Wed, Apr 23 2025 - Upper Kananaskis Lake Circuit (View Original Event Details)
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Six of us made up our merry band Wednesday morning at 9:31am from the parking lot. It was sunny and brilliant blue skies to start with temperatures just below zero. Not being sure how much snow we’d encounter on the 15.6km trail, we all added snowshoes to our packs juuuuuuuust in case it got deep. The other Brent had done this loop several times so we had a good idea of what to expect ahead, as well as the different hiking routes one could take from junctions along the trail.
The initial pace was good going clockwise on the circuit, only slowing down a bit after passing the Rawson Lake junction where any recent tracks ended. We got some pretty spectacular views of Mt. Lyautey before turning northwards. Kevin pointed out an area near the lake shore where a spring could be seen. We followed a set of bear tracks for short distance but they went another direction after a bridge-crossing. At about the halfway point (at almost noon) we stopped at the waterfall on the Upper Kananaskis River to have lunch. Not far from there the snow on the trail became less and we passed the Point Backcountry Campground. From there we left the trees and entered a rocky boulder-strewn landscape; Mt Indefatigable loomed over us to the north. We reached the dam and decided to take the lakeshore route rather than the road. The path was a mix of snow, ice and mud for the final 3km and we reached the parking lot at 3:10pm, a lil’ ahead of the projected end time.
Thanks to Colin and Julie for ensuring the good weather and providing carpooling from the
PetroCan and beyond. Also a thank-you to Katya and Kevin for the photos, and to Brent for
the trail info. All in all it was good day to get out to the mountains!