EXCERPTS
Sample of a Premier Rockies trip
Trip 100 — AVION RIDGE / TWIN LAKES ****
| Location |
Waterton Lakes National Park |
| Loop trip |
22.9 km (14.2 mi) via Snowshoe campground |
| Elevation gain |
825 m (2705 ft); additional 230 m (754
ft) for Twin Lakes |
| Time required |
possibly one long day, but usually two
or three |
| Difficulty |
Challenging |
| Maps |
Sage Creek 82 G/1; Waterton Lakes National
Park |
OPINION
Commercial jets fly too high. Hang gliding is
too risky. Friends with pilot's licenses are
too rare. Bungee jumping is too fleeting. Most
of us wingless humans who yearn for the joy
of sustained, low-level flight have only one
recourse: find a high, narrow, airy ridge and
start hiking. Avion Ridge will do quite nicely.
Given a sunny, summer day, a smile will splurge
across your face for the hour or so that you
soar along the crest.
FACT
By Car
From the Waterton National Park entrance, near
the junction of Highways 5 and 6, drive 3 km
(1.9 mi) southwest into the park. Turn right
(northwest) onto the Red Rock Parkway. Follow
it 15 km (9.3 mi) to where the road ends in
the Red Rock Canyon parking area, at 1495 m
(4905 ft).
On Foot
...At 4.3 km (2.7 mi), after 1 hour of mostly
level walking, reach a signed fork. Right ascends
2.5 km (1.6 mi) to Goat Lake and 4.1 km (2.5
mi) to Avion Ridge. Following our recommended
clockwise loop, you'll descend the ridge that
way. So proceed left, gaining elevation gradually.
The road/trail is treelined, but there are views.
Another 3/4 hour of striding will bring you
to Snowshoe campground at 8.2 km (5.1 mi), 1720
m (5640 ft). From here it's 14.7 km (9.1 mi)
and a gain of 600 m (1970 ft) back to the trailhead
via Avion Ridge. If you're only equipped for
a dayhike, think carefully before embarking
on the long ascent to the ridge. Be certain
you'll have sufficient daylight, energy, water
and food to pull it off....
Want to read the whole description for Avion Ridge? Get the book.
Sample of a Don't Do trip
Trip 63 — CASCADE AMPHITHEATRE
Location
|
Banff National Park |
| Round Trip |
14.6 km (9.0 mi) |
| Elevation Gain |
610 m (2000 ft) or 575 m (1890 ft) |
| Time Required |
5 hours |
| Difficulty |
Moderate |
| Maps |
Lake Minnewanka 82 0/6; Gem Trek Banff
& Mt. Assiniboine |
OPINION
Hoodwinked into a bogus venture called snipe
hunting, naive greenhorns undertake a futile
search. Much like hikers seeking mountain grandeur
where it doesn't exist: on the trail to Cascade
Amphitheatre.
The trip starts with a disturbing tour of the
metal and refuse of Mt. Norquay ski area. Then
you suffer spruce and lodgepole forest as ugly
as it gets in the Rockies. The trail is viewless
most of the way. And the amphitheatre is disappointing,
with no lake and only a small subalpine meadow.
You see less of Cascade Mountain here than is
visible from Banff townsite or the Minnewanka
Road.
Proximity to the townsite is no excuse for
hiking here, unless you're continuing to the
summit of Cascade Mountain. Now that's an outstanding
trip, but only feasible for experienced scramblers.
|
