On the Road with Maya: More Snow...

Red Rock Canyon, Waterton International Peace Park, Alberta, Canada

The drive from Banff to Waterton National Park couldn’t have been more beautiful as we wound through snow-frosted trees and mountains. The day was clear and incredibly bright with all that sunshine reflecting from the snow. As we left the Rockies behind for the plains near Calgary, the snow quickly disappeared and we congratulated ourselves on our decision to move on down the highway.

Hard to believe it is September 12

Going south, the roads were perfect – no snow or ice and for a while there was little snow on the ground at all. But soon the Rocky Mountains grew larger in our view to the west and it looked like there was even more snow in this section of the mountain range than what we left behind in Lake Louise. The closer we got to Waterton, the snowier everything became. Still, the roads were clear and we didn’t think too much about it. Once we arrived in the park however, there was no more denying the fact that at least a foot of snow covered the ground. It was almost 4 pm, so what could we do but get a campsite and make something warm for dinner?

Hiking the trail back from Bertha Falls

We found out from fellow campers that two feet of snow had fallen during the previous two days. The next morning we went to the Park Information Station to talk to a ranger and find out what trails would be the best to hike under the circumstances. The ranger was not terribly encouraging but she gave us a few short trails to try. We tried one of the trails later that morning and did OK but wished for snow shoes.

Upper Waterton Lake from the top of the 'Bear Hump'

Another view of Upper Waterton Lake

The next two days were sunny and warming but the trails were still in poor condition and in some places very icy. We turned back on the Bertha Lake Trail because of the steep grade and ice. We made it to the falls but couldn’t continue on to the lake as we kept sliding back down the trail. Cleats would have helped, but we haven’t decided to become winter hikers just yet. It doesn’t quite fit David’s “Goldilocks” criteria.

We saw lots of bear prints in the snow

And one bear from a distance

By day three conditions were greatly improving and our hike to Crandell Lake was nice with only about a mile of trail with snow. Our last day and last hike in the park through the Blakiston Valley was by far the best. What a great trail! It wasn’t too steep, there was a beautiful waterfall and much of the trail paralleled the lovely Blakiston Creek which was complimented by strikingly colored red and green rocks. Many sections of the trail wound through heavily forested slopes of lodgepole pine, fir, larch and aspen. A few recent avalanches had stripped parts of the trail clean of vegetation and the views of the surrounding mountain peaks were outstanding. It was a fantastic end to our Canadian trip and as they say in Canada, "good day, eh?"

Blakiston Valley Trail