Fullerton Loop - June 26, 2007

A couple of days after the Diamond T hike, J and I hit Fullerton Loop for an evening hike, and finished not a second too soon as the mosquitoes became absolutely vicious after about 8 pm.

Fullerton Loop details are here, and it's also been done to death, so I won't go into too much detail here. This hike is a little more shady than Diamond T, so a lot of the moisture was still evident along the creeks and forest portions of the hike. And the flowers were everywhere!

Near the beginning of the trail, on the opposite side of the river. Everything was in bloom as far as we could see.

Right before the trail turns uphill, this little creek runs along the trail. In the early spring months it actually flooded over the trail. Now it looks like a nice, mossy hideaway... until you see the mosquitoes!


Pretty look at the western view of Elbow Valley in the evening.

The wind was hitting the south side of the viewpoint pretty hard. This is another spot where wildflowers just abound, but with the wind blowing the way it was, this was the best I could manage.

Diamond T wildflowers - June 24, 2007

It was a lazy Sunday and D and I hadn't been on the trail for a couple of weekends, so we thought we'd try an old favorite in Diamond T (trail details here). Diamond T is short and sweet, and has frankly been done to death here, so on this hike I focused mostly on the wildflowers growing everywhere. It had been raining frequently that June, and this was just before a lengthy heat wave hit southern Alberta.

Enjoy.





(Take a look at the same short in the winter)

Cardio Hill isn't much easier in the summer. You don't slip as much, that's about it.

Old Buck Loop - June 23, 2007

Sibbald Flats - Old Buck Loop - Trail Particulars: From the Trans-Canada highway heading West from Calgary, take the Sibbald Flats turnoff (Highway 68 - Sibbald Creek Trail). Follow road to the Sibbald Viewpoint Recreation Area and turn into parking lot. Trail begins at viewpoint.

This might have been the last hike N and I got in before the big heat wave hit, and in that case, we picked a really good one. This short loop in Sibbald was virtually untouched -- it looked like no one else had taken the trail all season -- and it was lusher and greener than any other hike we'd done this summer.

Of course, it being tick season, that brought a whole new set of issues. A good chunk of the hike was through knee high grassy fields -- pretty much the last place you want to be when tick season starts.

But it was worth it.

We began our hike at the Sibbald Viewpoint overlooking Sibbald Flats. That would be the gorgeous view here (which looked much different a month later after weeks of scorching hot weather). From here the trail leads north, crosses highway 68, and leads to the Sibbald Forestry Exhibit trail. There are a couple of interpretive signs. The trail then leads to the campground. About 1 km in, a trail splits off to the north. That's the trail for Old Buck Loop.





Once you cross that bridge, it's long grass and a very narrow trail for some time. We went first thing in the morning and all the greenery was still very damp from the morning dew. After only a few minutes our pants and shoes were soaked. As with other trails, this path was extremely colourful with the first blush of spring flowers. Old Buck Loop ascends the side of Old Buck Mountain, but doesn't come close to reaching the peak. It climbs a side of it and provides a view towards Moose Mountain. So initially there is not much of a climb on the trail, but once the path turns NE (after winding NW for about 1 km), it's steady uphill for the next 1.5k or so.

Besides the views, there's plenty to see on this lush hike. As the trail ascends it crosses through what could only have once been a riverbed. There is no sign of water here (despite how damp the area feels), and the forest is surely taking the area back over, but it's clear water once cut a swath through many sections of this trail.
Sadly, the payoff is more the accomplishment of making it to the top than any real view. The trail itself doesn't climb high enough to provide any real views, and what is there is blocked by the trees. This is a trail for the solitude and greenery, not the view. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

As the trail descends, it returns to the more meadow-like path. This is actually a nice change from being in the forest -- the scenery is different, and there's a feeling like you're seeing something virtually untouched, something only a few people have been lucky enough to see.



This spot was fully enclosed by trees and hills and made this part of the hike seem very isolated and distant. Usually while hiking, you're looking so far off into the distance -- here you were forced to look right around you and it was very cool.

At this point, our trail also turned into a creek:



A marsh might actually be a better word, as the ground all around the trail was also saturated with water. It wasn't so much the water was running down the trail like on an earlier hike on Jumpingpound Creek. No, this was like the whole ground was soaked and you could only see the water on the trail because it was the lowest point and there was no grass covering it. Since our shoes were already soaked from the earlier part of the hike, N and I mucked through as gently as we could. Messiest hike yet!

Soon after, we were back at the beginning of the loop, just across the bridge from the earlier photo. Wanting just a little bit more of a hike, we treked along the main trail running alongside the Sibbald Lake campground until we reached Sibbald Lake itself.



Old Buck is great for isolation, and wildflowers. For hiking though, it leaves you wanting a little more of a workout and a little more of a payoff. It will likely be worth another loop in the fall, just to see the differences in the scenery.

Rainy Fridays...

It has been a while since we've needed to stick close to Bragg Creek for our hikes, but I wanted to post this extremely informative and valuable link for anyone looking for trails in the Bragg Creek area. They range from short interpretive walks to 10+k hikes.

Surf over to BraggCreek.ca for the list of hikes.

Also, the fire ban has been lifted in some areas of the province (and I see why after experiencing the rain in Banff last night). Keep an eye on the Alberta Fire Bans website to know where you can and can't have fires.

