A winter paradise is a wonderful way of describing the Canadian Rocky Mountains. There are lots of outdoor activities including Skiing, Snowboarding, Hiking, Skating, snow fights, etcetera. It was a reasonably warm day so we decided to go for a hike.
The snow was deep in the shade, down to one's waist in some places. This is K-Country or Kananaskis, a Provincial Park, located next to Banff, Alberta. It is the less touristy part of the mountains, where you find mostly local people from Calgary enjoying the four seasons without busses filled with tourists.
These look like wolf paws to me they were the only footprints this morning in the fresh snowfall. It's recommended to hike up Prairie View Trail first, then down into Jewel Pass but we decided to go the other way because it would be more fun to be the first hikers of the day.
Here is the trail, proof we were the first hikers that day and the snow is fresh. For those of you who are actually reading this, these pictures were taken on May 18th, it's almost Summer, there is fresh snow. This is why I am not so keen to always post about the Winter, it's basically Winter here for six months a year, sometimes 7 in the mountains. There has not been a single month where there hasn't been a snowstorm here. Even in July and August in the higher mountain passes freak storms can strand tourists.
As you can see in the open area by the start of the hike, Spring is in the air. The snow was up in the Mountain pass which is to the right. Barrier Lake is on the left. We are looking South towards Montana but it's a good two hundred kilometers away.
On some parts of the trail, you are not allowed to ride your horse. They don't let them go up to many of the mountain peaks because it is rather dangerous. The rudimentary maps ensure one does not get lost. We typically have GPS with us, I wear it on my wrist and it is on our phones.
Here is the mountain pass with some of the freshest water on the planet streaming down into Barrier lake then onto the Bow River which flows through the City of Calgary. In the late Summer there would not be any visible water flowing here except if it just rained. In the Spring this can be a torrent.
For the first two hours of our hike we did not see a soul. It was perfect, hiking with a good friend in the middle of the wilderness with no one else around except a wolf. Quite the Canadian experience.
Here are its tracks again, this wolf did not want to take the bridge. Maybe it was thirsty or wanted to wash its paws. The bridge is slippery when wet so it knows best.
As one ascends the mountain the views get better. They don't call this hike Jewel Pass Prairie VIEW for nothing. We are looking into the Kananaskis valley where it meets the Bow Valley. This park is logged and the Bow Valley has a Native reserve, other than that it is just recreational.
We can see all the way to the Trans Canada Highway, it was a perfectly clear day despite the overcast skies. The cool weather is ideal for hiking in the Summer it gets too hot. The muddy conditions are not ideal, no amount of treds can stop one from slipping.
Here is the lake, looking as gorgeous as ever. The colours are unique and come from the minerals in these mountains.
Mount Baldy is directly in front of us. This is a classic view that is not heavily sold because it's a pretty long hike to get up here, we did fourteen kilometers this day. You can see the road down below and the parking lot is on the left side of the lake.
This is not a natural lake. You can see the Canyon on the left. They dammed the river, flooded a canyon and made this lovely lake. It's very popular on a hot Summer day as people bring their paddle boards, kayaks and beach gear.
Hiking down the mountain was less fun. That is pure mud. The more people who walked here, the muddier it gets. Many people walk up Prairie view and back down which makes it twice as muddy as Jewel pass.
It was fun going down. This is steep. Steeper than a flight of stairs steep. Very muddy, fall on your ass, hit a rock grab a tree, hurt your hands type of fun. We went slow and my pants stayed clean.
The Barrier Dam Day use area is where we started the hike, this is where one loops to Prairie view from Jewel Pass or they can continue onto Heart Mountain which is another cool hike. If you ever drove from Calgary to Banff and wondered why cars were parked on the side of the road by the mountain, they may have hiked up Heart Mountain without first going through Jewels Pass.
Here is our walk with a timestamp. The blue parts are where things got a little hairy, deep snow, mud or an intense climb. All in all it was a great day in May. Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas!
All photos were taken with an s22 and are unfiltered
That sounds absolutely magical.
The Canadian Rocky Mountains truly offer a unique experience, and it's great that you got to enjoy such a variety of activities.
Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing.
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The Rockies never cease to impress. Thanks for your comment.
Hiya, @lauramica here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2421.
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You are very welcome @crypticat! it was well deserved. ☀️
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That was in May? Who could guess that in those 14km, you can experience almost all 4 seasons in a day... Snow, mud, clear skies... 😃
Love the lake view, with snowy mountains in the background! Is there fish in the lake?
Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas!
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Thank you for the pick. There are fish in that lake, just like most lakes and rivers here.
Merry Christmas to you too!
I'm coming... 🤣
Beautiful landscapes in Canada. So beautiful the snow and the forest. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome!
Wow, 14km. of walking in the snow is quite too far but I believe you enjoy a lot seeing how lovely the trees and the lake in the area. What a wonderful experience that you have 4 seasons in your place.
Most of it wasn't deep snow but yeah walking in the snow isn't easy.
Lucky to have minus 40 and your door locks freeze and pipes burst. So lucky!
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