Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide - 5th Edition: Volume 3: The Ghost, Bow Valley, Canmore, Spray

By Gillean Daffern

It's back again, bigger and better than ever!

With over 150,000 copies of the previous editions sold, Gillean Daffern’s bestselling hiking guides to Kananaskis Country have been exhaustively researched and regularly updated during the past 45 years. As the pre-eminent expert on the area, the author continues to offer something for every level of foot-traveller, be they novice or experienced hikers, scramblers or backpackers.

• NEW! Descriptions have been rewritten to incorporate changes to Kananaskis Country since the last edition.
• NEW! Full-colour photographs throughout do justice to the spectacular scenery of the Canadian Rockies.
• NEW! Each new volume includes exciting and previously unpublished trails and routes.
• NEW! Existing maps have been completely redrawn and enhanced.
• NEW! Additional sketch maps included throughout.

Gillean’s clear and engaging text is enhanced with colour photos and detailed maps that enable everyone to navigate safely through this complex and beautiful area of the Canadian Rockies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RMB Rocky Mountain Books
• Release date: May 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9781771604086

Gillean Daffern

Gillean Daffern has been exploring Kananaskis Country for decades and understands its landscape and history intimately throughout every season of the year. She has also been writing and publishing bestselling trail guides to Kananaskis Country for over 30 years and is the author of the renowned five-volume series Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, which is moving into its 5th edition and has sold well over 100,000 copies since it was first published in 1979. She also travels to mountain areas outside of Kananaskis Country, and in particular enjoys visiting countries off the beaten tourist path. Gillean is the co-founder of Rocky Mountain Books and, along with her husband, Tony Daffern, was awarded the Banff Mountain Festival’s Summit of Excellence Award in 2006. She lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Book preview

1 Aura Creek Sand Dunes

map 1

Day hike, bike ’n’ hike

Unofficial trails

Distance 4 km

Height gain 110 m (360 ft.)

High point 1510 m (4954 ft.)

Map 82 O/7 Wildcat Hills

Access Hwy. 940. At 9.1 km north of the forest boundary and just north of Waiparous Creek bridge turn right (east) onto Whispering Pines Road signed Waiparous Creek Staging Area and Whispering Pines Bible Camp. Drive past the staging area (biffy, kiosk) in a meadow and up a hill to a lefthand bend at 2.1 km in from the hwy. Park on the right side. The road to left leads to the bible camp at Cow Lake. Your route is the dirt track ahead— the tote road.

Comments There are many sandy areas to the east of Waiparous Creek. The best known are the Aura Creek dunes, which cover both sides of a low ridge, and though anchored by vegetation, provide plenty of sheltered bowls for sunbathing and chutes steep enough for rolling down. Unfortunately I can’t guarantee your peace won’t be shattered by dirt bikers straying far from official ATV trails. Despite the intrusion, signs of the wild horses are everywhere: on the ridge, by the lake and on the dunes.

Since the previous edition a better route to the dunes has been established by members of the Ghost Wilderness Alliance Society (GWAS). No more wading Waiparous Creek or sloshing along a muddy track.

Environmental concerns As mentioned this is Not an official ATV area. At the instigation of the GWAS a camera installed at the dunes to count dirt bikers was vandalized and eventually stolen. This should have galvanized Public Lands into action but nothing was done. The GWAS can count one victory, though, when Spray Lake Sawmills was dissuaded from building a tote road through the dunes. Environmental studies show the whole area, including the dunes and Horse Lake, needs special protection from logging and motorized vehicles.

History The route follows in part the tote road built in 1906 by the Eau Claire Lumber Company to its logging camps on the Waiparous. It started from Cochrane and more or less followed the line of today’s roads until diverted to the east bank of Waiparous Creek. Later, another tote road started west of Morley and on the line of Richards Road gained the Bar C Ranch, after which it followed the line of today’s Hwy. 940., which necessitated the building of heavy-duty trestle bridges. So today’s Hwy. 940 is an amalgamation of both tote roads.

The NE–SW cutline headed for Sand Ridge.

