May 15 is a big day for those of us who love hiking in Kananaskis, as it is the day that several winter gates open for the first time since last December. We were both excited to get out early and enjoy one of the newly accessible trails. We left the house at 7:00, and rounded the corner before the Elbow Falls winter gate. Initially my heart sank as I saw that the gate was not opened yet. As we got closer we realized the highway guy was right there about to unlock and open it. As we passed him we rolled down the window and thanked him for making our day. Between there and the Powderface Ridge trailhead we must have stopped or slowed down for at least a half dozen groups of deer. The look on their faces seemed to indicate that they were not as excited as we were that the gates were now open!
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| First Ones To The Trailhead! |
We were not sure what condition the trails would be in with the recent weather, but we were prepared for mud, ice, and snow - or so we thought... The lower half of the trail was perfect - dry with no snow or ice. As we climbed to higher elevations we started to run into snowy patches that grew bigger and deeper as we progressed. It was difficult to stay on the trail as there was no visible sign of it once we got into the deeper snow. This made for very slow going and for a huge energy output. The toughest part was the crusty snow with slushy wet snow beneath, so that if you broke through on a given step you could be as much as waste deep. The other unsettling bit was when we were off the trail bushwhacking between trees, the snow had drifted into very high piles. We were walking on snow right beside trees, but 5-10 feet above the bottom of the tree well. Thinking about it now it is surprising that we didn't break a leg in the crusty snow (especially on the way back down), or break our neck by slipping into one of those tree wells.
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| Uphill Slogging |
Despite all of this, after much slogging, and a little bit of cursing, we made it to the col below Rainy Summit. At this point the snow was very shallow and patchy, and we were able to easily make it up the last bit to the summit, where we had a little rest and a snack. The views over to Forgetmenot Ridge and further to Mount Glasgow, Cornwall, Outlaw, Banded Peak, and the others was spectacular in the morning light.
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| Panoramic Summit Shot - Forgetmenot On Very Left |
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| Rested And Re-Energized For The Trip Back Down |
We ran into a couple of guys with snow shoes on our way down. We complimented them on truly being prepared for the hike, and apologized if they were following our somewhat random route to the top. Between our hard work, and them being well equipped for the hike, the rest of the people to follow us up yesterday would have had a much easier time. It was our good deed for the day. 😃
Bird Watch - We saw a ruffed grouse fly up from the trail onto a tree right above it. It is one of the first times I've seen a grouse more than 2 feet off the ground!!
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