2015 Hiking List

[msommers]

I know more Beyonders are getting into the mountains to do some hiking/backpacking. Curious what your favourites are and what are on your to-do list for this year!

Some of my favourite hikes are Crypt Lake, Heart Mtn, Bow Peak, Larch Valley (minus the final push).

Matt's 2015 List
Akamina Ridge
Cascade Mtn hopefully with less haze and lightning this time
Mt Temple
Mt Galatea for B/P
Molar Pass
Egypt Lake for B/P
Maligne Pass for B/P

[Darell_n]

Get in shape and hit the summit of Mt Indefatigable. Grizzly peak nearby is also sweet but both are more of a scramble.

[bleu]

My husband is huge into hiking/scrambling. Andrew Nugara's book on hiking/scrambles for in depth details on hikes in the area is great.

He's done Grizzly Peak and enjoyed it. I am not a scrambler and only accompany on hikes.

He's itching to do Banded Peak and Mount Fairview.

[msommers]

Indefatigable: Yeah I've heard the climb is just as hard as the name is to say :rofl: Supposed to be a gooder though.

Good views at the top of Grizzly Peak?

Mount Fairview is supposed to be great from what I've read though I have no experience with that one.

[tch7]

Been a long time since I last did much hiking around Jasper, so I'll probably try to head there this summer. As for past favourites I'd recommend:

Alberta favourites:
Smuts-Birdwood-Burstall Traverse, Kananaskis
Opal Ridge, Kananaskis
Tent Ridge, Kananaskis
Bow Peak, Banff
Helen Lake & Cirque Peak, Banff
Carthew-Alderson, Waterton
Crypt Lake, Waterton

Most of my hiking the last few years has been outside of Alberta, but I'll restrict it to continental North America, so the favourites among those:

Iceline Trail, Yoho
Lake O'Hara Trails, Yoho
Berg Lake, Mount Robson BC (better as an overnighter though)
Aurora Creek/Marvel Pass, BC
Pedley Ridge, BC
Bugaboo Trails (Applebee Dome, Cobalt Lake), BC
Lake of the Hanging Glacier & Glacier Dome, BC
Jumbo Pass, BC
Kokanee Glacier, BC
Drinnon Pass & Gwillim Lakes, Valhalla BC
Perley Rock, Can Glacier National Park
Hermit, Can Glacier National Park
Keystone & Standard Basin, Revelstoke
Musical Bumps, Garibaldi (Whistler)
Wedgemount Lake, Garibaldi
Grizzly Lake, Tombstone (Yukon)
Highline Trail, US Glacier National Park
Cascade Pass & Sahale Arm, North Cascades Washington
Perseverence & Mt Juneau Circuit, Juneau Alaska
Mt McGinnis, Juneau Alaska
Harding Icefield, Seward Alaska
Black Lake, RMNP Colorado
Zion Narrows, Utah

[jdmXSI]

Anyone do the Rockbound lake or Mystic pass hikes? Any feedback?

[msommers]

Tch7, sick list man! Awesome to see you've been able to get out so much!

[ExtraSlow]

Yeah, I've done Mystic Pass, and the top is amazing, but the hike along Forty mile creek near Norquay is a bit dull, and the trail is used by the horse guides, so it's muddy as hell. I also did this stretch in the dark on a Friday evening after work, so that didn't help my mood.

[ga16i]

Originally posted by msommers


Mount Fairview is supposed to be great from what I've read though I have no experience with that one.

I did Fairview Mountain last year and it's pretty good, you can see quite a ways up and down the Bow Valley, and you get a fairly good up close look at the glaciers without being on them. It's a fairly terrible view of the Chateau though. In terms of difficultly, I'd put it above Larch Valley/Sentinel Pass and below Chinaman Peak. The scree section on Fairview Mountain isn't nearly as bad as Chinaman Peak, but harder than Sentinel Pass.

This year I'd love to be able to hit:
Crypt Lake - boat schedule scares me off a bit as I'm unsure about my pace
Turtle Mountain - to really see Frank Slide
Moose Mountain - Brokeback connection haha ;)
Something that's 3000m+, but non-technical and doable as a day-hike. Not sure what exactly my options are yet. Just so I can say I've been to 3000m.

My favorite this Winter was Sulphur Mountain as there's facilities at the beginning and end. No need to piss down the side of a mountain unless you are so inclined.

But who knows what I'll actually have time for.

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by ga16i
Something that's 3000m+, but non-technical and doable as a day-hike. Not sure what exactly my options are yet. Just so I can say I've been to 3000m.

Mount Galatea
http://www.summitpost.org/mount-galatea/154585

The Fortress(Probably the easiest of the bunch)
http://www.summitpost.org/the-fortress/154338

Mount Hector
http://www.summitpost.org/mount-hector/150425

Or drive up to some cities in Colorado :dunno:

[msommers]

I initially thought you mean 3000m elevation gain!! Wow that'd be crazy in one day lol

[Darell_n]

Indefatigable is 8,758 ft. Parking lot is at Lower Kananaskis Lake.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/156775/IMG_0740%20Resized.jpg

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by msommers

Good views at the top of Grizzly Peak?

