CR2015: A Try for Windtower

Today, August 5th, was our day to tackle Windtower. Last year we'd run out of time before reaching the top, but this year the staff at Mount Engadine Lodge packed our lunches while we ate breakfast, and we were able to hit the road earlier.

The first section of the journey is the West Wind Pass trail.

There are two trails close together here, the good one that appears on the map and an old, nastier one that nobody recommends. As Joan and I approached the area of the trail head, we saw several parked vehicles, decided that they must mark the proper starting point, and we set off. At first the trail seemed merely odd, not quite matching our memories, but then we realized we'd started up the wrong trail, one likely to tire us out and slow us down. The thought of returning all the way to the trail head was also distasteful. Fortunately, we'd passed some work on the Trans Canada Trail; we ought to be able use it to cross over to the genuine West Wind Pass trail.

And we did. Perhaps the trucks were from trail builders.

The real trail climbs follows along and above Spurling Creek, so there were viewpoints along the way as we climbed through the forest.

We reached the pass but didn't linger long,

and started the traverse. Windtower's north face is a sheer drop, but by heading south for a while, an easier climb from the southwest can be reached. The following image was taken from another Windtower account. It's a GPS track showing the writer's outbound traverse (the lower blue line, clinging to the treeline) and return traverse, higher up.

The official status of the trail halts at West Wind Pass. From there, decades of hikers have created a multiplicity of starting options for the traverse (click on the photo to enlarge).

Joan and I started on one of the "middle" tracks. There are a series of short rock faces to negotiate, and we soon encountered a blue grouse atop one of them.

The views continued to open up, but clouds building just to the north worried us. The higher we would go, the more exposed we would be.

Here's a look back to West Wind Pass, in the lower right, tucked between our mountain and the one to the north.

Joan and I continued to eye the cloud buildup. We've hiked in the rain before, but the slopes here are challenging and, did I say, exposed? Here's a photo taken later, from a lakeside rest area, that shows the final section of trail. It's shale scree, steep and scrabbly in places, and utterly without shelter. The top is 8,842' altitude.

We decided to play it wise, and returned to the pass. Windtower would need to wait for next year. On reaching the pass we lunched, and discovered that, to make up for omitting the turkey in one sandwich yesterday, the lodge had put double turkey in our sandwiches today. Then we chatted with Wag, a 14-year-old cocker spaniel, and his master, who carries Wag when the dog tires. This is the view looking east from the pass.

Wag and his master started their return, and a few minutes later we stood to begin ours. However, a group of mountain sheep had reached the north side of the pass, and Joan and I were blocking their path to the south side.

We walked far enough to give the sheep room, but be able to still see them. They trotted across the width of the pass, with the biggest giving it a go first.

More followed.

The youngster came last.

As we descended there was still moisture from last night's rain on some of the foliage.

We arrived back at the trailhead -- the correct trailhead -- and saw these signs:

Don't forget the sheep:

Looking back, we could see clouds flirting with the Windtower. What a difference between the northern and southern faces!

Having ended our expedition early, Joan and I took the opportunity to explore the west side of Spray Lake. It's mostly camping sites, but offers a good view across the lake to the mountains we'd been in.

The clouds still can't make up their mind whether to rain or not.

We parked the car at the end of the road and walked down to the lakeshore. The beach of stones was wide, and we poked around a bit.

We drove back to the lodge, beating rain showers that came through about 5pm. Dinner was excellent, as usual.

And Mr. Moose visited again in the evening. The moose slurp up the muddy water for the minerals in it; someone suggested selenium. I couldn't ask, because I don't speak Moose.

Tomorrow we're off to Delta Lodge Kananaskis, on the other side of the mountain range we've been clambering on for the last two days.