Outdoor Video Magazine

Length: 5km
Time: 2-4hours
Elevation Gain: Approx 400m (guess!)
Techincal Difficulty: Easy, trail-less hike with no exposure (possibility of some good exposed ridge scrambling if you progress further)
Exertion: High
Rating: 8/10
Time done: November 2008

Trail Summary

A good option for a short, interesting hike in the Nordegg area that gets you off the beaten path. Varied terrain, awesome views, and a sense of being in amongst the peaks for relatively little effort. The trail starts from the Hoodoo Creek ‘parking lot’ (road-side) by a large dry stream bed about 38km West of Nordegg, 3km West of Windy Point. On closer inspection, the right one has a large cairn on the North side of the road (and a small flag when I was there), and there is also a 4×4 track leading down to the stream on the South side of the road.

Detail

Start up Hoodoo Creek itself, taking either the stream bed or the faint trail to the right of the stream. The ridge you’re heading up is the one on the righthand side of the creek. After 5 mins or so, there is a large, square, yellow boulder/rock outcrop on your right. This is a good spot to find a faint trail leading away from the creek bed through the trees. Follow this (and make you’re own way) up the obvious ridge. The going is steep through the trees, and good views of Lake Abraham quickly open up behind you. There is a little bit of easy rock scrambling that can equally easily be bypassed and no hands used at all. As you gain height, the trees thin and a number of flatter sections are encountered. Keep pushing on, and eventually you break out of the trees completely and there remains just a short push to the top of the easy part of the ridge, distinguished by a flat area with no trees. This is where we turned back, being in a foot or so of snow. The ridge would be passable for a little while further, if you navigate a fairly tricky looking narrow section. I didn’t fancy it in winter, but may have given it a look in summer.

Return the way you came, taking care not to drift too far to the left on descent or you may get lost in the trees as you try to find your car again.

Length: Approx 23km
Time: 2 Days
Elevation Gain: 900m total (excluding sidetrip)
Max Elevation: 2330m, (2500m side trip up Saddleback Mt)
Rating: 7/10, some tedious spots though it was overcast and cloudy
Done: End of October 2007
Book: Classic Hikes in the Canadian Rockies, Graeme Pole
Map: NTS, 82 N/8
Route: From Lake Louise Chateau over Saddleback Pass, into Paradise Valley, up Paradise Valley via river bottom (lower trail), return via Lake Annette and Paradise Valley Junction.

Towards the end of October 2007, UAOC (University of Alberta Outdoors Club) headed to the Lake Louise area of Banff National Park for a late-season two-day backpacking trip. The target: Paradise Valley.

Friday night we left Edmonton with 8 people in two cars, heading for an overnight stay at Saskatchewan Crossing. It was actually their last weekend of the season as they close for the winter period. Stopping in the little an totally unfamous town of Bentley on the way, we managed to get a 12 pack of Canadian for $10, it having been priced incorrectly. The cashier didn’t notice. We were then well equipped for an evening of poker in the hotel, won in style by a poker newbie (that would be me).

Day 1 - Saturday 11km

We finished off the drive along the Icefields Parkway and registered at the Park Office in Lake Louise. Then, after a quick drive to the trailhead at Lake Louise Chateau, we were ready to get going (you can start from Morraine Lake in summer, but the Morraine Lake road is closed to cars in autumn, winter and spring). Having assessed snow conditions, we decided to leave the snowshoes at the car…a good choice seeing as we barely had to hike through any snow at all! Yet at the same elevation on the Skyline a few weeks before, we had several feet.

We were heading into Paradise Valley via Saddleback Pass, so we had a 3km of uphill to start off with. In fact, this turned out to be a nice, steady, easy to walk gradient and the time flew by. Before we knew it, we were up above the treeline under the flanks of Mt Fairview gazing out of the Chateau (what an eyesore, I think it should be torn down!!). We stopped for lunch here, and discussed the merits of a sidetrip to the top of Saddleback Mountain which looked a nice easy scramble. Eventually we decided to do it, which I quickly regretted after a few mins of stumbling over slippy, snowy boulders with ankle breaking gaps, down one of which I dropped a Mars Bar. Those who know me won’t be surprised to find out I spent 5mins and a great deal of pain to finally get it back.

