I only have to be as close as Lethbridge, AB when the Sirens of the Waterton National Park mountain trails begin to ply their powers on me. As a mistress lures her lover to her bedside, so am I lured to the trails of the Waterton mountain trails. With the January temperatures in the pluses, resistance is all the more futile. Saturday morning dawned with wind warnings in effect for Southwestern Alberta, but I concluded that if the wind wasn't toppling mountains over then it would be okay to be out hiking. Indeed it was windy, so much so that my poor beater vehicle seemed at times to be more of a sail than any kind of conveyance, but we made it.
Yes WE made it, My grandson and granddaughter were keen to join me. Having them join me delayed my departure a little and necessitated a shorter hike. Last summer we had hiked to Bertha Lake, note my Blog of July 4, 2011, so they were familiar with the trail, making Bertha Falls the trail of choice for this afternoon's hike.
We were on the trail by about 1:30 PM. There was a bit of snow on the trail, but not enough to inhibit walking. The icy patches were more of a consideration and the more cautious hiker may want to consider wearing cleats. Indeed, we did encounter a pair of hikers who had small snow shoes with cleats on the bottom. These seemed to me to be useful equipment to have along.
Walking in the wind went well; however, even with temperatures above zero, the wind will make you will feel cold, so on a hike like this it makes good sense to wear or carry extra clothing. As long as we were moving we were warm but when we stopped the wind would penetrate it's coldness into us. Needless to say after about an hour of walking when we decided to stop for a snack and a drink we sought the shelter of the deeper woods for protection from the persistent wind. A short way after our break the trail took us within view of Bertha Creek. Even in winter the sight and sound of running water seems to stir the soul feel the pleasure of place and time. Open moving water against ice and snow sculpts the stream and shapes it into sights and sounds that you will only see and hear on winter walks.
In winter everything is seems quieter. Blankets of snow and the encasement of ice have all but subdued Bertha Falls. The rushing rough and tumble summer falls are now mostly hidden and muffled, but they still manage to briefly appear with a quiet swish and then disappear again into the catacombs of ice and snow. We only tarried long enough to snap a few photos, remembering how soon the light of winter days can fade away.
The hike back seems short. I point out latent tracks, in the snow, of coyote, squirrel and even tracks that might have been left by a marten. In spite of the fact that this is a winter hike the conversation turns to bears. Waterton Park is populated with Black Bear and Grizzly and it is common to see bears while hiking in the park, but never in the winter.
At the parking lot the wind and the surf on Waterton Lake bade us to take a stroll along it's shore. Stones covered by ice, and ice shaped by stones; surf and wind all combined into a unique winter park experience.
Total distance 6.6 km.
2hr 5 min moving, 25 min stopped.
Total ascent 1286 ft. maximum elev. 4771 ft
Foot note: My notes about the hike to Bertha Lake, with Ken on Feb. 15, 2011, show 1 hr 22 min moving and 35 min stopped going to the falls and 1 hr 6 min moving 33 min stopped when returning from the falls. About 3hr 40 min in total. So the kids and I did it a lot faster likely due to much better walking conditions on the trail.
No comments:
Post a Comment