Time came to leave the concrete jungle behind and hit the road! I loaded up my car and headed west to where I could then aim south from the junction at Castle Mountain. I crossed the border from Alberta into British Columbia and from Banff National Park into Kootenay National Park. The winding road lead further south to my destination, Radium! I only ever passed through this area now I was excited to be staying awhile and hike to see hoodoos and wetlands.
Arnica Lake, Banff National Park
I wanted to break up the drive to Radium on this gorgeous day by hiking up to Arnica Lake. The trailhead is a short drive after turning south from the junction. This lake is lined with larch trees and my hope was they would be somewhat golden. I was too early! They were only beginning to change and would need another week to put on a prime time show. Nevertheless, the hike was gorgeous. From the parking lot, there is a short steep descent down to Vista Lake which can be seen in the second photograph. From the shore, it is then a continuous climb along a rooty, rocky, narrow, winding trail. At roughly the halfway point between Vista and Arnica, I encountered snow, a bit at first and then the trail was totally covered with snow and ice for the balance of the climb. The sights along the way were lovely, I almost stepped on a grouse, the ice crystals sparkled, I liked the red mixed with the white. I could see Vista Lake in the centre in the large photo in the bottom collage which shows how high I am at this point with still more ascending to do. It was time to take some time when I arrived at Arnica Lake. It was so pretty even if the larch trees were still a healthy looking vibrant green. This was the perfect hike to pass five hours.
The Hoodoo Trail, Fairmount Hot Springs
The trailhead for this hike was a thirty minute drive south then west then north from my home away from home. While it is called The Hoodoo Trail, the hoodoos are only visible from the side and top. The views from the top of the trail were of the Purcell Mountains and Columbia Lake down in the Columbia Valley. I also had views of numerous birds, a few of which I was able to capture photos such as the Grouse I almost stepped on, the Dark-Eyed Junco on the tree top and the Townsend's Solitaire having a drink at the trailhead. After the ascent through the trees, the trail then hugged the edge where it was fenced off in places and wide open in other areas. If there is sand along the way to play in, I will! This was a unique, pretty area to pass a few hours.
The Old Coach Trail, Radium
Just a hop, skip and a jump south from my suite, is one of the trailheads for The Old Coach Trail. This trail was a road used by Model T's back in the 1920's. The route I followed took me through a forest, over meadows and out to the edge where I could follow it for kilometres along the benchland, eventually creating and completing a big loop. On the edge was my favourite stretch to be as it offered wide open vistas of the mountains to the west and the Columbia River and Wetlands down below. It was a great location for birding, although the birds that were here today were busy busy busy not stopping long enough for me to snap shots of them. This turned into a most gorgeous day with amazing views. This type of hike was different for me and I thoroughly enjoyed everything it had to offer!
Wilmer Wetlands, Wilmer
Looks like a super interesting area
ReplyDeleteSo strange to have snow already.
That snow would be gone by now as we are back into a heat wave. While I love being in the mountains, it was a treat to be in the wetlands area and around the hoodoos.
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