Thursday 25 June 2015

Hiking the Sundance Canyon Trail - Banff


[1]




Trail Length: 4.3 km taking about 3 hours
Elevation Gain: 145 m (470 ft)
Maximum elevation: 1545 m (5,070 ft)
Maps: Banff Up-Close (Gem Trek)


Check trail and bear conditions from Parks Canada before setting out. Recently the population of grizzly bears has increased and are more often encountered and seen around the Banff townsite. An article in the Calgary Herald in August 2013 reported an incident where a very large grizzly bear (225-275 kilogram) killed and ate a small 45-kilogram black bear that had been foraging on the trail.



From the intersection at the south end of the Bow River bridge make a right turn onto Cave Avenue. Go 1.2 km to the parking lot where a paved walkway leads to the Historic Cave and Basin site. Walk past to get to the hiking and bicycle path.

Some years ago, the paved road to Sundance Canyon was open to vehicular traffic. However, now it is used only by hikers, horses and those who wish to bicycle or use roller blades.

The first portion of the trail leads down to the Bow River.



[2]






For about 1.5 km the trail follows the shoreline of the Bow River before turning south toward Sundance Canyon. Views of Mt. Cory 2789m, Mount Edith 2554m (the spike top), Mt. Norquay 2525m can be seen to the north.





[3]












[4]



[5]





[6]










The trail and bicycle access ends at the Sundance Canyon picnic area. There a 1.2 km foot trail climbs into this canyon, bridging the Sundance Creek, and looping back down the other side of the canyon.






[7]









Just before the trail loops around there is a fork leading off through Sundance Pass to swing around the southern end of Sulphur Mountain to the Spray River for those considering that route.




Photo Credits: [1] melanie CC=nc-flickr, [2][3][4] eric titcombe CC=flickr, [5][6] John Vetterli CC-nc-nd-flickr, [7] casium CC=nc-nd-flickr.

Research: ParksCanada

Sunday 14 June 2015







Have you ever noticed that when arrangements are made to go somewhere, especially those plans made earlier in the year or the year before -- seem to go awry just before one is about to depart. Perhaps I should just go on the spur of the moment and hope for the best; something I did when younger -- and it worked out just fine.

The photo is from a post about hiking the Rockwall Pass in Kootenay National Park in British Columbia.



Photo Credit: nordique CC=flickr.

Wednesday 3 June 2015

Earl Bales Park














Earl Bales Park is one of 1,600 parks within the Toronto area.

Named after Robert Earl Bales a former mayor of North York, the park is located on the former farmland of his great-grandfather, John Bales.

One of the nicer features of this park is the amphitheatre, where last summer I enjoyed a one-man show with a unique performance on a unicycle.

There are two fire pits, dog off leash area, two playgrounds, five parking lots, nine bike trails and a senior recreation centre with washrooms. In the winter for ski enthusiasts there are ski runs, a ski chalet and a chair lift.



Research: Toronto.ca/parks

Photo Credit: bemartin © 2014