The sidetrip redeemed itself higher up though, where the going got easier and some stunning views of the surrounding peaks (including the attractive and instantly recognisable Mt Temple) and Paradise Valley itself opened up. The summit also had views down the Bow Valley, giving you a real sense of the scale of the mountains, without taking too much exertion. It was probably around 20mins to get to the summit from the pass. And worth it.

Heading down again we picked up our packs and started a steep, knee-jarring descent into Paradise Valley. It seemed like we were dropping a lot more than we gained (just an illusion). Leaving the stunning mountain vistas and tremendous rock-faces behind we dropped into the trees, and headed up Paradise Valley. Opting to take the now dis-used lower trail that keeps by the river (it was closed and the trail moved higher up to avoid bear-human conflicts). This gave us a couple of interesting river fords, but saved us taking the same trail on the return trip. I have to say I was a little disappointed with Paradise Valley, I think it was possibly an unflattering time of year for it being after the amazing larches, and before the winter snow. The trail has some limited views of Mt Temple as it slowly climbs through the trees. It was cloudy by this point too.

The valley redeemed itself somewhat with the pretty area that is Giant Steps. This collection of flat, square rocks forms some interesting waterfalls and is situated in a nice open area with goods views down the valley and up to the surrounding peaks. It is also handily close to the Paradise Valley campground. We chilled out (literally, the temperature was dropping fast) for a long, long time lying on the flat rocks. It would be gorgeous to sunbathe here on a summers day (though I can imagine the crowds, we had the place to ourselves).

Dinner included a fantastic bowl of melted chocolate orange to share. Mostly consumed by me.

Day 2 - Sunday 12km

After a rather lonely night in my bivi-bag (I know, it’s a bivi-bag, it’s meant to be lonely, but still, there was no need for everyone else to camp out of sight and out of ear-shot from me!) we set off for a lesiurely day two. This time heading down the current (and kind of new) trail that runs higher up the slopes of Temple, well away from the river and the preferred bear habitat. This route would take us out past Lake Annette. Unfortunately, the weather came in a little bit, and most of the views were obscured by cloud. The hike out was pleasant as far as Lake Annette, and we had some fun times playing on frozen streams on the way (see video). The trail is through scattered trees with some good views of Paradise Valley at times, and some awe-inspiring close-ups of the dramatic gullies of Mt Temple. Lake Annette itself does seem to be in a gorgeous location, though we couldn’t see much. However, the rest of the hike from there onwards to the car at Lake Louise got pretty tedious.

• Parks Canada Trail Info
• Another review of Paradise Valley (boasting it one of the best hikes in the world!!)
• Large collection of photos of Paradise Valley

As always I’ve been delayed with my trip report, and this particular hike took place a 2 months (and more) ago on a Saturday at the beginning of November. It was another UAOC trip (University of Alberta Outdoors Club) that is really a weekend of debauchery and drinking in the Nordegg Youth Hostel, titled Cabin Fever. With a wee bit of hiking. 40+ students take over the hostel for the weekend, and have two very fun nights as a group and then split into smaller groups for day-time activities…normally groups are determined by hangover strength.

I was in the least hungover group…who following an idea from Brett had decided to have an off-trail hike/scramble (though no hands are actually needed) to the start of the Mt Stelfox ridge. This trail starts from the parking lot immediately to the East of the Cline River on Highway 11 (by Abraham Lake, as always). The trail head is the southern/western end of the Stelfox Loop.

You go along the very obvious (and boring) flat-ish trail for around 3km. The point you’re looking for is just after a long incline that initially gives you views of the gorge to your left, and then re-enters some trees. It’s just before a long descent, and there is a faint trail heading off through the trees to your right.