Have a dry weekend....

Grassi Lake - June 10

Camore - Grassi Lakes Trail. Trail details: Take Trans-Canada Highway to Canmore, AB. Drive through town past the Canmore Nordic Centre (Highway 742, also known as Spray Lakes Rd.). Look for a turnoff just before the winter gates on Spray Lakes road, this turnoff leads downhill and to the trailhead..

There's not much I can say about Grassi Lakes that hasn't been said. The hike is beautiful and should be done at least once per season. It's a short loop with about 1.5 km of steep uphill, and some parts of the trail are not for those with unsure footing or fear of heights (a hiker recently died after falling from the trail), but the views of Canmore and the lakes themselves are beyond description. Back in May (which was really too early to hike the trail) even my crappy camera photo was able to take a great desktop photo. That's how photogenic this hike is.

D and I decided to take this hike as part of a day trip to the area. We weren't looking for anything super strenuous -- just a quick hike with a little bit of kick to it. We got exactly what we wanted.

Canmore was under a high water alert for the first time that spring, but surprisingly, we didn't see much evidence of high water, with the exception of a couple of ponds right off the main roads of Canmore.

From the trailhead, the path is along a closed off forestry road before coming to this fork. The best option is definitely the "difficult" path, despite what your inner hiker might say. This side of the loop provides the best views on the way up and the most challenging walk. The easier path is confined to the forestry road and is an excellent way to descend from the lakes -- nice and relaxed.

Naturally it didn't take long for one of the locals to come out. I'd be hard pressed to think of a time we didn't see a red squirrel on this hike.... they practically own the trail. Due to popularity of the trail and it's location, that's about all you're going to see though. That's fine, there's plenty of other things to look at. There is plenty of history to this area and to this hike in particular (named after Lawrence Grassi - and mine worker who became a renowned trail guide and trail builder in the early 50s. This trail is almost the exact path he followed on his initial hike to the lakes).

It doesn't take long before the trail leads alongside the mountain. There are a number of creeks and waterfalls that cross the path here -- none are enough to do more than dampen the bottom of your shoes and can be crossed easily. Make sure to keep your head up though, because the views from here are already incredible:



Not bad for less than 30 minutes into the hike.

The next notable stop in the path is shortly after the small streams and waterfalls, and long before you see it, you should be able to hear it.

.

This is about as close as you'll get to the falls, which is probably a good thing, since even this shot is from a bit of a cliff-like point on the trail.

From here the trail takes a sharp turn upwards.




I wasn't kidding. And this is no camera trick, the stairs really are that steep. I'm never one for railings on trails, but it's absolutely needed in this case. The trail just before here is equally steep and requires some careful footing.

But it's worth it....



Once you get to this bridge, you're almost there and the hardest part is over -- really the hardest part isn't that bad. This is Grassi Creek, and this was probably the first sign D and I had of why Canmore was under a water alert. The right side of the bridge was very pond-like and calm, and actually looked quite high, but as it poured underneath the bridge and over to the left side it turned into crazy wild creek! Check it out:



Check out the bird on the rock! He was having a blast! Another time where the photo does not do the scene justice...

From here it is only a quick stroll to Grass Lakes.




The path leads along the right side of the first lake and then splits. You can either continue along to wind along the second lake (which is only meters from the first), and to the rock face, or continue around the first lake and then back down the forestry trails. There are plenty of areas to kick back and take a break, but don't expect a lot of quiet, as this might be the most popular trail in Canmore.

If you go in summer, you're almost certain to see rock climbers on the rock face beside the second lake. This is where the trail officially comes to an end:



...but the more adventurous and sure-footed can scramble up a small scree slope just beyond the end of trail marker. There are petrographs at the top, though they are tough to find, and there are usually many more climbers at the top.

D and I didn't climb this time, but I did a few years before and it's a fun climb. Do it for the climb though, because there isn't much of a payoff.

D and I doubled back and headed back down the forestry road, which is a pleasant and sunny downhill walk. One reason I like taking this walk back is because there are usually a number of people coming up the other side of the loop and with such a narrow path (and staircase) it becomes inconvenient. There's also a little more in the way of wildflowers on the forestry road.



If you're planning on hiking this trail during the summer (and due to the narrow path and ice on the trail long into the spring, there really is no choice but to wait until June), I cannot stress enough to get there early. When D and I returned to the trailhead, there wasn't an inch of parking space left in the small trailhead area, and it wasn't even 11 am.

Shameless self promotion

Hip Hiker has been listed on Hiking Blogs, an excellent site listing many of the hiking blogs on the Internet. This site is a great resource for all things hiking as there are topical blogs as well as regional ones. If you're into GPS or want to research some equipment purchases, this is an great place to start looking.

Direct link is Hip Hiker.

Look for more features and information to be posted on the Hip Hiker blog as well....

Trail News Round up

Before I get back to posting some older hikes, there are some trail closures and restriction posted today by Parks Canada:

Moraine Lake Highline Trail, from Moraine Lake Lodge to 3.8 km north. - Closed due to berry season

Upper Bryant Creek Valley - Access by special permit only due to prime food sources (berries) in the area. Click the link for a detailed map and more details.

The good news is many of the bear warnings in the Kananaskis area have been lifted (including the Barrier Lake aarea -- one of my personal favorites). Of course, the nicer weather seems to have lifted as well, but you can't have it all.