To Sand Ridge 2.8 km

Walk the gradually descending tote road which parallels Waiparous Creek within sound of the Bumble Bee ice cream van doing the rounds of Waiparous Creek campground. As you go, note the new shorn look of the hillsides to the left. Cross the creek from Cow Lake on a bridge and climb up the far side. At the top of the hill leave the tote road and turn left on a trail which follows the top of the creek bank to its intersection with a NE–SW cutline. Turn right.

Walk up the cutline toward Sand Ridge, as Heinz calls it, and three small uphills later arrive at a junction. Turn right on a cutline access road. (Cutline ahead onto the ridge crest is a doozie; I’m told it’s used for fully sanctioned uphill races for ATVs.)

Your road climbs much more gently onto the ridge at a 4-way on a col of sorts. Turn right. (Trail to left leads to the summit of Sand Ridge. See #1A.)

To dunes 1.2 km + 800 m loop

The trail descends the lovely ridge through open trees. After it flattens come to a junction. Ahead is your route to the dunes, left is your return route from the dunes.

In a few metres enter west-facing dunes. Circle around the top of them and through some trees to where you intersect an ATV trail. Head left onto southeast-facing dunes. (Should you go right here, you’d reach the NW–SE cutline used in the optional return.) Follow a sand trail along to a bowl where a steep slope and chutes descend into the forest. This is where you would drop off the dunes if making for Horse Lake.

If returning the same way via Sand Ridge keep following the sand trail around to the left onto east-facing dunes. Keep left and climb into forest, the trail winding uphill to the junction on the ridge. Turn right to return the same way you came.

Optional Return

Via the tote road 4.5 km

See the sketch map on page 21. From the southeast-facing dunes a trail descends the chutes onto a cutline access road. Turn right, climbing uphill to a NE–SW cutline. Turn right and descend a long hill, en route heading straight at a 4-way. (ATV trail to right leads to the west-facing dunes.)

Climb to a junction and shortcut right. Then turn right onto the tote road, after which the going is straightforward, slightly downhill with corduroy in wet areas below bogs. Join your outgoing route above Cow Lake Creek.

The west-facing dunes.

#1 Descending a chute from the southeastfacing dunes to the cutline access road.

Going Farther

1A Sand Ridge Summit

Add 2.2 km return

Extra height gain 50 m (165 ft.)

Comments The high point of the ridge can be easily combined with the dunes if you want a view and more of a workout. You can even loop back to your parking spot, but expect much rougher going before hitting Whispering Pines Road near the bible camp. See the map on the next page.

From The 4-Way on Sand Ridge

To the summit 1.1 km

At the 4-way on the col turn left or continue ahead if returning from the dunes. After the initial steep climb the gradient moderates and you cross the top of the doozie cutline. A downhill precedes a prolonged uphill which gains you the summit in the trees. Walk a few more steps to the viewpoint at the top of a meadow cum cutblock. Look across a rolling carpet of forest to the mountains of the Ghost and to the myriad of unnamed mountains farther north.

#1A Sand Ridge summit view of unnamed peaks north of the Ghost.

Looping back to the parking area 2.4 km

A singletrack ATV trail descends the NNW slope in the trees to a lower cutblock. Stay ahead where the ATV trail turns right to join up with official ATV trails northwest of Cow Lake. Keep descending to the start of a grassy right-of-way (née logging road) at bottom left. In slash use a trail in the trees to the left. Cross Cow Lake Creek, and keeping to the right to avoid more slash continue along the right-of-way. On joining a reclaimed well road go left, followings its zigs and zags as it climbs to Whispering Pines Road at a small pull-off. Turn left and follow the road’s downhill windings to the parking area.

1B Horse (Aura) Lake

Add 1.6 km one way

Extra height gain 24 m (80 ft.)

Comments The area around the lake is home to bands of wild horses and coexisting wolf packs. To know more, read Wild Horses, Wild Wolves by Maureen Enns. In August look for fringed orchids around the lakeshore.

At the southeast-facing bowl descend into the trees and pick up the cutline access road. Turn left and descend to a junction at Aura Creek, which was called Lunch Creek in Eau Claire’s time. Don’t cross. Keep left on a track paralleling the creek through dry meadows to another junction. Again, don’t cross the creek unless you want to visit the muddy east shore stamped with the distinctively different hooves of the wildies. Stay ahead on a grassy track.

