Ptarmigan Cirque
July 25, 2017 · 208 words · 1 minute read
A short and popular trail that also happened to be really pretty. Drove an hour and a half to Highwood Pass, the highest paved pass in Canada. It was 30 degrees in Calgary but felt about 17 up in the cirque because of the high elevation.
Date: 2017-07-25
Location: Kananaskis
Distance: 6.5 km (started scrambling up Mount Rae)
Elevation gain: 300 m
Time: 2 hours (including long-ish breaks)
Friends: Chris, Mario
Starting off, it looked like it might rain. Walked down a short path from the parking lot and crossed the highway to start the climbing.
Could see the bowl where we were headed right from the beginning. Left peak is Mount Rae and Right is Mount Arethusa.
Brief climb through dense forest.
Looking down a beautiful valley after reaching the treeline. On the right appears to be the ranges of Mt. Tyrwhitt.
Imposing cliffs in the background
Approaching the bowl. The trail follows a loop around it.
The back of the loop becomes the base of Mount Rae.
The start of the scramble up Mount Rae – a hike for another time…
Looping back around.
Descent. There were lots of wildflowers in bloom.
There’s an “interpretive trail” at the bottom.
Back to the meadow where we started.