Savouring the Moment : Sawmill to Peter Lougheed PP

We passed a relatively sleepless night just trying to stay warm in below zero temperatures.  Our strategy was to share the one warm sleeping we have with us, but needless to say, there isn't a whole lot of room in a single mummy bag.  When we opened the tent this morning we were surprised to see a thick layer of white frost coating everything! It certainly felt like the first days of fall are here on the High Rockies Trail!

Despite the cold, as I tried to make breakfast I was treated to a real show.  As the sun rose behind one range of mountains its red light slowly crept down the mountains opposite, eventually reaching the bowl of the French Glacier.  The peaked shadows of the mountains slowly sunk lower as the sun rose, and the clear blue sky was filled with a burst of delicate, fluffy looking clouds.

I'm not sure if it was the cold, the altitude, a half empty fuel canister, or all of the above, but boiling water for coffee clearly wasn't happening.  In the end I had to switch to our all-season MSR fuel canister to get the job done.  In the meantime, my feet and fingers were slowly turning to ice.  After having breakfast and doing the dishes, we were so cold we decided to go back inside the tent and wait for the sun to peak over the mountains.  Definitely time to get some warmer clothing and gear – a concern we have not had since trekking towards Riviere du Loup Quebec in 2019! 

When the sun finally peeked over the mountain top, flooding the valley with light, the frost covered grasses in the field around us began to sparkle and glitter like jewels.

As we packed up, within minutes the warmth of the sun brought the small conifers around us to life.  All of sudden we could hear Boreal Chickadees chattering in the young shrubs nearby, and the toy horn beeping of Red-breasted Nutchatches.  Small flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Dark-eyed Juncos moved about in the treetops, and a couple Canada Jays flew past overhead.  We even spotted a Red Crossbill perched high up at the tip of a spruce.  Perhaps best of all was spotting a group of nine elk high up on the steep, slanted green hills above us, and a trio of mountain goats on the slopes opposite!

Within a few minutes the frost had melted, soaking our tent, and convincing us to remove some of our layers of clothing.  By the time we had dried our things out by laying them on the gravel parking lot it was late, almost 10 am, and the sun felt hot overhead.  It was difficult to imagine such a drastic swing in temperature over such a short period of time.

Eventually we headed off down the now familiar undulating earth trail of the Great Trail, walking among a stand of dense spruce trees.  This forest patch had also been hit hard by some disease or pest, possibly the mountain pine beetle.  The tree branches were curled and brown, and the sphagnum moss hung like blackened smudges. Even with the sunlight filtering in from above, it felt still, close, and dense.

For the first 7 km we climbed pretty steadily.  We skirted around the edge of steep hillsides, traversing healthy conifer stands with lush green understories and carpets of thick green moss.

Particular highlights of this section were crossing several wooden footbridges that spanned deep crevices through which clear streams flowed, singing and babbling as they tumbled down rocky stream beds.  Standing on the bridges we found ourselves looking down almost sheer drops to the water far below us.

The sunlight filtered down into the forest, dappling the path with shadows and creating a magical world.  A small brook babbled among its mossy banks, its crystal clear waters shimmering with green and golden light, and its happy voice bringing life to the forest.

We crossed another creek, this time on a bridge of stone slabs.  To add excitement, the middle stone was loose and wobbly, creating a very convincing illusion of instability.

Just past this unique bridge we were met by three cyclists on their way to Sawmill.  They stopped for a chat, asking where we were headed.  It turned out they had cycled many of the trails in our future, and wished us well on our hike.  They also warned us that they had nearly collided with a young bull moose on the trail up ahead.  Excited we continued on, keeping a close watch for moose.

Just after this friendly encounter we were passing a unique looking stone bench when Sean spotted a Varied Thrush moving about in the trees and stopped to photograph it. 

We continued on through the warm, sunny morning, enjoying periodic mountain views through the trees.  Like yesterday, many of the steep, textured, grey rocky slopes and bowls were filled with snow or the remnants of glaciers.

Just when we thought we must have missed the moose, and had pretty much given up looking for him, we rounded a corner and there he was!  The magnificent and gentle giant of the forest was quietly munching on shrubs at the edge of the trail.  With his antlers coming in nicely he was truly magnificent.  Sean managed to get a few photos of the moose before it trotted off into a forested valley and disappeared.  Just as it left another cyclist rounded the corner and stopped for a chat.  He shared stories of his last moose encounter, and also wished us well.

By this point we had been climbing throughout the morning, and were getting a bit tired from what for us seemed like pointless up and downs (puds).  These ups and downs actually make climbs easier and more fun for cyclists, but for hikers with heavy packs on, they make for tired legs and sore knees.

As we passed the turnoff for the Black Prince Day Use Area the trail suddenly became much wider and more even.  We also began to see more day hikers, mostly out in pairs.  However, we continued to climb the forested slopes, at times quite steeply.

At some point during the morning we must have crossed into Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.  This 304 square kilometre park is one of the largest provincial parks in Alberta.  Originally named Kananaskis Park, it was renamed in 1986 after Alberta premier Peter Lougheed. The park is a popular recreational area for residents of Calgary, offering hundreds of kilometres of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, skiing, and snowshoeing, as well as six back country campgrounds and six campgrounds with vehicular access.

Just when we were beginning to get frustrated with the seemingly endless ascent we came to the huge, long Blackshale suspension bridge over Blackshale Creek!  It stretched out over a very deep, steep sided valley, and far below we could see the rocky stream bed.  That was something different!

