Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, AB
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Ptarmigan Cirque Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, AB |
April 20, 2018
Dave and I are en route from Banff to Waterton Park. Having been rained out yesterday, we are anxious to get onto a trail again. My new friends Paul and Brenda, also headed for Waterton Park, wanted to join us today; but auto repairs detoured Paul back to Calgary, and Brenda elected to bypass this high route with their big RV.
Twenty years ago, this portion of Highway-40 had not yet been paved; so I avoided it. Today, however, this route, known as the Kananaskis Trail, is delightfully smooth and relatively quiet. Our trailhead is at Highwood Pass, which just happens to be the highest paved point in Canada at 7,239 feet.
The trail leads up there
The skies are reasonably friendly
Getting started
The path is nice and smooth except for the tree roots
A trail junction sports an unusual signpost:
Apparently, they don't want us to do the loop backwards
Presently, a hiker comes down around a corner, looking somewhat anxious. He says that he is searching for something one of his kids had dropped. When Dave asks whether it is a blue rubber nipple and the man nods affirmatively, I pull the item out of my pocket and hand it to him. (I was just picking up litter.)
Great views of the Kananaskis Mountains are everpresent
Out of the trees now, we can see what is going on.
The cirque appears
Dave is hurting some, as always. It tends to be something different that ails him each time, and today's selection seems to be more bothersome than usual.
He will catch up eventually
The Ptarmigan Meadows are delightful
The canyon walls are amazing
They are on the return route
Do I see a waterfall up there?
Here he comes
I hope that Dave can work out the kinks today, because he is scheduled to do
a tough 11-miler tomorrow down at Crypt Lake.
There are hikers up on the moraine
Fascinating patterns
Looking for some privacy, perhaps?
Replenishing the water supply
Dave is content to stop here, but of course I must at least see what is over the next rise.
Monte Marmot is being anti-social
Another waterfall!
Mount Arethusa
They are scrambling up to the cirque
Frequently, there is a delightful little cirque lake that is not to be missed. I happen to know, however, that here the terminal moraine has eroded to the point that now there is only some snow at the top. Because Dave is waiting below, I will forgo what looks like a slippery trail up there.
Heading back
Looking back
Wonderful textures
Continuing the loop
This is neat
Almost a tarn
The only snow in evidence
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Rydberg's Penstemon
This is a feel-good place today
It isn't far now
The end is in sight
Success!
Finishing up
§: Today's route lacked a particularly exciting destination; yet it
was one of the greenest trails I ever walked, and that counts for a lot.
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| Difficulty |  |
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