This faint hiker’s path takes a direct line up the slope towards the top of the ridge. Don’t worry if you lose it, just follow the slope up and pick a path through the trees. Take care not to drift too far right which will become cliffs higher up.

The way is relatively tedious…although at the time when we did it there was increasing amounts of snow as we got higher up. This provided some nice walking conditions (if a bit tiring with all the slipping, it’s a fairly steep slope) and our first wintery conditions of the 2007/08 season. Views up the Coral Creek and Cline river valley’s open behind as you gain height.

Eventually (an hour of ascent since the main path?) you break onto some level ground where you can bear right to follow the obvious and stunning cliff top to stupendous views over the valley below and Lake Abraham itself. This viewgasm (made up word, one of my favourites) provided the perfect lunch stop for us, where a bitterly cold wind strained at our goretex and persuaded most of the group to head back down again shortly. Mark, Julia and I (the usual suspects) were having none of it, and scampered to the main crest of the ridge (though not the summit of Stelfox, which remains a lot further along the ridge past some technical scrambling). We were soon in knee deep snow and a wintery blizzard blew in providing some exciting walking conditions and obliterating the view. From the first cliff view point to the ridge crest is probably just another 20mins more. Exhilarated, our descent back the way we came to the valley bottom and the main trail was quick and fraught with amusing slips in the snow. We caught up with the others not far along the trail where we returned to the trail.

Fun day!

Length: 44km
Time: 3 days
Elevation gain: 1380m
Difficulty: Moderate (in good conditions, harder in snow!!)
Rating: 9/10

So the Thanksgiving weekend is another great oppurtunity to escape to the mountains for 3 days, if only to avoid the turkey. This time, I was on a University of Alberta Outdoors Club trip to the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park. After much confusion and careful organising by VP of the club, Ian Curran, 10 people remained on the trip. It was very important that we knew the capabilities and preparedness of the people we had on this trip, as we knew tackling the Skyline in October would be quite the undertaking, given the recent snowfall. The decision was made that all group members should carry snowshoes.

I think this is a GREAT time of year to do the normally busy and over-used Skyline trail. We didn’t expect to see anyone else on the trail, and we hoped that the huge expanses of rock above the treeline would look a lot prettier than the do in summer, given the recent snow. The downside of doing it this time of year, is missing out on the gorgeous alpine meadows and flowers.

We set off from Edmonton around 5ish, and after a quick pitstop at the super-express-gourmet-fastfood restaurant that is Wendy’s in Edson (that is sarcasm. Don’t ever stop there. It took nearly an hour of waiting, and the only entertainment to pass the time was admiring the skill of the staff who had one person to take the orders, and another person whose only observable job was to knock the orders over as they became ready.) we arrived at the campground in Jasper at 10pm for a few beers and a not so early night.

Day 1 - Trailhead to Snowbowl - 12km

We hiked this trail from North to South, to reduce the total elevation gain. After dropping one car off at the Northern traihead on Maligne Lake road, we all headed to Maligne Lake where we would start our hike. After much faffing (I’ve decided that time to get ready increases proportional to number of people squared, although in theory it should take 10 people no longer than one!!) we ready to start hiking at around noon. We started off with 1cm or so of snow on the trail already. The trail winds through spruce and pine forest past some pretty lakes, gaining elevation only gradually, for the first 5km to Evelyn Campground.

After an extended lunch stop (Ian needed to have a full on cooked affair) we were ready to climb the switchbacks to the first pass. This climb wasn’t too bad at all, and we quickly gained elevation and arrived at Little Shovel campground at 8km, where your first views of snowy peaks and valleys open up. It really was looking like skiing season was here! We were now in a good few inches of snow, and as we pressed on up the gradual incline to the pass it quickly deepened to a good foot of snow. The luring ascent to Sunset Peak on the right of the pass caught my eye, and I suggested a quick sidetrip. With three of us capable of leading the group, we decided to split the group into two as not everyone was feeling up to the rather strenuous elevation gain to the top of Sunset Peak. A quick game of rock-paper-scissors determined I was the poor soul who would lead half the group to the campsite, while the others would take the sidetrip. A well worthwhile one from the sound of it, you can ascend the first ridge to the summit from well before the pass, and then drop down a second ridge that brings you out on top of the pass where you can rejoin the trail. The views (from the photos they showed me!) looked fantastic.

