Jane Ross - The David Thompson Highway Hiking Guide

The view up Abraham Lake.

The David Thompson Highway Hiking Guide

2nd Edition

Jane Ross & Daniel Kyba

Copyright 2016 Jane Ross, Daniel Kyba

Second Edition

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Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada

ISBN 978-1-77160-091-0 (pbk.).ISBN 978-1-77160-092-7 (epub).ISBN 978-1-77160-093-4 (pdf)

Cover photo: The double punchbowl falls on the Bighorn River. Courtesy of Darwin Wiggett www.oopoomoo.com.

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Distributed in Canada by Heritage Group Distribution and in the U.S. by Publishers Group West

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Disclaimer

The actions described in this book may be considered inherently dangerous activities. Individuals undertake these activities at their own risk. The information put forth in this guide has been collected from a variety of sources and is not guaranteed to be completely accurate or reliable. Many conditions and some information may change owing to weather and numerous other factors beyond the control of the authors and publishers. Individuals or groups must determine the risks, use their own judgment, and take full responsibility for their actions. Do not depend on any information found in this book for your own personal safety. Your safety depends on your own good judgment based on your skills, education, and experience.

It is up to the users of this guidebook to acquire the necessary skills for safe experiences and to exercise caution in potentially hazardous areas. The authors and publishers of this guide accept no responsibility for your actions or the results that occur from anothers actions, choices, or judgments. If you have any doubt as to your safety or your ability to attempt anything described in this guidebook, do not attempt it.

To see the [Kootenay] Plains at their best, one should come over the Pipestone trail in August, and look down on the scene from the rolling hills of the south. Then the golden-brown of the ripened grasses floods the valley with light, for miles the river winds and twists from west to east, an occasional Indian shack comes into view, the faint ringing of a bell denotes that a few tiny specks on the landscape are really horses, and the white dots are tepees of the Indians.

Mary Schffer, Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies

Contents

Looking back down Wildhorse Creek from the saddle. Courtesy of Kurt Otto

Preface

The first edition of this book was published 20 years ago, and for a variety of reasons a second edition was never done until now. It is with considerable satisfaction that we have been pleased to revisit this beautiful part of the Front Ranges to update the trail information for both your pleasure and safety. The David Thompson Corridor is fortunate that there is no oil and natural gas activity; this fluke of nature ensures that much of what we experienced 20 years ago is still yours to enjoy. Nevertheless, over the years, some trailheads have changed and some of our earlier descriptions have been rendered obsolete due to fires, the 2013 floods, inappropriate usage and/or new routes. The Spreading Creek wildfire of 2014 meant we were unable to get on the trail until August that year and, as a consequence, were unable to rehike all of the trails. We exercised triage, targeting those trails we suspected had changed the most. We have deleted a couple of hikes that no longer exist due to development around Nordegg, and have added a number of new hikes. Some of these new hikes are government initiatives, while others have been created by hikers like you. In addition, we have attempted to correct any typos or incorrect information that may have crept into the earlier edition. We should like to thank those who have let us know of any previous errors.

Primarily a hiking book geared for the day hiker and families (although some of the more popular short backpacks and scrambles are included), the book introduces the reader to the natural and human history of the area through four sidebars. Information for some of the sidebars has been updated to reflect new data, and a few new sidebars have been added. Scattered throughout the chapters are new route maps. Most of these maps are of areas large enough to encompass several hikes, so they are to be treated as a general guide only. For your convenience, each route is numbered. These numbers correspond to those given for each hike.

We walked all of the hikes described in this book. Many trails follow disused mining, logging or forestry roads. Other trails follow social paths, open ridges and creek beds. There are few signs, so it is especially important to follow the trail descriptions so as not to become lost in the sometimes confusing maze of trails.

There are inherent dangers in the backcountry. Before you hit the trail, remember that the weather can change quickly in the mountains. Always carry rain gear, bear spray or horn, a first-aid kit, a water bottle and more food than you think you need for your outing. Remember, too, that you will sometimes share the trail with equestrians. Horses need their space, so respect both them and the safety of their riders by stepping well off the trail to let them pass.

Lastly, we hope that visitors to the David Thompson Corridor enjoy their experience and that they leave it as they found it, for others to enjoy.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge all those who have helped in some way in this endeavour: to Laurie Berry, Linda Blom, John Campbell, Robin Chambers, Alfred Falk, John Farley, Karl Keller, Dave Koshman, Chuck Labatiuk and Ulrike Spohr, who joined us in our quest for trails old and new; to Kurt and Jub Otto for their help in checking trails for the second edition; to Cheri Adolph of the Centre for Outdoor Education, Colin Belton of St. Johns School of Alberta, Heather Clement, formerly of Shunda Creek Hostel, Clayton Grosso of Baldy Mountain Trail Rides, Ed McKenzie of McKenzies Trails West, Dennis Morley of Nordegg Historic Heritage Interest Group and Joyce and Doug Ritchie of Frontier Lodge, who shared their local knowledge with us; to Terry Smith, Bob Young and Barry Shellian of the Alberta Department of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development and the staff of the Archives of the Canadian Rockies, Glenbow Archives, Provincial Archives of Alberta and the Rocky Mountain House Museum for their help in locating documents pertinent to the David Thompson Corridor; to Peter Murphy of the University of Alberta and Harry Edgecomb, retired forest rangers, for their review of our forestry sidebars; to Julie Hrapko, botanist, and Ron Mussieux, geologist, both former curators at the Royal Alberta Museum for help in their respective fields; to George and Doris Magnus for their warm hospitality and sharing of information; and lastly, to Elaine, George and Josh Nye of Red Deer, who cheerfully looked after Duster when we were on the trail.