Walk through a large, flat, soggy meadow with Horse Lake somewhere in the middle of it. Where the track starts veering left for the trees, a faint trail forks off to the west shore.

#1B Horse Lake, looking north to Camp Ridge.

Route to sand dunes and going farther options: Sand Ridge summit and Horse Lake

2 Mockingbird Lookout

map 2

Short-day hike

Unofficial fire road

Distance 6 km return

Height gain 360 m (1181 ft.)

High point 1907 m (6255 ft.)

Map 82 O/6 Lake Minnewanka

Access Hwy. 940 (Forestry Trunk Road) north of Hwy. 1A. Follow it through the hamlets of Benchlands and Waiparous to Richards Road junction and turn right. At 16.1 km north of the junction turn left (west) onto Waiparous Valley Road.

Drive for 2.8 km past Camp Mockingbird to a Y-junction where you turn right on the better road. In 1 km, just past marker 121, look for the fire road on the right at 342970. Park on the grass verge.

Comments An easy uphill walk on fire road up Mockingbird Hill to a lookout where you are treated to a 360 degree panorama. Obviously this trail is very popular because of its short length and proximity to campgrounds and youth camps. Also walked in winter.

Lookout history The present building, dating from 1973/4, replaced the old boxlike structure that had stood on this spot for over 20 years. In turn the first Mockingbird Lookout superseded the one on nearby Black Rock Mountain that was abandoned in 1952.

Naming It came about during the survey for the first lookout in July of 1950? No, it must have been 1951, because the song playing on the transistor radio the guys had with them was Mockin’ Bird Hill..

Right from the road start a steady climb up the fire road to the first gate. En route look back for an amazing view of Black Rock Mountain, because after this there is no view until you reach the top. Start winding through pine forest with much deadfall and little understorey, the rather boring nature of the walk relieved by sampling raspberries, blackcurrants and strawberries growing along the verge. Pass through a second gate.

A long uphill traverse passes the 1000 m sign and ends in more windings onto the south ridge. Just past the 182 m sign is a third gate. This is where you take to Anne’s Path on the right, the trail climbing into the summit meadow at a picnic table and continuing up through a gate into the lookout complex. To right is a communications tower. This modest hilltop, far distant from the Front Ranges, is one panoramic viewpoint.

The view

To the west the Front Ranges rise up as a seemingly impenetrable barrier all the way from the south end of the Fisher Range to unnamed peaks about the head of the Red Deer River to the north. Zeroing in, look southwest across Waiparous Creek to a solitary mountain about 600 m higher than Mockingbird. This is Black Rock Mountain, and the pimple on top is the old lookout, the objective of route #11. To its right Bastion Ridge (#17) lies in front of Mount Costigan and to its right rises the unmistakable obelisk of Devils Head. Farther right you can pick out Castle Rock.

Looking northeast, the eyes travel over forest and cutblocks through which wind the Burnt Timber, Fallen Timber and Little Red Deer rivers. A little north of east the eye is stayed by large areas of open ground near the edge of the forest. These are the Greasy Plains, a name with a fine Tolkienesque ring to it. In reality, the Greasy Plains on Grease Creek were named by James Hector, who called them Pré de graisse after the black birch, or greasewood that grows along the creekbed. They were a well-known feature of the Indian trail between Morley and the Red Deer River. Right of the plains you can spot a few of Calgary’s skyscrapers.

Completing the panorama is the view south to Yates and Moose mountains, their summits occupied by the next lookouts in the chain running south to the U.S. border.

The start to Anne’s Path passes through a gap in the fence. Note the red sign on a tree.

Looking back at the start of the fire road toward the north face of Black Rock Mountain.

The lookout area in late April before green-up.

3 Waiparous Creek

maps 2, 3

Backpack, bike ’n’ hike

Official ATV trails, unofficial trails, river crossings

Distance 12.4 km to chasm, 18 km to valley head

Height gain to chasm 305 m (1000 ft.)

High point at chasm 1875 m (6150 ft.)

Map 82 O/6 Lake Minnewanka

Access Hwy. 940 m (Forestry Trunk Road) north of Hwy. 1A. Follow it through the hamlets of Benchlands and Waiparous to Richards Road junction and turn right. At 16.1 km north of the junction turn left (west) onto Waiparous Valley Road.