Meanwhile, my group bust out the snowshoes as we headed over the pass and down into the snowbowl. A very apt name on this particular day. Gorgeous sun and a stiff breeze provided excellent conditions to enjoy the wintery terrain and stunning vistas in all directions. We reached Snowbowl Campground at 12km, and set up camp. Boxed wine and backcountry cooking provided the entertainment for the rest of the evening.

Day 2 - Snowbowl to Watchtower (skyline aborted) - 12km

One of the group was struggling with the cold and the extra effort the snowshoeing with a big backpack was putting on her, so it was decided the group would again split into two. Ian and Nicole would head out via Watchtower and the rest of us, led by me, would try and finish the Skyline. My group got a (slightly) earlier start at 9.30am (despite the first people being up at 7am…again the person squared law applies to the getting ready time). A rather dark, threatening sky provided an awesome backdrop to sun-lit snowy peaks, and we plodded on towards Big Shovel Pass at 17.5km. The time we were making was pretty bad, and I began to doubt we would have time to make it all the way to Tekarra Campground at 30km. Especially as we still had the Notch, the hardeest part of the trail, still in our way. As we crested the pass in extreme winds, I had my first view of the Notch. It looked impossibly steep, and very, very snow clad. With a large cornice at the top. I didn’t like the look of it at all. Anyway, we had a quick and cold lunch, and then headed on toward Curator Lake through some barren, rocky ground. The wind by now was getting incredibly strong, and the smaller members of the group were having trouble staying vertical! As the wind got stronger, and I had more time to contemplate the Notch, I realised to go on would be foolish. The group wasn’t strong enough to make it over the Notch to the next campground, and the thought of falling short and having to camp out in the exposed ridge beyond the Notch in gale force winds was not very attractive. Not to mention the avalanche risk on the Notch itself..it looked pretty sketchy to me. After a quick discussion we decided to head out via Watchtower too. A steep climb up to Watchtower Pass, and we soon had a view down the picturesque Watchtower Basin. With excess time on our hands now, we decided to frollick in the snow for an hour or so, before heading on to Watchtower Campground, where we joined soon afterwards by Ian and Nicole. The group was reunited.

Very wet snow conditions were worsened when it started to rain, and people retired to bed early. 6 of us squeezed into a Tarn 3 to play several hours of cards.

Day 3 - Watchtower CG to Maligne Lake Road - 10km

When I awoke in the morning, I discovered the rain had turned to 4 inches of snow over night, and everything was frozen solid. A temperature somewhere between -5C and -10C coupled with the rain the night before meant people had to resort to licking tent poles to get them to collapse, and I had to spend nearly 10m de-icing the bear hanger before we could get our food down.

Because we were exiting the trail in the middle of where our two cars were parked, 3 of us went on ahead to get the road first so we could hitchhike and get the cars for when everyone else arrived. The 10km out was a fast, but enjoyable hike along a pretty trail. The fresh snow really added to the gorgeous view of the impressive wall formed by the Colin Range that dominated most of the view ahead. Arriving at the trailhead at around 12.30m, we were suprised to find we had apparently travelled back in time from winter to autumn. It was warm, sunny, dry and there was no snow on the ground for the first time in 3 days. The trees were even still yellow.

It didn’t take me long to get picked up, and we were soon all on our way to Miette hotsprings for the last day of the season.

Good times.

