Monday, May 25, 2009
Heart Mountain Again
I've been wanting to get out in the mountains for awhile, but they still look so white. The weather yesterday was perfect though, so I thought it was time to at least go have a look. A co-worker had been on EEOR (East End of Rundle) a couple of weeks ago, and said it was great, but he's the kind that's happy slogging up headwalls through chest deep snow too.
Anyway, I planned to at least have a look at Heart on the way by. If it was snowy, I would continue to either EEOR or Ha Ling. But Heart looked great. I pulled off into the spaghetti of the Lac Des Arc interchange and into the Heart Canyon parking lot.
There were a few cars in the parking lot, but not a soul around. I shouldered my pack, grabbed my poles and headed down the trail. It's not quite a kilometre to the Heart Creek, and just across the bridge, is the start of the trail down the canyon, and the other trail up the mountain. That trail still has the sign warning that it's a scramble.
Sunny, cloudless, windless. I started up the trail. It's a little steep, but nothing too challenging for awhile. It seemed like I was the first one to be on the mountain for the day, although those cars parked near mine must have carried someone who was up there ahead of me.
This is a fun and reasonably challenging climb. Altitude comes fast, and I watched the elevation number go up on my GPS as often as I looked over my shoulder to take in the spectacular view of the valley. The cement plant across the valley and the broad slash in the limestone that has supplied it with raw material, stood out in the clear mountain air. Beside was Exshaw, a compact grid of buildings forming the company town.
The climb was varied and fun and I was soon at the crux - a crack in the wall of limestone that forms the left side of the heart shaped formation that crowns this peak. About eight feet of climbing, and marked with a red metal diamond to show the way, I stopped for water and a couple of handfuls of trail mix. Then I was up and over and continuing up the trail.
At about 1900 metres or so, I put the poles away and got into the scrambling part of the hike. Some of what I was climbing through was familiar from my last visit two years ago. I found my way up a trough with lots of foot and hand holds, to another red diamond just below a sturdy pine clinging to the slab. More climbing to another notch. And soon I was on the top.
The slope curved toward the horizontal, with bumps and lumps of limestone pushing through the vegetation. I parked on top of one for another water break and snack, and took in the view.
Straight ahead, of course was Exshaw. Immediately left of me the mountain surface curved downward to almost vertical, toward the canyon and creek below. Leftward down the valley, just below was the Trans Canada, skirting Lac Des Arc, and farther on the south end of Canmore, which was mostly hidden behind the shoulder of Grotto Mountain.
From Grotto, left to right, Mount Fable, Exshaw Mountain, Loder Peak and Door Jamb Mountain, and finally, Yamnuska, marking the edge of the Rockies. Past that the prairie looke remarkably flat, although I think it was more because of the contrast between the greening foothills and the ragged mountains.
After snacking, I headed south to check out the ridge. I was hoping to make the traverse along behind the heart, a wonderful ridge walk through trees and occasionally narrowing to slope steeply left and right.
I climbed down beside a ragged wall overlooking the steep slab down to the canyon. Past that the ridge broadened and became tree covered, and also snow covered. I crossed three or four stretches of snow, hoping not to sink in. There were deep holes left by others who had, but the snow held me. My poles, though, told me that ground was an awful long way down from the surface of the snow.
I finally came to a long stretch of snow stretching into trees, and thought that was far enough. I figured as the day went on, the snow would soften and I would eventually be slogging through waist deep, heavy, wet snow. I turned back.
Back at the top, where I'd stopped for lunch, another hiker had made it up. We talked briefly before I began to descend the way I came. At first it was a quiet, peaceful and fun climb down, but then began to meet the day's crowd.
I stopped several times to talk with those coming up, chatting about the climb, the snow, and view. One gentleman and I compared notes about our GPS units.
By the time I reached the climbdown on the wall along the side of the heart, I think I passed at least sixty people. The climb down was uneventful, and I chatted with a group who were on Heart for the first time, looking at the notch doubtfully. A couple continued along the wall. I don't know if they found an alternate way up, but as I watched it seemed they were getting into exceedingly dicey terrain.
As I continued down, I meet more and more going up. There had to be well over a hundred. I was shortly at the bottom, meeting more ready to climb up, and also groups checking out the canyon. The trail from the creek to the parking lot was busy too, lots of people out for the day. The parking lot was full by my return, in early afternoon. I changed shoes and headed home.
A great starting hike. I'm feeling it today, a little. Not as much as I thought, but I still know I had a workout.
Heart Mountain
Starting elevation: 1317 m (4321 feet).
Highest elevation: 2109 m (6919 feet).