Drive past Camp Mockingbird to a Y-junction 2.8 km in from Hwy. 940. Keep left.

Beyond this point, Waiparous Valley Road as it’s still called, gets progressively worse. If at any point you don’t like the road, park and continue on foot or on bike. I notice that bikers can navigate rough roads at twice the speed of a vehicle creeping along!

In detail: The stony road follows the north bank of Waiparous Creek, descending all the while past marker 119 to the bridge over a side creek at 3.9 km. Now on river flats, you pass Camp Howard on your right at 4 km. Shortly after is an important 3-prong junction.

A sign points to Waiparous Valley Road to right. This is a relatively new road, built two previous editions ago, which detours around Camp Chamisall. A few wall-to-wall mud puddles appear to have firm bases. (Note: The stony road to left is the original one, which the Waiparous has washed out near to Camp Chamisall. The cutline ahead accesses Camp Chamisall and is now gated says Marc N.)

The official road to right curves back left, crosses the cutline and regains the original road at marker 123. Turn right. Continue up-valley on a stony tread, evident in the midst of minor dirt roads twining about it, to marker 127 at a 4-way. Go straight. (ATV road to left crosses Waiparous Creek to Meadow Creek, Lesueur Creek and Lost Knife Creek.) Only a little farther on at the foot of a steep uphill turn left into a parking area at 316952. It’s the end of the orange road as shown on the topo map.

Also accessible from #13A To the Waiparous.

Comments The most accessible of the three Ghost Rivers features spectacular cliff scenery and easy exploration roads en route to the Chasm, where most people stop and camp. Six fords can be problematical depending on water levels, particularly the first one at the Margaret Lake turnoff. The good news is that ATVers have been banned from roads beyond the first ford.

Naming The north fork of the Ghost River was named Waiparous Creek by James Hector on December 10, 1858. It roughly translates to Crow Indian Scalp.

To Margaret Lake turnoff 6.5 km

This section can be easily biked. Apart from the first uphill, the going is flat with occasional wall-to-wall puddles you can safely bike through without sinking up to your handlebars.

In detail: From the parking area return to the road and follow it up a deeply trenched hill. Traverse a side hill, then descend steeply to a side creek where you can wash off the mud. I’m told that hikers can walk around the bottom of the hill much easier than that pain in the ass climb to finish off a day.

On the flats the road twines around the cutline. I prefer keeping right — whether road or cutline doesn’t matter — all the way along to the end of the twining section. After this there is just one road to follow. Into view above the lodgepoles you’ll spot Devils Head and to its right the square block of Castle Rock, which was shown as early as 1910 on sectional maps issued by the Department of the Interior showing timber belts. Its last official appearance was in 1930.

Looking toward The Prow and Waiparous Wall. Photo Andy Genereux from Ghost River Rock Climbs

A cutline crossing the river is Not the ongoing route. The first ford lies another 900 m on at the site of marker 129, which was removed after the ATV ban.

To Ghost River turnoff 340 m

At the marker 129 road junction, newly identified by mounds of dirt meant to deter illegal crossings, turn left (ahead is #4 to Margaret Lake) and wade the Waiparous between riffles. The road continues on the south bank and shortly intersects a major NE–SW cutline where route #13A to Johnson Creek and the Ghost River turns off to the left. Go straight. See the sketch maps on pages 29 and 70.

To the chasm 5.5 km

The road curves around a river bend, fading out temporarily where the stream from Castle Rock cirque enters the Waiparous. At river crossing no. 2 the road is joined by a cutline access road coming in from the NE–SW cutline on your left. On the north bank follow the road over a low, forested ridge to river crossing no. 3 at the confluence with its spectacular north fork. Except at high water it’s possible to edge along the south bank between the last two fords. Watch for a cairn and survey marker en route.

The north fork is bounded on the west by The Prow, a 300-metre-high frontage for a remarkable line of cliffs extending halfway along the valley, and on the east side by the two summits of Sheep Meadow Mountain, which appear to have been bombarded by rocks hurled from a trebuchet.

