Old Baldy Peak

The month of June is known as the beginning of the storm season in southern Alberta and this year was quite something. Days after days of torrential rain episodes, destructive hail storms and severe thunderstorms, it was kind of depressing not to be able to take advantage of the long days. But all of a sudden, there was one day where all my weather forecast sources were unanimously saying that no storms would come through the southern Rockies. It was a Thursday and I was surely not going to spend it working. I took my day off and planned a very long day of almost 20KM along the Old Baldy Peak loop in Kananaskis.

I started the hike by leaving the established trail for a few kilometers and followed the Evan-Thomas Creek instead. Way more interesting than an old fire road.

The creek was almost dry. What a contrast with how furious it was at the end of May in the middle of the spring meltdown.

I finally joined the trail when I saw on the map that I was at the point where it stops running parallel to the creek. The wide fire road offered no views but in exchange, the spruce and pine scents were amazing and I was able to hike quite fast on this flat ground.

Higher up, I tried to take a shortcut through thick trees on a very steep uphill. I had a hard time walking in-between trees even with a small day pack on. It ended up taking me longer just to find the trail again.

The views were finally opening up as I was walking along a cliff for a few kilometers. The air was warm and I was sweating heavily. But with the landscape being so lush, it was hard to complain. I became a little worried about the lack of water. I was hoping there would be some before the summit.

The last major obstacle before reaching the tree line was a boulder field. It was a long, tiring and slow section. The boulders were loose and very sharp.

But I made it safely to the top where the views offered a good reward for the previous effort. I was now at the tree line and the breeze was more than welcomed.

I still had a long way to go for the summit. And the rest of the way was going to be fully exposed. One last weather check on my satellite device confirmed it would be a stunning day with nothing but blue sky.

This beautiful tarn was the main reason for me to come to this area. I had seen a few pictures of it and it looked surreal in this big cirque below Old Baldy Peak. I would be visiting it on my way down.

Going around this bump before walking the long ridge proved to be a little more work than expected. While the trail usually goes right on top of it, there was a massive 10-feet snow wall covering it. No big deal, I made my way around it on some very steep terrain filled with wildflowers.

It was impressive. It looked like a gigantic wave with the cornice on top. I was able to find a tiny stream coming out of it to refill my water bottle. I was so thirsty.

With the snow wall behind me I was now focusing on a long and wide grassy ridge. I kept tripping on rocks and holes because I was focusing on the the view to my left and right instead of looking at my footing.

On top of the ridge, the views were once again phenomenal.

The Fisher Range is one good looking range!

I stopped for a while to snack and chatted with a few guys who were skipping the summit and heading down the gully towards the tarn. They whished me good luck and I was ready for the last push.

The scree gully to the final ridge was every hiker’s nightmare. Super loose and dusty. Every step up takes you two steps down and fills your shoes with tons of tiny little rocks. That’s where the real mental challenge began. But I was ready for it!

And when there was just a slight hesitation about whether or not I should continue, a quick peek behind me was all I needed to focus on the summit again.

Scree, scree… more scree!

It got prettier by the minute!

The slab section was sketchy. I had to stop more than once to analyze my next moves. I trusted my shoe grip and used both hands almost all the way to the summit.

Almost there…

This view will be hard to beat this summer. I could even see Mount Assiniboine in the distance.

The rocky peaks of the Fisher Range.

The Kananaskis Range on the other side of the highway.

Mount Assiniboine (British Columbia) in the middle behind the Kananaskis Range.

The summit was so small that I only spent a few minutes at the top. I was really excited about dropping back down to the tarn. It was hot and I looked forward to dip my tired feet in the glacial water.

The slab section was even more tricky on the way down. I took my time. I was looking forward to the massive screen run that lied ahead of me.

The descent was fast. Within minutes I was almost at the tarn.

And this tarn was all worth it. Breathtaking! I stayed there for almost an hour. It was getting late in the afternoon but can you blame me for not wanting to leave? While looking at my GPS to study the trail that would take me back, I noticed that on the satellite imagery, the tarn was completely dry. Meaning that it forms itself during the spring meltdown and dries up entirely over the summer. Good thing I didn’t plan this trip later in the summer.

The best way to reward your feet for all the hard work!

Against my will, I packed up and started the hike back to the trailhead just after taking one last look at Old Baldy Peak and its rocky summit. The trail I would be using was following the tarn drainage.

Seeing snow on my way down meant I would probably be walking the last 10 kilometers in the shade and it was all good with me. It was such a warm day.

Water was plentiful and I passed a few waterfalls.

The trail had been washed out multiple times but it was still easy to find my way.

I reached the junction that took me back to the old fire road. Around a bend, I saw a juvenile grizzly bear walking right on the trail in the same direction as me. My heart started racing and while grabbing my bear spray, I was hesitant to yell and surprise it. Instead, I started making noise and then slowly used my voice louder and louder until it bolted in the trees off the trail. I bushwacked to the creek I had walked along in the morning as it was a more open place to hike and I would be able to look around me easier. I reached the road without seeing it again. It surely made for an exciting end to what was a solid day in the mountains!