Length: 26.6km Elevation: 1400m - 2480m (2700m+ if you scramble peaks)
Time: 3 Days
Effort: Medium (some long uphill).
Rating: 7.5/10

26.6km over 3 days?! Well that’s what the book told me. “If you are strong and very, very fast this hike can be done in two days”. Hmmmm. I would say if you were strong and very, very fast you could do this in ONE day. Two days is relaxing. Three days is extreme. I read a whole brand new boook from cover to cover, did three separate sidetrips scrambling up 3 mountains, wasted tonnes of time stalking marmots and goats. Invented games with stones. Etc. Lets just say I had some time to kill. And I still only took 2 1/2 days.

So Canada Day 2007 has come and gone, but my post for the long weekend is 2 months behind schedule.

Originally I was planning to go rock climbing in a place near Golden, B.C. for 3 days with a bunch of friends. But my poor, poor fingers were over-tired from too much indoor climbing and I fancied having some time alone. So I got them to drop me off along the David Thompson (Highway 11) on their way to Golden. They would (hopefully) return in 3 days to pick me up.

I got dropped off at the trailhead at 10pm in the pouring rain and decided to camp right there, which was right next to a garbage damp (fenced at least). Smart huh? Anyhoo, no bears turned up, but the banging of the huge metal door drove me nuts and I started hiking at 5am the next morning because I couldn’t sleep.

The first 8km of trail are kind of boring as they pass through wooded terrain on a seismic-line/quad trail. The result was that I found myself halfway though the hike and at my campsite in a secluded alpine meadow by 10am. This is a gorgeous area once you escape the trees and you enter a lovely alpine bowl at around 2400m. I passed the next few days on my own reading in the sun (wrapped in a -10C sleeping bag in the sun!), scrambling the three surrounding 2700m peaks, and watching my marmot and squirrely friends at play.

The best peak to scramble is Littlehorn it’s self, the one directly across from you as you crest the first pass. From the second pass, amble up steep grassy slopes to your right until you attain the ridge and then it’s easy scrambling (hands in pockets style) to the top. From here you can actually continue into a ridge walk, descending steep talus on the far side following the ridge over another couple of humps until you carefully pick your way down steep grassy slopes at the far end.

The photo shows the trail in green…the scrambling route I took in red, and two optional descents in yellow. The route I took down was not ideal, ending at cliffs in two different places and involving some backtracking up steep slopes to find a way off. The yellow routes LOOKED bettter, but no guarantees!The other two peaks I ascended (OK, one I didn’t make it to the true top) were the ones either side of the first pass. As you approach the pass from the start of the hike, the summit to the left is inaccessible except to CRAZY scramblers. You can ascend the steep, loose scree slope to the ridge easily enough, and you are treated with nice views off the the precipitous farside, but to travel to the true summit would involve some crazy exposure and difficult climbing. The summit on the right of the pass is somewhat easier to obtain up slightly less steep scree along the ridge edge.

All was perfect except for the two nights. I only had the fly of tent, not the inner. So when a scratching woke me up in the middle of the first night, I found my nose inches from the face of an inquisitive ground squirrel. He ran away. Then came back REPEATEDLY all damn night to nibble on my stuff. I even resorted to (gently) swatting him (sorry animal lovers) to scare him off. He was unperturbed. I zipped my sleeping bag up fully, scared he was going to run inside and cause havoc (can you imagine a toothy, excited, nut-loving squirrel loose in a tight fitting mummy bag? yikes)

I woke up the next morning, to find he had run away with one of my gloves. Leaving me with a freezing left-hand in extremely windy sub-zero conditions. I hope he made good use of it. To cap the night off, i found the squirrely b******s had also got into my food, which I’d hung of the highest boulder I could find.

The next night was not much better, with Mr Glove Lover returning (presumably for the right-hand) at regular intervals. The highlight though was when I woke up at 8am to find a MARMOT sat nibbling grass within my tent, 5 inches from my face. I was very amused and watched him for a few minutes, until he turned his attention to my sleeping bag, then he got the boot from my tent too (not literally).

Other highlights were watching the marmots ‘box’ over territory, seeing the TINIEST baby mountain goats, and waiting 7 hours for my friends to pick me up after the hike. Wait…that wasn’t a highlight. Thanks guys!

