Cascade Amphitheatre

Working on the road everyday has some advantages. One of them is having to go to Banff a few times a year. I always try to plan these visits when there’s a good weather window. On this early September morning, with nothing but blue sky in the forecast, I left Calgary early in order to witness the morning alpenglow. I must admit, my timing was perfect. Without any plans made up for my late afternoon hike, it almost seemed like the sun was pointing me an option. Cascade Mountain was being lit up by the morning sun right in front of me on the road. While climbing up the mountain itself was not possible due to time constraint, hiking to its base into what’s called the Cascade Amphitheatre was definitely doable in a few hours. Just like that, I now had a plan for after work.

Cascade Mountain, seen for the side of Highway 1 in Canmore.

With my 8-hour day of work done, I drove up Mt. Norquay Road just outside of Banff and parked at the Norquay Ski Resort where the trailhead is located.

It was a long approach having to cross the entire ski resort.

But soon enough I crossed Cascade Creek and it was very refreshing to drink cold water. It turned out to be the last water source until the Amphitheatre.

The forest is very dense around Cascade Mountain. The tall jack pine trees were dancing with the slight breeze, emitting their usual squeaking and cracking noises. Other than that, it was quiet and peaceful. I stopped a few times to listen to the silence, which was only briefly interrupted by my heavy breathing from going uphill. I rarely have the opportunity to hike in silent areas and it was relaxing.

From the creek to the meadow, the trail is just a chain of switchbacks. Once in a while, a very steep shortcut trail was present, offering a faster uphill way. I took advantage of all of them but ultimately paid the price as I ran out of water. Damn was it every hot outside for a September day!

One of the shortcuts.

A few patches of snow, remnants of a snow precipitation from two days ago.

Dehydrated, I made it to the Cascade Amphitheatre. This place really lives up to its name. Surrounded by cliffs and ridgelines, I actually felt like I was in an amphitheatre.

Looking back at where the trail opens up to the meadow.

While the beauty of what was in front of me was jaw-dropping, I was very concerned with the water situation. Seeing a few snow patched on my way up had given me hope, but it was so sunny that the ground was already bone dry. I had plans to lay down on the grassy slopes and enjoy this beautiful evening, but I was still determined to first find water. I noticed a shady area at the end of the meadow just below where the snow was lingering near the summit of Cascade Mountain. Fingers crossed…

I crossed a few scree slopes…

Walked along the base of the main ridge…

Made my way around these trees…

And found water! This tiny little run-off pond was still frozen and I had to break it off to scoop enough water to filter an entire bottle.

As much as the ascent had been a silent one, the meadow was just the opposite. Dozens of pikas were chirping at one another. They were busy at work building their food reserves for the upcoming winter. Seeing them running around with their mouth full of grass was entertaining. They are lovely little creatures!

Ochotona princeps - American Pika

With my thirst satisfied and my water bottle full, it was time to cross the meadow once more to find a place to lounge under the sun.

I spent the rest of the evening reading, napping and drinking tea until the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

Can you spot the two hikers on the ridge?

I am never in a rush to go back to the city when wandering up in the mountains. But with the sun down, I figured it would be a good idea to run down the mountain to save me some daylight for the drive back to Calgary. I made it back to the resort in no time but quite exhausted.

My truck was the last one in the parking lot. But I wasn’t alone. These two never seemed to be bothered by my presence as I walked back towards my vehicle.

The town of Banff, viewed from the Mt. Norquay Road.

But before I could go grab a poutine in Canmore, I had to handle this stand-off (from my vehicle) with a curious mountain sheep. We stared at each other for a while and I respected his space. I couldn’t pass him because of the blind curve ahead. He ended up moving away from the road while his buddy enjoyed the landscape the entire time. As usual, the poutine was excellent and I drove back home with a full belly and happy mind.