Monday, July 10, 2006
Grotto Revisited
This was another hike that I thought would be fun for a group. This time we had a couple more people join us. Along with Carla, Erin, Peter-Mark and I, we had Erin's daughter and her friend with us, and Tacey managed to take some time from work and organizing her new home.
Tacey and I drove out to the trailhead, right on highway 1A, a few miles out of Canmore. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we sat by Grotto Pond, a small lake beside the picnic area where the trail starts. We were soon joined by the rest and we headed off up the trail.
We wandered up the trail as it parallels the highway, to the stream bed that leads into the canyon itself. The day was warm and sunny, and it was rather nice to get into the coolness of the shade in the canyon. We were out late enough in the morning, though, that the sun could reach into parts of it.
The stream was doing its usual burbling in and out of the rocks, and falling over boulders and into pools, deliciously cold and clear (but probably not quite drinkable). We came on a couple of climbers getting ready to tackle one of the sheer rock faces that line the canyon, and lent them some bug repellant. Mosquitoes were not too bad, but they were present, and would find you if you stopped moving for a moment.
At that time of day, it was reasonably deserted. There was a young family a few yard behind us with three or four children, but that was it apart from the climbers. Carla, Peter-Mark and I climbed up to the waterfall for a moment to check it out. It's such a peaceful spot, but there's not a lot to keep you from sliding back down the slippery rock. We didn't stay long.
At this point, Erin and her charges decided to head back, while the rest of us continued up the streambed. We stopped at the point around the bend, just where the sound of the waterfall wasn't quite audible, and experienced the astounding silence that gives the place a bit of a mystical quality. A little farther on, and the canyon opens up to a still narrow valley, and we continued until we came in sight of the hoodoos, where we stopped for a snack.
Then we headed back, and began to meet more people out to explore the canyon. We passed a couple of groups moving up the streambed. We stopped at the sheer rock wall at the T intersection near the waterfall, and Carla and I stood under the light spray of water leaking out of a crack in the rock wall that was maybe forty fee up.
Heading down, we came on a small group who were admiring the petroglyphs. This was the first time I had seen them, and I had thought they were farther up, around the bend in the area were we experienced the silence. The petroglyphs were few, and had faded badly, but were still quite visible. You can get more information about them here.
As we continued from the petroglyphs we met a large group, of almost a hundred high school age kids hiking up the canyon. So we were just missing the rush hour. And within the hour we were in Canmore having beer and burgers again.
Tacey and I drove out to the trailhead, right on highway 1A, a few miles out of Canmore. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we sat by Grotto Pond, a small lake beside the picnic area where the trail starts. We were soon joined by the rest and we headed off up the trail.
We wandered up the trail as it parallels the highway, to the stream bed that leads into the canyon itself. The day was warm and sunny, and it was rather nice to get into the coolness of the shade in the canyon. We were out late enough in the morning, though, that the sun could reach into parts of it.
The stream was doing its usual burbling in and out of the rocks, and falling over boulders and into pools, deliciously cold and clear (but probably not quite drinkable). We came on a couple of climbers getting ready to tackle one of the sheer rock faces that line the canyon, and lent them some bug repellant. Mosquitoes were not too bad, but they were present, and would find you if you stopped moving for a moment.
At that time of day, it was reasonably deserted. There was a young family a few yard behind us with three or four children, but that was it apart from the climbers. Carla, Peter-Mark and I climbed up to the waterfall for a moment to check it out. It's such a peaceful spot, but there's not a lot to keep you from sliding back down the slippery rock. We didn't stay long.
At this point, Erin and her charges decided to head back, while the rest of us continued up the streambed. We stopped at the point around the bend, just where the sound of the waterfall wasn't quite audible, and experienced the astounding silence that gives the place a bit of a mystical quality. A little farther on, and the canyon opens up to a still narrow valley, and we continued until we came in sight of the hoodoos, where we stopped for a snack.
Then we headed back, and began to meet more people out to explore the canyon. We passed a couple of groups moving up the streambed. We stopped at the sheer rock wall at the T intersection near the waterfall, and Carla and I stood under the light spray of water leaking out of a crack in the rock wall that was maybe forty fee up.
Heading down, we came on a small group who were admiring the petroglyphs. This was the first time I had seen them, and I had thought they were farther up, around the bend in the area were we experienced the silence. The petroglyphs were few, and had faded badly, but were still quite visible. You can get more information about them here.
As we continued from the petroglyphs we met a large group, of almost a hundred high school age kids hiking up the canyon. So we were just missing the rush hour. And within the hour we were in Canmore having beer and burgers again.
# posted by Kelly @ 5:52 p.m. 
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