Waterton Lakes National Park Day 3 March 18, 2022

After breakfast and before checking out, I walked along the lakeshore to enjoy the early morning views.  There is not much of Waterton Lake that is free from ice.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, spring is further down the road this year than it was this time last year.  This section was free enough to offer a reflection of the Prince of Wales Hotel. 

Large slabs of ice were floating around which made for pretty pictures.  

There is not as much open water as it looks.  

the light reflecting in a small open spot on Waterton Lake

This is a view of the harbour and the boat docks.  

The light is casting a glow on Crandell Mountain.

a section where there are many ice slices near the shore

You can see the new Kilmorey Hotel in the middle.  I imagine it will be open this summer. 

There is something about Waterton that keeps me coming back no matter what the season!  Even during the busy summer season, it is possible to get out on some hiking trails and be away from it all.  I enjoyed when I was there last July and in September and I think I would like to try going in September again.

Waterton Lakes National Park Day 2 afternoon March 17, 2022

The day was becoming more beautiful as the minutes and hours passed, but, the wind speeds were increasing too!  Stepping out of my vehicle and feeling the strength of the gusts was when I decided being up on top of the Bear's Hump would not be a safe place.  I opted then to hike around Linnet Lake which I had never done before and then head up the Prince of Wales Hill.  

This is the view from the shore of Linnet Lake.  During the dog days of winter in February, on the weekends, this lake is cleared and monitored for skating.  Today it was snow covered and I am not sure how deep the snow was.  The snow on the trail was more than enough though yet I managed fine with my spikes.  

view of the Prince of Wales Hotel up on the hill

From this side of Linnet Lake, I had a good view of the Bear's Hump which is that bump on the left. 

There are numerous benches along the trail and this is one of them.  

There would be no getting to it and sitting comfortable to enjoy a view.  

This is the view back to Linnet Lake as I began hiking up the Prince of Wales hill.  The trail uptake hill was not obvious at first and I ended up off  route then needed to bushwhack back to it.  That's the main road in the middle that leads into the townsite. 

Prince of Wales Hotel

(it will open for the season in May)

I made it to the top and had to hold on to my hat.  My hat fits snuggly on my head but the wind was so strong it was lifting it upwards, as it was doing to my camera bag too.  I held on tightly to everything.

The new walkway is complete and is very nice.  

The mountain names and elevations are listed in the cement.  

I did not stay long!  I have been up here when the winds have been strong but never as strong as they were this time.  I could hardly stand on my own two feet for a few seconds.  I did manage a couple of photos of the views.

Waterton Townsite in front of Bertha Peak

Once I got off the hill and back down on the trail in the trees, I could breathe a sigh of relief from the wind.  Before heading back to my suite, I checked out Cameron Falls, the campground, the lakeshore, the new Visitor Centre and drove up and down the streets that were clear of snow to see the store fronts and motel fronts still blocked with gigantic piles of snow.  

It then came time to sit back and relax sheltered from the wind

on the swing on my balcony 

and enjoy the view!

Waterton Lakes National Park Day 2 March 17, 2022

When visiting Waterton at this time of year, it's not necessary to book accommodations well in advance.  Where I wanted to stay and the suite I wanted was available for a deal when I checked their site on the 14th to arrive there on the 16th.  I wanted all weather, road and avalanche conditions to be favourable before committing.  All would be ideal today for a hike along the Akamina Parkway from Little Prairie Day Use to Cameron Lake.     

It took quite some time to drive the Parkway to the Day Use lot, I stopped at every corner to admire the view.  The sun was up and giving way to that golden glow.  The road was dry and clear of snow yet the road seemed narrow in some sections due to the size of the snow piles on each side.   

view driving up the Akamina Parkway

This is a view of the trailhead for the Crandel Lake trail.  Parks People have removed the signs until the road is fully open and spring hiking season starts. I had considered snowshoeing this trail but felt on the lazy side when I saw how deep the snow was and no one had been in awhile.   

When I arrived at the Little Prairie Day Use area there was a vehicle of four people who were gearing up and getting ready to skin/ski off.   Also the groomer came along with his equipment, checked the X-C Ski trails then left.  I hit the road with just my boots.  It was firmly packed so spikes were not necessary.  

