Summer is almost here, but you wouldn't be able to tell up at the Upper Kananaskis lake. There's snow on the mountains, and there's still ice on the lake. And even though it was over 23C (73F ish) there was still a nip in the air that made it feel like fall. Most of the trails were pretty ice covered, so we decided to hike the 15.8 Km loop around the base of the lake (strange though, my phone records our distance as 19km).
There isn't much elevation to the hike, but given the distance I'd classify the hike as moderate. Also - since one side of the lake still had a lot of snow, it made the going slow.
NOTE: Parts of this hike are pretty devoid of people - so make sure you bring bear spray and sing lots of songs on the trail to make yourself heard.
Although long, this hike is really fun and has so much to see. If you start in the Upper Kananaskis parking lot, I recommend going counter clockwise around the lake. This way you get the best light as you go around the lake. Since the lake is used for power (and drinking water) the level of the lake changes - revealing old tree stumps from when they cleared the edge of the lake to flood it further up the valley. There are areas all the way around that you can walk down on the lake bed - it feels like another world.
Around the back side of the lake a giant rock slide has turned the bottom of the hill into an incredible rocky playground, both the kid and Kiku the fierce had a great time playing in and around the boulders. Not far from this point is a back country campground, if there is a spot free it's a great place to stop for lunch as it happens to be approximately the mid-point of the hike.
There are several waterfalls on the path around the lake, right now they're rushing really hard. There are bridges for every crossing, so nothing is dangerous. That said, a few years back the melt took out a couple of the bridges and they had to rebuilt.
Everyone was pretty tired by the time we got back, and even though we weren't climbing up it sure felt like our legs got a work out. You'll need to be reasonably fit and have decent gear to make your way around if the trails aren't dry. We saw a few people struggling on the way back in runners that were soaking wet.
A lake, waterfalls, little streams, a huge rock garden, bridges and otherworldly tree graveyards. What else could you ask for in a hike. There's something around every turn that makes the slog enjoyable rather than a push to a summit surrounded by trees for 3/4 of the hike. If you're ever in the area it's highly recommended.
Comments