We stopped for a short snack and break before crossing the swinging, bouncing bridge.  It was quite a lot of fun!

At the far side we came across a group of about twelve women who were sitting eating lunch and enjoying the view.  They asked us lots of questions about our trek, and we ended up chatting for about half an hour.  They were all avid hikers, and many of them were familiar with the trails we have and will be walking.  After so many months of road walking, where meeting other hikers was extremely rare, we have really been enjoying meeting like minded people again.

After the suspension bridge the trail continued up the forested slopes for a very short distance, and then finally we began descending!  We continued to bounce and weave up and down around the sun dappled slopes, but overall the going became easier.

In several short stretches the footpath took us out onto grassy slopes just above the gravel road, affording gorgeous views of the mountains ahead.  It was interesting to see that the mountains here took on a completely different look than the ones we've been seeing so far.  On one side of the road the mountains disappeared into the distance in soft blue layers in the afternoon haze.  On the other they rose like a wall, the tops neither wavy, upthrust slabs, or scree, but adorned with a repeating pattern of upward pointing arrow-like shapes.  The scene was both strange and beautiful all at once.

As we approached the parking lot at the Peninsula Day Use Area we could see the bright blue waters of the Lower Kananaskis Lake below us.  The group of cyclists who had alerted us to the potential moose sighting passed us again just before we reached the small parking lot, which was full of cars.  We have to envy the pace, or at least the amount of distance cyclists are able to cover in a day.

We crossed the road and proceeded to walk the gravel track atop the dam at the end of the lake.  The cyclists accompanied us part of the way, sharing stories of cross-country skiing, cycling, and hiking in the area.  As we walked we could see people picnicking, launching boats, fishing, and paddling kayaks around the shores of the beautiful waterbody. 

The forested mountain scenery was stunning, and once again we were struck by how many opportunities the Kananaskis region offers for outdoor enthusiasts.

On the far side of the dam we followed the High Rockies Trail through the Canyon Campground.  It was a hilly, forested, campground on the shores of the lake with beautiful mountain scenery, and it looked very nice.  However, we felt it was somewhat unnecessary for the trail to trek up and down the hills, going through all the loops.  To make matters slightly more frustrating, we decided to take the 1 km detour to the Visitor Information Centre.

As in many of the Alberta Parks we've visited, either there isn't very much directional signage, or we enter the parks in such a way that we don't see any of it from the trail.  With no park maps and no access to the internet, this can make guessing our route a challenge.

We followed a paved cycling path up and down through pine forest and treed campsites, hoping it would lead to the Visitor's Centre, and that the centre would be open.  We were met with success on both counts, but ultimately came away with no additional insights. The staff were very friendly and tried to be helpful, but hadn't heard of the Trans Canada Trail, weren't sure where exactly the High Rockies Trail ended or which trail we should pick up to get over the Elk Pass (there is a network of trails up ahead, two Elk Passes, and one Elk Pass West).  After deciding that our route was the same as that of the Continental Divide Trail, they still didn't have much information to offer.  Although the Back Roads Map (BRMB) app that we've been using offline for the past two weeks hasn't let us down yet, we'd been hoping for additional insights as we head into another week of no cell service.

We took a break on the grassy lawn outside the Visitor's Centre and then made the final push to Boulton Creek Campground, which is our destination for the night.  Happily, those few kilometres were on a paved cycling path that wound through stands of pine trees, offering periodic mountain views. We glided along through the hot afternoon,  spurred on by thoughts of a warm shower, an opportunity to do laundry, and the possibility of a park store selling anything other than freeze dried food.

Once again we were a bit confused and discouraged by our entrance to the park, but we soon found the store, and to our absolute delight, it was open!  A few bottles of cold ice tea and a small bag of chips did much to restore us, and we were soon checked in to our site. 

As a side note, the store was fantastic, offering some basic groceries, first aid supplies and toiletries, fuel for camp stoves (including ours), basic replacement camping gear, and more.  It was expensive, and there wasn't a wide selection of light weight food stuffs, but it is definitely a spot to supplement supplies on a thru hike of the High Rockies Trail.

It turned out that I had reserved a site up on a hill, quite some distance from the store, but we finally got there and took the opportunity to hang everything up, dry it out, re-charge the battery packs, and take nice, warm, 5 minute showers.

While many will tell you that money can’t buy you happiness, tonight I can honestly say that a shower token can purchase a few minutes of comfort!

We soon learned that the frost we experienced this morning had an unexpected consequence. Although this campground is open for another month, they are turning off the water taps and blowing the lines tomorrow morning, to avoid the pipes bursting.  From near freezing temperatures at night, to the reds and yellows of fall vegetation, to the closures of campgrounds and some amenities, the signs of fall are here.  It feels like it is time to quicken our footsteps.

The birds are also giving us a sense of urgency, and the feeling that winter is coming. While the curious groups of Canada Jays that hang about and beg will stay the winter, there are also large flocks of young American Robins restlessly moving about the campground. Small flocks of fast moving Yellow-rumped Warblers were also going through, almost frantically tumbling through the bushes in their haste.

As we go to sleep there is a very bright blanket of stars overhead, just visible through a canopy of tall pine trees.  A brilliant red moon is rising over the mountains to one side, making us wonder if tomorrow will bring more smoke from forest fires.  Either way, it was another gorgeous day on what will be our last full day of hiking in Alberta.  When we leave Boulton Creek, we will be hiking over the Elk Pass into British Columbia, the final province on our east-west trek across Canada on the Trans Canada Trail.

See you on the trail!

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