This is about 15 minutes from the summit (to the right), looking back. At the top you can see the entire valley from about 8200 ft up. The black flies up there were 100% immune to any repellents and probably fire too. I didn't stick around long. lol

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/156775/stitch2%202.JPG

[zipdoa]

Lady Mac in Canmore. Did this a few years ago to the heli-pad, would like to summit it soon:

http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Mount-Lady-MacDonald-near-Banff-AB-2611

[triplep]

Started doing these "real" hikes last year with the wife and it was fun. So we plan to do some more this year.

But last year we did:

Ha Ling
East end of Rundle
Windtower (one of my favorite)


We plan to do the following this year:

Ha Ling - to get the legs going
Windtower again (last year we had snow/sleet and rain during our hike)
Middle sister
Lady Mcdonald
Yamnuska

And the Boss at work I think is getting a group together to do Temple.
I am sure we will do some more once we figure out were we want to go.

[FishPoo]

Indefatigable is definitely a good one, bring lots of people and bear spray though although we've seen a lot of people on there solo. First time we attempted it, grizzly was hanging out on the south (i think or north) summit. Scared the shit out of me, but it was busy digging and left us alone.

If you like Ha Ling, Lawrence Grassi just next to it is also good, it's taller and is a lot less travelled if you prefer less crowds but the trail is not as established.

[msommers]

Awesome pics, Darrell!

[01RedDX]

.

[msommers]

Need to add:

Wenkchemna pass trail
Mt. Bourgeau/Harvey Pass

[SIC1]

Originally posted by tch7
Been a long time since I last did much hiking around Jasper, so I'll probably try to head there this summer. As for past favourites I'd recommend:

Alberta favourites:
Smuts-Birdwood-Burstall Traverse, Kananaskis
Opal Ridge, Kananaskis
Tent Ridge, Kananaskis
Bow Peak, Banff
Helen Lake & Cirque Peak, Banff
Carthew-Alderson, Waterton
Crypt Lake, Waterton



these are all great.

Add
- Mount Borgeau
- Mount Temple
- Mount Wilcox
- Nigel Peak





If you're into multiple peak bagging... why hike when you can run them ;)

Rundle traverse

RimWall - Windtower

Mount Edith - (all three peaks) aka "3dith"

The Canmore Quad - Grotto, Lady MacDonald, East end of Rundle/south Summit, & ha Ling

The Banff 3 peak challenge - Cascade, Rundle and Sulphur. Start and end at the TNF Banff Store. fastest time is 12 hours. thats all on foot BTW

"Heart Breaker" - Heart mountain to Grant Mackewan peak & the Twin Towers behind it.


9 peak traverse of Goat range from West to East - loder/door jam mountain to Yamnuska.

[SIC1]

Originally posted by triplep
Started doing these "real" hikes last year with the wife and it was fun. So we plan to do some more this year.

But last year we did:

Ha Ling
East end of Rundle
Windtower (one of my favorite)


We plan to do the following this year:

Ha Ling - to get the legs going
Windtower again (last year we had snow/sleet and rain during our hike)
Middle sister
Lady Mcdonald
Yamnuska

And the Boss at work I think is getting a group together to do Temple.
I am sure we will do some more once we figure out were we want to go.

If you have done east end of Rundle, then think of temple as that day times 1.5 ( assuming that you did it in 4-5 hours)

I ve done Temple multiple times. Its the one of the easiest 11ers (11,624ft/3543 meters) to do. it really is only a long hike with a long drive that makes you really tired.

views can't be beat for the easiest of the 54 11,000 ft peaks in the canadian rockies.

[wintonyk]

Pocaterra ridge is personally one of my favs. its a rare point to point hike that goes over 4 or 5 ridges over the course of about 6 hours. Park a car at each end or hitch hike from one point to another.

Windtower is amazing and boy does it ever live up to its name.

This year I plan on Mt. Alan and the middle sister. Ceremonial for me as well will be Ha Ling.

[beyond_ban]

Is it to early in the season right now or are some of these scrambles good to go? My brother wants to head to Corey Pass tomorrow but with the recent weather im unsure if we will be able to summit.

[Darell_n]

I've been up scrambles with snow blowing in at high altitude, in August. I'd definitely bring winter gear at this time of year.

[beyond_ban]

Ended up hiking Ha Ling. It was packed with people, but the pathways were pretty clear of ice except one spot. Lots of mud but it was an enjoyable first hike of the year. Winter sure was bad on my cardio haha, ready to pass out now. Ended up taking about an hour and 45 to summit and then we ran down after eating lunch and made it back to the car in 25 minutes.

I am thinking i am going to head to EEOR next weekend and give it a shot, although it looked quite snowy.

[msommers]

SIC1 nice pic man! Now I HAVE to do Temple this year :D