Autumn Alpine Larches

Friday, October 26, 2014

Sunshine Ski Area
Banff, Alberta, Canada

When you live somewhere long enough you begin to take things for granted and so today we took a short trip to enjoy our own back yard.
It wasn't the nicest of days, at 8 degrees Celsius with a bit of a wind and cloud and rain interspersed with blue sky and sunshine on an alternating 30 minute cycle, but when the sun did pop out it was about as close to paradise as you could probably find on Earth.
$20 gets you and your family or friend and your car into Banff National Bark; another $20 buys you a return bus ride from the main Sunshine parking area up to the ski area itself. You can walk or bicycle up (and consequently back down) but it is 6km and roughly 1000 meters elevation gain, so be prepared for a bit of exercise!

The bus drops you off at the old ski lodge which is open and has snacks, bathrooms, tables and a warm fireplace. None of the chair lifts are running, so from here on it is up to you and your legs. The first kilometer of the trail to the south is wide enough and, for the most part, smooth enough to negotiate a wheelchair or child 'pram' but the remaining trails are 'single track'. Although all the trails are in excellent condition and follow an easy grade, it would be helpful for those not practiced at rail walking to carry a hiking pole with them. There are sections across wet or environmentally sensitive areas where you are literally walking on beams - wide beams, but they can be slippery when wet. Sometimes you get two side-by-side, but more often only a single, so a bit of balance is needed, which is where the hiking pole can be very useful!

This is the week that the larch trees change color before dropping their needles for the winter and main reason for this trip - to be in a forest of gold with the crisp air, mountain peaks and with a bit of luck, sunshine.
A day in the mountains with low cloud has a very different feel to it than sunny days and so if you are lucky enough to  get a day like today, you can experience the best of both. On a sunny day you can see not only the near mountain peaks, but also the far ones and all of the ones in between. Everything is bright and crisp and there is nothing better than sitting on a rock by a babbling mountain stream running through a mountain meadow in the warm sunshine. When the clouds come down and envelope you it is a little like snuggling into a fluffy down comforter. It isn't the warmth, but the sensation of cosiness. Your focus is kept to your immediate surroundings and not distracted by the distant views and the diffused lighting makes the colours so much more vivid.

South Loop

Main Loop

The main trail forms a large loop about 6.5km long, and takes you through both high and low mountain meadows. At the far end of this loop a separate smaller 3.5km loop takes you past 3 small mountain lakes set in a small valley with some groves of larger larches, or a separate spur trail will take you to a viewpoint at the top of Mount Standish. Two hours walking time will allow both loops at a fairly relaxed pace.