When I saw how perfect the X-C Ski tracks were, I then realized why the groomer moved on to somewhere else.  For a minute or so I was wishing I had my skis.  It appeared a groomer machine of some sort had also been back and forth pretty much the entire width of the road and that made for the perfectly packed hiking trails. 

view of the Akamina Trailhead as I hiked by

once again the signs are removed and on the right is the boot cleaning contraption

the only part showing is the sign and the railing you hold on to when wiping your boot

I arrived at Cameron Lake, the first person to do so today.  

Spring like conditions are much further away than they were this time last year.  

snow almost drifted to the roof of the eduction building 

snow drifts

Before attempting this, I checked to make sure the snow was firm enough to support me when I landed.

view of Cameron Lake

My intentions were to hike across Cameron Lake for about a kilometre like I did last year.

I walked for about five minutes and that was it.  No one had been since the recent snowfall and the wind had swept the snow to where there was no visible sign of any trail.  The snow was mid calf in depth.  There was no one else around and I was not comfortable in going any further.

I spent more time hanging around where it was easy to get to and admired the views.

I saw one Steller's Jay!  It sang a loud long lovely song!  

The wind gusts came and went and when they came they swirled up the snow.

It was time to head back.  By now I could see movement inside the Alpine Hut.  The Hut is only open in the winter.  It's an easy ski or hike or snowshoe in from the Little Prairie Day Use area and I understand it is a popular Hut for families with children.

The hike back was just as beautiful!  

There was no one else hiking or skiing in while I was hiking out.  I savoured some snacks in my car and then began the drive back.  The whole Parkway was quiet the entire drive back to the townsite.  It was now time to head on to another trail and see more sights for another couple of hours.

Waterton Lakes National Park Day 1 March 16, 2022

It was this same time last year when I spent three days in Waterton Lakes National Park and absolutely loved everything about the get-away.  From the weather to the drive to the scenery to the trails to the accommodations, I wanted to experience it all again, so wayward to Waterton I went!

the view south a little while after leaving Pincher Creek

a Lookout spot to the valley below

Before passing through the Park Gate, I stopped off at a view point and this was the view I saw.  A heard of elk were stamping along a trail uphill, to where I don't know!  After admiring the view, I drove through the open gates to Waterton Lakes National Park and aimed for the Red Rock Parkway to hike in the area.

The Red Rock Parkway is still closed for the season, so I parked at the gate and began hiking from there.  First things first, before hitting the trail, I cleaned my boots on this contraption. There is one at every trail head in the Park. 

 

Most of the time I spent wandering the hills that follow along side the Parkway and then veered north towards the Buffalo Paddock.   Due to the area being wide open and Waterton being windy, the hills and meadows were mostly windswept of snow. 

Even though the Parkway is closed, it is plowed and used by Parks People.   Along the way there were a few short periods of time when I pounded pavement crossing from hills on one side to meadows on the other. That is also when the Parks People drove by and we shared waves. 

followed this trail rather than the Parkway which is left in the photo

destination photo op in a wide open meadow

The views were as I hoped they would be.  It’s that wild look that appeals to me and with the strong winds it only made it feel and appear wilder.  Speaking of wild, I stayed well aware of my surroundings and also had bear spray close at hand. 

 That's the Waterton Golf Course in the middle with a bit of bare land.  

from wind swept meadows to snow capped mountain peaks

This is why it is called the Red Rock Parkway!

meandering towards the Paddocks and the Bellevue Trail

The views were gorgeous as I hike up & down the hills, 

some were bare while others were covered in snow drifts.

When I crested another larger hill, this is what I saw!  This is where that herd of elk ended up!  I first spotted them stampeding up the hill near the gated entrance to Waterton Lakes Park. Some were watching me.  I knew now this was as far as I would hike in this direction.    

wind and snow squalls came and went

what the wind creates

I followed the Bellevue Trail back out to the Red Rock Parkway and had this view looking to where the Parkway goes which is the Red Rock Canyon.  It was just before arriving here that another Parks vehicle drove by.  

looking back from where I came and now ready to hike to my vehicle

On the way back to my car, I stuck to the trails as much as possible so I could have views like this. For the thick forest sections and where the snow was deep was when I veered to the road.

Being late afternoon by now, it was time to drive into the townsite 

and check into my home away from home!