Time: 5-7 hours (just hiking time from book) - 11 hours total for us!
Elevation Gain: 1500m
Highest Point: 2580m
Difficulty: Moderate
Scariness: 1/3
Map: Not really needed
Book: Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies - Alan Kane
Trailhead: Morro Slabs. just East of the bridge over the Athabasca River on Highway 16, a few kilometers East of Snaring River campground.

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This is a LONG day’s scramble with considerable vertical gain and NO water along the way. The terrain is variable and interesting, the views good, and I would definitely recommend it if you’re feeling up to the distance.

Starting of on the obvious Overlander trail (which allows mountain bikes) the hike initially contours the side of the mountain sticking fairly flat for around 35-50mins. Keep an eye out for the first drainage you cross (a dry stoney creek bed probably) and this is where you turn left off the obvious trail and find a fairly well beaten track that will take you up the mountain proper. Starting through brush and then eventually a large burned area, the trail quickly steepens and will never really let off until the summit now. You follow the edge of a cool canyon for some of the way, and apparently there is a waterfall if you follow it all the way to end. When you’re up above the first small cliff band, hang right and follow the base of crags along to the ridge above the next drainage area. From here it’s essential to pick up the fairly obvious and well trodden trail again (marked with cairns and pink/orange flagging tape) and follow it up to the start of the scrambling.

Here is the ‘crux’ according to Alan Kane, but I have to say the ‘5m chimmney” is not really is difficult as it sounds. With little/no exposure and some good holds it won’t cause any problems. If it does it can easily be by-passed via an easy line to the right where there was even some webbing for hand-support when I was there.

From here an obvious trail leads up to the right, following a fairly steep drop on your righthand side. This bit sketched me out a bit, especially coming down. The trail was dry and loose with dirt and some rock, and a slip could have been far from amusing. Don’t let me fool you though, this part was still easy (I’m just a wuss!). You could take a more rocky route than this in parts if you fancied scrambling some more.

Topping out above the rock, you’re back in spruce again (by a cairn with some big horn horns). The trail now follows the ridge crest through the trees and is well marked with ornage flagging tape the whole way. As you approach the tree-line there are some fun places for some slab-bouldering (see video).

From here to the summit is an enjoyable slog up talus, across scree and up some easy rock scrambling (you can usually find a trail if you prefer, ot a harder rock-line if you want!). Don’t be fooled by thinkign your near the top until you are looking down in every direction…Hawk has on of the worst most consistent false summits I’ve seen!

From the top there are great views of the surrounding mountains including Mt Robson, Pyramid, Edith Cavell, and some other HUGE ones further away that I didn’t recognise. lol. Check out the crazy coloured pounds the far side of Highway 16 too. We saw a bear sat on the train tracks from this vantage point too, and the resulting bear jam. Put a quick note in the summit register, feel free to add a plug for outdoorvm.com haha, and begin your descent the way you came.

By this stage we were all pretty short of water, it being around 30C out. I had gone through 3 litres already. 3 of the 4 of us dosed up on Ibuprofren to ready our aging knees for the descent (yes, I’m only 24).

Once you get back to the canyon, there is an optional detour if you find a safe descent into it and want a bit of fun. We all LOVED this part of the descent. We followed the canyon bottom the WHOLE way back to the Overlander trail. There are numerous small (up to 4m) would-be waterfalls (it was all dry) that make great fun to downclimb. Some involved walking down trees, some had to be jumped, some downclimbed in VERY interesting fashion by certain members of the group. See video! This whole part provided great comic relief to a tired and sore group of people.

Back on the Overlander, it’s nearly over with just a quick, fast, flat march back to the car. Interestingly enough I predicted 11 hours for our trip before we set off. We were back a few seconds under 11 hours 1 minute. Pretty good eh?

Another good route description is given by dowclimbing.com along with some good photos, but not a patch on mine of course