Hike # 20 is one that will stay with me for a long time. Gina, Karya and I headed out with hopes of reaching Triple Punchbowl Falls, a small feature point off of the Coral Creek Canyon trail. We started on the south side of the Cline River and made our way along the well marked trail. Once reaching the lookout point, we followed our guidebooks instructions and took the trail off the ridge to the banks of Coral Creek.
We knew the falls had to be somewhere up ahead but the guide book didn’t give very thorough instructions. We stayed on the main trail and finally made the decision to walk ten more minutes and if we couldn’t find the falls we would turn around. Hot, tired and a little frustrated we trekked on. This is where things took a turn. All of the sudden we heard an unfamiliar noise coming from behind us. It’s hard to explain exactly how it sounded, but it was loud and even thinking about it now makes my spine crawl. For the first few moments we were all confused, wondering what the noise could be. And that’s when it set in. We turned around and about fifteen meters from us a grizzly bear was charging us through the bushes. The next twenty seconds is a blur for me. We had our bear spray out within seconds and all stood side by side. I was honestly preparing myself for the worst. Thankfully, the bear abruptly stopped charging and we were able to slowly back out of the trees and hop down onto the riverbank. Getting out into the open was our main priority. I was fully expecting the bear to follow us but it remained in the trees and out of sight. From here, we checked in with each other and kept our hands gripped around our bear spray. I can honestly say that I have never been more scared in my life. From here, we followed the riverbank and made a quick dash to the trail which took us back up to higher ground. At the top we all agreed that we had been too quiet. So focused on making it to the falls that we let our guard down. The trail we had been on was wedged between the river bank and a mountain so the woods in between were only about 20 meters deep. This means that all three of us walked directly past the grizzly without being aware of its presence. I am sure he was bluff charging us because we startled him and he wanted to make his presence known. I am so thankful that we all had bear spray and stuck together. After this encounter I cannot stress how important it is to continually check the trail for signs and continually make noise. I am humbled by the experience and have a renewed respect/fear of nature and the creatures that call it home.
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ELEVATION: 350-400 meters (approx) DISTANCE: (13-14 km round-trip to three-tiered waterfall) Another lovely hike for the books. This weekend Wes and I headed to an area neither of us has visited before. We made our way south of Calgary and turned off at Okotoks. Then we headed west through Black Diamond and Turner Valley. From here, it's a matter of following Sheep River Road (Hwy. 546) right through Sheep River Provincial Park.
The trail head for this particular hike is at the very end of the road: Junction Creek Day Use Area. Head through the picnic area down to Sheep River. This next part is tricky. In order to access the main trail, you will need to cross Sheep River. This isn't always possible, depending on the time of year, so I would recommend doing this hike from mid-late summer. You should be able to see a trail on the opposite side of the river. We noticed a yellow provincial park boundary sign which is a great marker when you are looking to cross. After crossing you will follow a wide trail (old logging road) heading south for about 4 kms. At around three km's you will notice a portion of the trail that is covered is sawdust; remains from the old saw mill site. At 4 km's you will reach a junction. The trail to the right heads up to Junction Lake. The trail heading left will take you past a small 3 log high cabin to a small creek. This is a perfect spot for a break. The creek has lots of pools which are perfect for taking a dip in. From here, cross the river and continue along the trail for another 2.5 km's. This portion of the trail takes you along Junction Creek. The trail stays on the right side of this river bank. It can be easy to lose the trail here, so keep your eyes open for pink ribbon and/or the trail heading back into the trees. Next, you climb for some time until finally reaching a small creek which is home to these beautiful falls. You will know you are in the right spot when you see some small unofficial campsites and fire rings. You will first come across a small two tier waterfall. If you plan to continue hiking the main trail (which continues south for another 4 km's) this is where you would cross the river and continue on the trail. If your destination is the three-tier waterfall don't cross the creek and continue following the trail on the right side. After a couple of minutes, you will arrive at the beautiful three-tiered waterfall. If you are brave enough you can take a swim in the freezing cold water. The trail also continues to the top of the waterfall if you want another viewpoint. It looks like the trail went even further, but we didn't check this part out. Wes and I wanted to hike a bit further on the main trail, so we headed back down the creek and crossed near the small two-tiered waterfall. After about 1 km you will reach another small creek with another interesting swim hole. We were planning on taking a swim here but the water was way too cold. We decided to make this pool our turn around point. In total, the hike took us about 6 hours with numerous breaks. The trail itself is quite flat (until you reach the last stretch to the waterfalls). This is a shared trail, so be on the lookout for mountain bikers, horses and hunters. Happy Trails! ELEVATION GAIN: 120 meters DISTANCE: 1.3 km one way (to the lake) Elbow Lake is a short, sweet hike to a pristine mountain lake. The 1.3km trail takes you from the trail head to the far end of the lake. Though it’s short, there are steep sections on the trail. That being said, the trail is wide and easy to navigate. This is a popular hike, so the trail will be busy, especially on a warm summer day. It’s also an equestrian trail so you may see some horses.
The lake itself is beautiful and the valley beyond also stunning. We followed the trail into the valley for close to an hour. This part of the trail follows the Elbow River and is consistently flat with great views in every direction. We ended up crossing the river and climbing into a mountain cirque on Elpoca Mountain. Though there wasn’t a trail, we made our way along the grass and scree to a beautiful lookout. There is a lot to do once you make it to the lake. You can fish, swim and hang out at the lake or you can head into the valley for a walk, or make your way to the Rae Glacier. The trail for the glacier is located on the far SE side of the lake. We didn’t make it to the glacier on this day, but hope to return in the fall. Overall, I really enjoyed this hike. It is a great hike to do with the family as it’s a pretty short distance to the lake. I would suggest arriving a bit earlier to find parking more easily and avoid some of the crowds. Happy Trails. (note: Hwy 40 is closed annually from December-June) |
Of all the paths you take in life make sure a few of them are dirt. John Muir Archives
September 2017
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