, but still a nice shot:
We also saw lots of what appears to be a Dwarf Mountain Groundsel (senecio fremontii):
About halfway up the mountain, the gondola starts to hover awfully close to the trail:
Neat little illusion where it looks like the gondola is coming right at you as you hike by:
One switchback went around the north side of the mountain, and we got a beautiful view of the town of Banff, with a very tiny looking Cascade Mountain in the background:
The top platform of Sulphur Mountain is where the trail ends, as well as where the gondola lift terminates. There's an observation deck complete with gift shop and restaurant. As you can imagine, it's quite busy during the summer. It's a bit of a shock going from mountain hike to tourist crowds in the space of a minute, and it diminishes the payoff just a little.
But the view can't be beat. That "bump" beside the river, in the middle-left of the shot... that's Tunnel Mountain... a short but decent hike in its own right:
The top of Sulphur Mountain used to be a ridgewalk, but the area is extremely sensitive and the trail was destroying the unique vegetation. This boardwalk was built to connect the two peaks of the mountain (the old lookout still stands at the other peak):
Looking back at the Visitor's Centre from the lookout. Mount Rundle in the background:
Again, in the midst of the most popular tourist spot in Alberta, yet there's nothing but pristine wilderness everywhere you look:
It's a beautiful area, and maybe too well loved. Much of Sulphur Mountain Trail suffers from overuse due to its popularity. Also, because so much of the trail is simply switchbacks up the mountain, many people take "shortcuts" which only lead to more trail degradation and erosion. There are signs throughout the trail asking hikers to please not cause more damage, but throughout the hike we saw numerous people cutting through the trail and "shortcutting".
This is what the terrain starts to look like when its eroding:
Despite the crowds, and the popularity and sometimes dismaying disregard for the area.... it's a beautiful hike, and should be done at least once. Especially since the Hot Springs reside right at the trail head!
If you've been to Banff, Alberta -- heck, if you've seen a photo of Banff, Alberta -- you've probably seen a photo of Sulphur Mountain. While not as photogenic as my personal favorite, Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain is where all the action is -- the Banff Springs Hotel, the Hot Springs, the Sulphur Mountain Gondola. The Cave and Basin is located on the west side of the mountain -- a historic spot for the National Park system of Canada.
Dave and I had to hike it. What better way to spend a 6 year wedding anniversary?
Sulphur Mountain intimidated us for a long time. It is a long way up from the parking lot, and when thousands of people a year will fork over about $16 a pop to take the gondola up instead of hiking, it makes you wonder if they know something we don't.
One thing I didn't know was that the old ski lift machinery still stands on the mountain. As we encountered what I thought was a fire break, we instead saw relics from a bygone era...(look for the wires among the tree... can you imagine riding a chairlift up this narrow channel?)
Only a few steps later, we hiked under the gondola lift. The trail is largely switchbacks up the east side of the mountain, and crosses under the gondola run many times:
I call this my tourism shot... the gondola backed by Mt. Rundle:
Looking down the Mount Rundle range. Sulphur is a steady climb of switchbacks, but an excellent one for views:
Sulphur is also a very popular hike, so the odds are the only wildlife you're going to see are the little guys who are used to being fed.... like this critter:
The trail has plenty of wildflowers as well. First up the Yellow Columbine (aquilegia flavescens). A little blurrier than I would like, but still a nice shot:
We also saw lots of what appears to be a Dwarf Mountain Groundsel (senecio fremontii):
About halfway up the mountain, the gondola starts to hover awfully close to the trail:
Neat little illusion where it looks like the gondola is coming right at you as you hike by:
One switchback went around the north side of the mountain, and we got a beautiful view of the town of Banff, with a very tiny looking Cascade Mountain in the background:
The top platform of Sulphur Mountain is where the trail ends, as well as where the gondola lift terminates. There's an observation deck complete with gift shop and restaurant. As you can imagine, it's quite busy during the summer. It's a bit of a shock going from mountain hike to tourist crowds in the space of a minute, and it diminishes the payoff just a little.
But the view can't be beat. That "bump" beside the river, in the middle-left of the shot... that's Tunnel Mountain... a short but decent hike in its own right:
The top of Sulphur Mountain used to be a ridgewalk, but the area is extremely sensitive and the trail was destroying the unique vegetation. This boardwalk was built to connect the two peaks of the mountain (the old lookout still stands at the other peak):
Looking back at the Visitor's Centre from the lookout. Mount Rundle in the background:
Again, in the midst of the most popular tourist spot in Alberta, yet there's nothing but pristine wilderness everywhere you look:
It's a beautiful area, and maybe too well loved. Much of Sulphur Mountain Trail suffers from overuse due to its popularity. Also, because so much of the trail is simply switchbacks up the mountain, many people take "shortcuts" which only lead to more trail degradation and erosion. There are signs throughout the trail asking hikers to please not cause more damage, but throughout the hike we saw numerous people cutting through the trail and "shortcutting".
This is what the terrain starts to look like when its eroding:
Despite the crowds, and the popularity and sometimes dismaying disregard for the area.... it's a beautiful hike, and should be done at least once. Especially since the Hot Springs reside right at the trail head!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Mt. Rundle
I have a serious fascination with Mt. Rundle, the towering rock that separates Banff from Canmore. I'm far from the only one -- most nature photographers from the area have any number of Mt. Rundle shots for sale.
There's something in the way the mountain seems to jut into the sky, and the sharp angle of the peak. The lines of the mountain on the north side seem to run right to the ground. The most fascinating thing about Mt. Rundle is it seems like a completely different mountain depending on where you're standing.
Mt. Rundle is the mountain on the right in the banner photo of this blog, but that's far from my favorite angle.
I drove up to the Norquay ski hill parking lot for a look at Banff from Stoney Squaw mountain. This was mid-May or so:
It is a lot greener now. Mt. Rundle is the snowy peak on the left.
I drove back down to the Trans-Canada, and took the turn-off to Vermillion Lakes. I saw at least two professional photogs camped out along this road this day.... me, I just happily snapped away, and got some of my favorite shots of my favorite mountain...
There's something in the way the mountain seems to jut into the sky, and the sharp angle of the peak. The lines of the mountain on the north side seem to run right to the ground. The most fascinating thing about Mt. Rundle is it seems like a completely different mountain depending on where you're standing.
Mt. Rundle is the mountain on the right in the banner photo of this blog, but that's far from my favorite angle.
I drove up to the Norquay ski hill parking lot for a look at Banff from Stoney Squaw mountain. This was mid-May or so:
It is a lot greener now. Mt. Rundle is the snowy peak on the left.
I drove back down to the Trans-Canada, and took the turn-off to Vermillion Lakes. I saw at least two professional photogs camped out along this road this day.... me, I just happily snapped away, and got some of my favorite shots of my favorite mountain...
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