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A few hours into our hike and I’m starting to marvel if there’s been some sort of zombie apocalypse and my son and I are, effectively, the final of us. Since leaving the trailhead close to the freeway we haven’t seen one other human. No half-dead, fungal-infected freaks both. True, the path we’re on – Excessive Midday Hills in Sheep River Provincial Park – isn’t precisely world-renowned. However, nonetheless, I’d have wager there’d be not less than a number of different wanderers out and about. However it’s November. Most individuals have put away their poles. Simply considered one of many the explanation why the shoulder season is, in my view, the most effective time to go for a stroll!
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In fact, I’ll take a very good stroll within the woods any month of the 12 months. To me, even on a crazy-busy path in Banff in mid-summer, the professionals all the time outweigh the cons. In any case, it’s nature. It’s the nice outdoor. And it’s essential on your thoughts, physique, and soul to simply get on the market and recreate. So far as I’m involved, going for a hike has all the time been one of many biggest methods in historical past to do that.
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Pretty much as good as it’s, mountaineering within the shoulder season does include a number of little nuances. “Dangers” could be a greater method to put it. Path situations will be variable and sketchy. Mud, snow, ice … it’s all in play. Even driving to sure trailheads will be troublesome some days. And climate situations can be difficult. Excessive chilly, sturdy winds, blowing snow, sleet … ya simply by no means know.
“Rule primary when mountaineering within the shoulder season is to keep away from avalanche terrain,” says Joel Hagen, an accredited and award-winning mountaineering information and the proprietor of Nice Divide Nature Interpretation in Banff. Hagen, who began his firm together with his associate, Nadine, in 1997 after working as a naturalist for Parks Canada for plenty of years, has led a whole bunch of hikes within the Canadian Rockies and is totally conscious of the dangers and the most effective methods to mitigate them. He’s been a mountaineering information for 32 years and is considered one of solely 20 guides within the nation with “Grasp” standing with the Interpretive Guides Affiliation.
Midday Information Roundup
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“Ice cleats are additionally important,” says Hagan, who spends a lot of his winter guiding snowshoeing adventures in Banff Nationwide Park. “They supply that vital traction that you just want when the path will get icy they usually can prevent from having a severe fall. Additionally, you must pack extra security gear than you may in summer season. I like to recommend additional layers, a headlamp in case night sneaks up on you, snacks, and a thermos of one thing heat like tea or sizzling cocoa. Given how lengthy and chilly the nights are, it’s a good suggestion to let a detailed contact learn about your plans simply in case one thing goes improper.”
Whereas being ready is, clearly, important, selecting the place to go can be a make-it-or-break-it choice. “In Lake Louise, Lake Agnes is an efficient wager in November,” says Hagen. “The path is straightforward to search out and normally well-packed by different hikers. For many who need to squeeze the final bit of warmth out of the season, the Citadel Lookout path alongside the Bow Valley Parkway has huge vistas and may really feel surprisingly heat on sunny days due to its south-facing side. In Banff, attempt the shoreline of Lake Minnewanka. It’s open and scenic and one other place the place sunshine feels particularly good within the mornings.”
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Because of the lack of individuals, I’ve all the time loved the hikes within the Sheep River Provincial Park space west of Diamond Valley. Excessive Midday Hills, Foran Grade, and Mesa Butte, which is situated within the Mesa Butte Provincial Recreation space, are private favourites. As a result of its south-facing side, Mesa Butte – a comparatively fast scamper as much as a pine-coated knoll with beautiful views – all the time appears to be good late within the fall and in early spring. The proximity of those hikes to Calgary (lower than an hour to get to the trailheads) is one other draw. Earlier than heading out, I all the time verify climate forecasts, verify for street closures, and path situations, and browse latest path critiques on apps akin to Alltrails and Trailforks.
Unquestionably, the payoffs of mountaineering within the shoulder season are quite a few. On these “regular” days when the temperature is average and the winds are calm, it may be spectacular. Recent snow on the peaks, moody fog banks, frost-coated timber, frozen waterfalls, lovely Chinook clouds, clear skies, no bugs, and no crowds are simply a few of my favorite facets of mountaineering within the shoulder season.
To high it off, the vast majority of the bears are in hibernation (I’d nonetheless pack bear spray) and zombie sightings are additionally fairly uncommon (they don’t make zombie spray.)
Andrew Penner is a contract author and photographer based mostly in Calgary. You’ll be able to comply with him on Instagram @andrewpennerphotography.
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