The main valley is no less interesting. You wind past a popular camping spot alongside a small waterfall in the river, then reversing the S-bend travel below a cliff rivalling that of the north fork. By midday Sunrise Wall sends forth long shadows. On windy days water seeping over the edge drifts in a fine spray across its black-streaked walls. See if you can spot the 130-metre-high Waiparous Tower.

Cross the Waiparous for the fourth time and climb steeply over a side ridge below Pinto Wall to river crossing no. 5, the final one before the chasm. Again, the last two crossings can be avoided by taking an unsuspected traverse along the south bank.

Sunrise Wall in early morning. Photo Andy Genereux from Ghost River Rock Climbs

A gloomy stretch of road often muddy from rills running off the hillside ends at a viewpoint overlooking a free-falling waterfall across the valley. Zig down to the valley floor and cross a major side creek worth walking up to view slot waterfalls. A great little side adventure says Mark N. See his pic on the opposite page.

On arriving at a road junction either take the main road to left, which climbs above the steep bank, or continue riverside to where the side road ends at fire rings. A trail carries on up the bank to a track leading back to the main road, which has meanwhile crossed a pesky side creek. Turn right.

Two hundred metres farther on at about 204954 clearings in trees to the right indicate the entry point into meadows above the river’s plunge into a chasm, usually the culmination of a trip up the Waiparous. The prominent mountain come into view ahead is Mount Davidson with a height of 2941 m (9650 ft.).

Going Farther

3A Upper Waiparous

Distance ~5.6 km from chasm

Extra height gain 259 m (850 ft.)

High point 2134 m (7000 ft.)

Comments Going farther to the head of the valley to maybe climb Mount Davidson is greatly rewarding despite lack of a good trail. Note: Rather than waste time searching for the grown-in cutline along the north bank as described in previous editions stay on the south bank says Mark N.

Mountain note Mount Davidson was named back in 1935 after James Wheeler Davidson (1872–1933), a journalist, diplomat, businessman and explorer. (He was a member of the Peary expedition to Greenland and was with Admiral Byrd on his second attempt to reach the North Pole.) As a Calgarian he established 23 Rotary clubs from Banff to Bangkok, developed the Alberta Motor Association, was president of Crown Lumber and a founder of the Calgary Philharmonic. To know more about Davidson’s remarkable life read The Life and Times of James and Lillian Davidson in Rotary International by fellow Rotarian and climber Robert Lampard.

The mountain had its most publicized ascent on August 2, 2003, by 24 Rotarians, friends and family members who held a meeting on the summit, drank champagne, buried a time capsule and logbook and sang O Canada. Bob, who had climbed the mountain previously with his son Geoffrey, was so determined to get this diverse group of non-climbers to the summit he organized a helicopter to ferry people about. However, everyone made the summit under their own steam from the saddle to the southwest.

Continue along the road for 1 km to its end above Waiparous Creek. From here an obvious man-made trail continues along the south bank. When you lose it (in about 400 m) resort to as nice a bushwhack as you can ask for. Accompanying you on the right is the creek, for much of the way encased in small canyons with many waterfalls. Most of the time you’ll be walking the edge of a canyon, sometimes climbing higher to cross steep side slopes and numerous side creeks. Opposite Mount Davidson and at the demarcation with open slopes cross the Waiparous to the north bank. Easy walking through meadows brings you to the flats under an unnamed peak.

Slot waterfalls up the side creek at low water. Photo Mark Nobert

The chasm.

Mt. Davidson from camp above the chasm.

#3A Upper Waiparous. One of the waterfalls in mid valley. Photo Mark Nobert

#3A Upper Waiparous. View from north side meadows of the final canyon before the valley opens out into a flat basin below an unnamed peak the same height as Mt. Davidson. Photo Mark Nobert

#4 Margaret Lake, looking west to Devils Head, Castle Rock and Sunrise Wall.

4 Margaret Lake

maps 2, 3

Day hike, bike ’n’ hike

Official ATV trails

Distance 4.5 km return from marker 129, 17.5 km return from parking area

Height gain 162 m (530 ft.) return

High point 1716 m (5630 ft.)

Map 82 O/6 Lake Minnewanka

Access Via #3 Waiparous Creek trail at 6.5 km. The site of marker 129 denotes the Margaret Lake turnoff.

