Smoke and Snow: Rummel Lake and High Rockies Trail

Our view from Mount Engadine Lodge on the morning of September 21st was snowy. There was an inch or two of the white stuff on the ground, and the mountains were invisible.

After breakfast Joan and I stumbled through where to go, what to take, and what's already in the car? For a few minutes it looked like the pigs might be able to accompany us, as during the second day at Upper Kananaskis Lake, but our hopes were trashed as the widespread snow re-intensified, a waxing and waning pattern that would repeat through the day.

The best idea was Joan's, to take the Rummel Lake trail, just across the road, to its junction with the new High Rockies trail.

The Rummel Lake trail is tedious in its lower stretches, where it follows an old logging road, and today climbing higher did not reveal any views. Clouds and snow filled the sky. Our eyes remained largely focused on the trail, which was becoming whiter and whiter. Then we spotted tracks in that fluff, bird tracks. Joan and I slowed down and scanned our surroundings. We saw, now off the trail, a male spruce grouse.

We stayed on the path, but I zoomed the camera in on our fellow. Love those eyebrows! Click on the image to enlarge.

Joan and I gave him some encouraging words and moved on.

It seemed further than 2km, but we arrived at the junction with the High Rockies Trail. Not something we could have overlooked.

It was time to reshuffle our gear. To take this photo I left my heavy gloves stuffed into the loops of my hiking poles, and they resembled black wind socks.

Or perhaps the invisible man was standing there?

Joan and I set off south on the High Rockies. Most trails head up, towards a goal -- Chester Lake, West Wind Pass, and such -- but the High Rockies rolls and weaves along the mountain flanks, an expressway with no particular destination.

At this altitude the temperature hovered just below freezing, so flakes and ice pellets built up on our sleeves, pack covers, and hats. After forty minutes we decided to turn around, having seen nothing except the bubble of trees and snow surrounding us. The next available "destination" would be the Chester Lake parking area, and today we weren't interested in going that far (and back again).

As we descended towards the lodge we saw that, although snow was still coming down, it wasn't cold enough to prevent the slush on the trail from thinning and retreating. Joan and I reached the lodge, shed our layers, and hung them to dry. We started our "trail" lunch at 2:00pm warm and snug indoors. This was the view from our room.

On the next day, the 22nd, our last day, the weather was changing for the better. There was snow on Tent Ridge and the other elevated places to admire during breakfast.

Joan and I drove north towards Canmore after checking out.

A view along the Spray Lakes.

A zoom shot of one of the mountains above the road. It was still crowned with clouds.

In Canmore we had time to explore. We located a pop-up art shop with wonderful browsing, and tracked down the Jacek Chocolate outlet inside the Stonewaters Home Elements store, purchasing several truffles and small bars. At the Canadian Rockies Earth Science Resource Center a young fellow gave us a tour of exhibits with explanations of the geology of the region, and of the efforts to map it. We also inspected specimens and instruments. Le Chocolatier was our final stop in town, where we bought large chocolate bars, truffles, and other delights to take home for ourselves and for friends.

The last item on our list before driving to Calgary was the Barrier Lakes Information Centre. It is forbidden to take bear spray on an airplane, either checked or as carry-on, so we purchase our bear spray at this centre before hiking, and return it (as a free donation to be used in demonstrations) as we depart.

Joan and I checked into the new airport Marriott hotel, and I decided to check my email after a long time of either being out of range or snubbing the internet. I received a jolt: there was a warning about dubious credit-card charges sent by the card issuer. The card had indeed been compromised. I had trouble dialing the 800 number on either my mobile phone or the hotel room's phone, but the front desk dialed it for me and I finished that upsetting business just in time for dinner with our Calgary friend Barry.

The next day we flew back to Columbus via Minneapolis. Our trip of smoke and snow ended with a tropical homecoming -- we were dazed by 90° temperatures and high humidity. Was this really September 23rd in Ohio??

CR2013: Rummel Lake, Rummel Pass, Rain

The next day, August 30th, opened with the morning sun illuminating the clouds and painting bands of pink and gold on the mountains.

Outside our window was a male red crossbill, a bird Joan and I rarely see in Ohio, although it is supposed to winter here.

Today our destination was Rummel Lake, named after Baroness Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rummel. We had visited this lake only once before, in 2004, in an intermittent drizzle.

First we checked out the nearby bridge on the Mount Shark road, looking at flood damage and repairs.

The first stretch of the Rummel Lake trail, which is just opposite the lodge, is boring. Old logging roads wind and switchback through the forest, climbing without offering any vistas. Gradually they narrow and become more of a trail.

Occasionally some deadfall offers a tantalizing but frustrating peek across the valley. You must go further, and then the trail finally becomes an honest walk in the woods.

After about an hour and a half into the hike we heard some noises. A male spruce grouse, in full display, caught up to us on the trail.

He was fearless. Well, I'm not a mind-reader nor a grouse-whisperer, but he acted fearless. Or was it stupid? He came up to us and walked on by, clucking. Look at those eyebrows!

As you might suspect, he was defending and supervising his harem of five or six spruce grouse hens.

We stood transfixed, frequently using our binoculars. The group slowly worked its way through the woods, parallel to the trail, foraging. Eventually we had to tear ourselves away and continue on.

There are two routes for the final approach to the lake, the "snowshoe" route, not scenic but free of avalanche danger, and the summer route (the original). We went up on the summer route, which included some beating through willow thickets and cairn spotting to make our way along one or two rerouted sections of trail. The summer route, in general, hews closely to the creek; to follow it confidently we highly recommend Gillean Daffern's book, Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, Volume 1.

Arriving at Rummel Lake, I walked close to the shore and took its portrait.

To continue on to Rummel Pass follow the trail along the left (north) side of the lake, which eventually cuts into the trees and after a brief climb takes you to the approach to the pass. The trees thin out and then disappear as you keep going.

It being late summer, the tarns had dried out.

This spot was as far as we went. Looking back, you can see why we decided it was time to drop back down.

The peaks on the far side of the valley were disappearing into blue-grey mist. We opened our day packs and pulled out our rain jackets, which were almost ripped from our hands by the strong wind out here in the open.

It didn't start to rain until we reached the lake, where the wind was much gentler. We chose the broad, easier, and quicker "winter" route, accompanied by varying degrees of precipitation. Sometimes there was a steady shower, sometimes it almost stopped, but in the end it rained during the entire long slog back down to the lodge. By the time we finished with the logging road and its unvarying surface our feet were aching.

But we were back in time for afternoon tea and cleanup before dinner. Tomorrow we would move on, so Rummel Pass must wait for another year, when our desire to see the pass overcomes our aversion to the logging road.