Lowest elevation: 1317 m (4321 feet).
Elevation gain: 792 m (2598 feet).
Distance: 7.8 km (4.8 mi).
Time: 4:42.
Anyway, I planned to at least have a look at Heart on the way by. If it was snowy, I would continue to either EEOR or Ha Ling. But Heart looked great. I pulled off into the spaghetti of the Lac Des Arc interchange and into the Heart Canyon parking lot.
There were a few cars in the parking lot, but not a soul around. I shouldered my pack, grabbed my poles and headed down the trail. It's not quite a kilometre to the Heart Creek, and just across the bridge, is the start of the trail down the canyon, and the other trail up the mountain. That trail still has the sign warning that it's a scramble.
Sunny, cloudless, windless. I started up the trail. It's a little steep, but nothing too challenging for awhile. It seemed like I was the first one to be on the mountain for the day, although those cars parked near mine must have carried someone who was up there ahead of me.
This is a fun and reasonably challenging climb. Altitude comes fast, and I watched the elevation number go up on my GPS as often as I looked over my shoulder to take in the spectacular view of the valley. The cement plant across the valley and the broad slash in the limestone that has supplied it with raw material, stood out in the clear mountain air. Beside was Exshaw, a compact grid of buildings forming the company town.
The climb was varied and fun and I was soon at the crux - a crack in the wall of limestone that forms the left side of the heart shaped formation that crowns this peak. About eight feet of climbing, and marked with a red metal diamond to show the way, I stopped for water and a couple of handfuls of trail mix. Then I was up and over and continuing up the trail.
At about 1900 metres or so, I put the poles away and got into the scrambling part of the hike. Some of what I was climbing through was familiar from my last visit two years ago. I found my way up a trough with lots of foot and hand holds, to another red diamond just below a sturdy pine clinging to the slab. More climbing to another notch. And soon I was on the top.
The slope curved toward the horizontal, with bumps and lumps of limestone pushing through the vegetation. I parked on top of one for another water break and snack, and took in the view.
Straight ahead, of course was Exshaw. Immediately left of me the mountain surface curved downward to almost vertical, toward the canyon and creek below. Leftward down the valley, just below was the Trans Canada, skirting Lac Des Arc, and farther on the south end of Canmore, which was mostly hidden behind the shoulder of Grotto Mountain.
From Grotto, left to right, Mount Fable, Exshaw Mountain, Loder Peak and Door Jamb Mountain, and finally, Yamnuska, marking the edge of the Rockies. Past that the prairie looke remarkably flat, although I think it was more because of the contrast between the greening foothills and the ragged mountains.
After snacking, I headed south to check out the ridge. I was hoping to make the traverse along behind the heart, a wonderful ridge walk through trees and occasionally narrowing to slope steeply left and right.
I climbed down beside a ragged wall overlooking the steep slab down to the canyon. Past that the ridge broadened and became tree covered, and also snow covered. I crossed three or four stretches of snow, hoping not to sink in. There were deep holes left by others who had, but the snow held me. My poles, though, told me that ground was an awful long way down from the surface of the snow.
I finally came to a long stretch of snow stretching into trees, and thought that was far enough. I figured as the day went on, the snow would soften and I would eventually be slogging through waist deep, heavy, wet snow. I turned back.
Back at the top, where I'd stopped for lunch, another hiker had made it up. We talked briefly before I began to descend the way I came. At first it was a quiet, peaceful and fun climb down, but then began to meet the day's crowd.
I stopped several times to talk with those coming up, chatting about the climb, the snow, and view. One gentleman and I compared notes about our GPS units.
By the time I reached the climbdown on the wall along the side of the heart, I think I passed at least sixty people. The climb down was uneventful, and I chatted with a group who were on Heart for the first time, looking at the notch doubtfully. A couple continued along the wall. I don't know if they found an alternate way up, but as I watched it seemed they were getting into exceedingly dicey terrain.
As I continued down, I meet more and more going up. There had to be well over a hundred. I was shortly at the bottom, meeting more ready to climb up, and also groups checking out the canyon. The trail from the creek to the parking lot was busy too, lots of people out for the day. The parking lot was full by my return, in early afternoon. I changed shoes and headed home.
A great starting hike. I'm feeling it today, a little. Not as much as I thought, but I still know I had a workout.
Heart Mountain
Starting elevation: 1317 m (4321 feet).
Highest elevation: 2109 m (6919 feet).
Lowest elevation: 1317 m (4321 feet).
Elevation gain: 792 m (2598 feet).
Distance: 7.8 km (4.8 mi).
Time: 4:42.
# posted by Kelly @ 6:27 p.m. 
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