Comments This gem of a lake has the misfortune to lie smack in the middle of ATV land. Expect a roller-coaster walk on cutlines for the most part, with a bit of flat trail in the middle. Biking is strongly recommended to the Margaret Lake turnoff, after which the hills are way too towering.

Naming Margaret was Margaret Hill, the wife of Ray Hill, one time chief ranger at the Canmore ranger station.

Margaret Lake from Waiparous Creek trail

To the loop 1 km

Follow #3 Waiparous Creek trail to the junction above the first ford.

Continue ahead on the Margaret Lake ATV trail. It shortly curves right (ahead is a camping area), crosses a NE–SW cutline and climbs a steep bank. At the top it joins the NE–SW cutline and turns left. Dip to cross a small creek, then climb one of those towering hills to an intersection with a NW–SE cutline at ~262954.

The loop 2.5 km

Turn left on the NW–SE cutline. A slight uphill precedes a roller-coaster ride down the other side that even dirt bikers have trouble with. At the second dip turn right into the trees (possible flagging). This is the turnoff to Margaret Lake.

On reaching a meadow turn right to gain the west side of the lake. Not too scenic you think, but follow the shoreline trail around to the left to gain the north shore where glades slope down to the water at sunbathing angle. Now look back. The lake is all blue and glittery in the afternoon sun, all the most spectacular peaks of the Ghost lined up as backdrop. It’s a grand sight. Almost as amazing is the sight of ATVers walking along the shore in appreciation of the scenery.

I’m glad to report a huge improvement at the lake’s east end where most ATVers access the lake. Nowadays a good trail crosses a bridge over the south fork of Hidden Creek and heads through a gate in a fence to a parking lot!

Back on the Margaret Lake ATV trail at a NNE–SSW cutline, follow the cutline access road to the right and back onto the cutline. Then climb to the T-junction with Mockingbird ATV trail to left and right (the NE–SW cutline) at marker 139.

Turn right. A down-up brings you back to the start of the loop at the T-junction with the NW–SE cutline. Go straight and return the same way you came.

Getting to the Ghost: The TransAlta Road between Hwy. 40 and the top of the Big Hill

Comments The road condition varies. When In poor shape expect washboarding and waves of potholes all the way to the top of the infamous Big Hill down to the Ghost River. Right now the road is relatively good after improvements in the fall of 2020 and can be managed by all cars, taking 45 min. to drive to the top of the Big Hill at 16.6 km. Driven all winter long by ice climbers.

#5A Lesueur Creek Ridge

#5B Brandon Hill Loop

#6 Springs of the Ghost

#7 To the South Ghost

#8 Lower Ghost

#9 Indian Springs Trails

#10 A-F Anti-Ghost Trails

Driving the road

From Hwy. 1A west of Cochrane turn north onto Hwy. 940 and drive 25.4 km to Richard Road junction (sign). Go right, then in 150 m take the first left onto a gravel road signed Trapper’s Hill Lodges 8. This is the TransAlta Road built by TransAlta Utilities into the forest reserve. It can be identified by a metal gate and a kiosk.

The road is generally good to the forest boundary at a texas gate. Immediately after on the right is a kiosk where the trail to Lesueur Ridge/Creek takes off at 2.6 km.

Cross Lesueur Creek on a bridge and keeping right climb up a hill. The road then winds along a narrow ridge between Lesueur Creek and the Ghost River. At 6 km a side road to right leads past a fenced inline heater valve to Brandon Hill parking area.

At 7.2 km in a cutblock , the intersecting cutline to the left leads to parking areas for Springs of the Ghost and Lower South Ghost.

Shortly pass Trapper’s Hill Lodges and climb a steep hill which gives you a taste of the Big Hill. After a pronounced dip the side road to right at km 12 is the gated access to Enviros Wilderness School and Brewster Cabins. At km 13 a side road to left leads to a Sutton Energy well. Coast slightly downhill through some cutblocks and past a popular camping meadow to left, then climb a little to the top of the Big Hill at 16.6 km. A stony road heading uphill to the right is Indian Springs trail. 120 metres on, a parking area to right serves the Anti-Ghost trails.

Random camping

Camping is allowed anywhere you can park. Most popular areas: alongside Lesueur Creek after the bridge; either side of the road between km 5 and 6; the big meadow on the left before the top of the Big Hill; and the track beyond the parking area for Anti-Ghost trails.

5 Lesueur Creek Trails

map 1

Short-day, day hikes

Unofficial trails

Maps 82 O/7 Wildcat Hills,

82 O/6 Lake Minnewanka

Access TransAlta Road.

Main east access The road at 2.6 km on the forest boundary. Park on the right side between the texas gate and the bridge over Lesueur Creek, the site further identified by a kiosk and a No OHVs sign.

Well road access 6 km along the TransAlta Road turn right. Drive around the fenced-in line heater to the right, then swing back left onto a former well road, which is dead straight. Follow it past the intersection with a cutline driven by ATVs to road’s end on top of a bank overlooking Lesueur Creek valley. Park here. En route a few holes require high clearance.

Comments The two loops are based on the Lesueur Creek valley trail, touted by Parks as the trail to do next after Black Rock Mountain. While described separately, each can be combined from access 1 to make a longer loop or a point to point with access 2. See the sketch maps on pages 32 and 35.

ATV use While adjoining an ATV Public Land Use Zone, these two routes are supposedly off limits to motorized vehicles. Yeah right! Admittedly dirt bikes can’t do much damage to the hard tracks on Brandon Hill, but sadly it’s a different story with Lesueur Ridge where grassy hillsides have been eroded down to shale.

Naming Bar C was formerly the Le Sueur Ranch. The Le Sueurs hailed from the Isle of Guernsey, and possibly their only claim to fame is that this is where Ralph Connor wrote Black Rock: A Tale of the Selkirks in 1896, the first of a hugely successful string of books mixing adventure and religion. The outfitters call it Beaver Creek.

5A Lesueur Ridge loop

Distance 6 km loop

Height gain E–W 229 m (750 ft.)

High point 1630 m (5200 ft.)

Comments A tremendously popular loop taking in the easy ridge above Lesueur Creek and a return along the best part of Lesueur Creek trail. It offers a satisfying workout with great views, and because it lies in a low snow area facing southwest it can often be hiked throughout the winter.

Trail change The descent route has changed for the better since the previous edition. No longer do we have to descend that awful cutline of stones churned up by dirt bike riders. The new descent route shortens the loop by 2.6 km.

Logging on the north side of the ridge caused a huge kerfuffle among locals and outfitters at the time. Luckily you get to see the cutblocks in only one place thanks to a wide belt of trees elsewhere.

#5A Limber pine along Lesueur Creek trail.

From Access 1 Anticlockwise

To Lesueur Creek trail 580 m

Heading north from the kiosk, follow a trail along the fenceline and up a steep, stony hill to a junction on a bench. Continue ahead. (Your return route to left.)

Ridge to viewpoint 1.8 km

A second steep climb onto the end of the ridge sets the tone for the rest of the ridgewalk: uphills alternating with downhills between woodlands on the right and bunch grass meadows dotted with crags and Douglas firs sweeping down to Lesueur Creek on the left. Here and there small rockbands make fine balconies from which to look south over forest and cutblocks to Kangienos Lake, and the winding of the Ghost rivers and the TransAlta Road as it heads west to the mountains.

In this fashion the ridge rolls up to the loop’s high point above a cutblock on the right. Here the trail turns left down a hill. At the right-hand bend your new route keeps going downhill. (Main trail to right traverses pine forest all the way to the dreaded cutline of previous editions.) Climb onto a promontory with cairn and rock seat, a viewpoint for the ridge you have just walked and in the other direction for a wall of Front Range peaks rising abruptly from lowly foothills and extending far to the south beyond lonely Moose Mountain to the edge of K Country.

Descending to Lesueur Creek trail 1 km

The trail semicircles to the right, descending off the promontory, then rising slightly it heads left, running below and parallel to the main trail. In pines turn left onto your southwest descent ridge. The singletrack is very clear as it straight-lines through meadow with one notably steep hill.

A short, steep hill precedes the T-junction with Lesueur Creek trail at 402824 next to a couple of aspens with faded blue paint marks. Turn left. Note: If doing the loop in reverse, this is the second group of blue-painted aspens.

Return via Lesueur Creek 2.7 km

Going left you follow the easy valley trail some distance above Lesueur Creek along the lower flank of Lesueur Ridge, winding in and out of its folds through a few aspen copses and below mini rock bands and magnificent clumps of Douglas firs. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable walk. On reaching the T-junction with the ridge trail at the boundary fence turn right and return the same way you came up.

Lesueur Ridge and Creek loop

View from the ridge of the promontory and viewpoint. Photo taken during a warm spell in February.

A flat section of trail along the ridgeline.

The Lesueur Creek trail, which for the most part follows a grassy bench above the creek.

Connecting to Brandon Hill Loop

1 km

Turn right at 402824 and descend to valley bottom in the aspens. Cross a drift fence, then jump a couple of side creeks. The trail’s intersection with a cutline access road is where you join #5B Brandon Hill loop and turn right.

Connecting to Access 2

2.8 km

Turn right at 402824 and descend to valley bottom in the aspens. Cross a drift fence, then jump a couple of side creeks. At the 4-way with the cutline access road stay ahead. (Road to left, though leading to access 2, has one steep, stony uphill and is boring besides.) You’ll have a much more enjoyable time following the last section of #5B.

5B Brandon Hill loop

Distance 6.4 km loop from access 2 & 3

Height gain 170 m (560 ft.)

High point 1649 m (5410 ft.)

Comments This loop follows pleasant old cutline access road over hill 385838, noted for its panoramic view to the west, and returns via the meadows of Lesueur Creek valley bottom. Expect a couple of side creek crossings and possibly a wade of Lesueur Creek. Consider hiking early in the spring when the creek is still frozen.

What happened to the well road beyond the parking area? It looks awful. By means of a backhoe, the road down the bank to Lesueur Creek and up to the well site has been reclaimed since the previous edition, the soil reshaped into giant bumps and hollows, which make walking, let alone ATVing, totally impossible. Rough and Loose as it is called, is in fact the established method nowadays for reclaiming land to promote vegetation. If you take a closer look over the edge you’ll see reclamation is being helped along by willow staking, willows in this area being the first of the pioneering plants to take hold.

From Access 2 Clockwise

To summit 1.8 km

From the parking area, a new trail made by dirt bike riders plummets down the treed bank to the left of the reclaimed slope. Cross Lesueur Creek and a remnant of Lesueur Creek trail. From here follow dirt bike trails climbing both right and left of the reclaimed well road to well site meadow.

At the top right-hand corner of the meadow a cutline access road enters trees, descends and crosses a wee creek on corduroy. Then climbing gradually, it meanders through pine and aspen woodlands to a junction. Turn right and climb a little more steeply through aspens. At the next junction keep straight and climb very much more steeply to an important junction at 386835.

Brandon’s memorial and seat overlooks a grand view.

Brandon Hill trails

Detour to the summit of the hill by going straight. The new track curves round to the left, briefly joins a NE–SW cutline, then cuts up right to the summit meadow at a small cairn. Don’t stop here. Head west a short way down the meadow to a seat and memorial to Brandon Doiron, who was only 28 when he died in an accident. From here enjoy a panoramic view of the Front Ranges from Devils Gap in the north to Moose Mountain massif in the south, which from this vantage point reveals itself as an isolated island of summits. Cox Hill lies just to its right.

To Lesueur Creek valley 3 km

Return to junction 386835 and turn left. The track makes a long, sweeping descent of the south slope to a junction low down. Turn right. Easy going in trees to avoid a willowy bog leads to a pipeline right-of- way constructed in 2004.

Turn left and walk grass to the NE–SW cutline. Turn right and on pipeline/cutline come to a steep open bank above a tributary. A trail starts to the left in trees and crosses the steep slope on the diagonal from left to right. Cross the tributary and on the cutline climb the far bank.

On flat ground turn right onto a corduroy track that heads south above the steep east bank of the tributary, going either way at a split. Approaching Lesueur Creek you intersect another NE–SW cutline at 4-way 394830 on top of a small ridge. (Cutline to left was the descent route off Lesueur Ridge used in previous editions.)

Go straight on a cutline access road, then next right down the continuing access road to the tributary. Cross and, still on the cutline access road, intersect the valley trail on a downhill. Turn right. (Left leads to access 1. Cutline road ahead, which crosses the creek, is another route to access 2.)

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