Today is my birthday, so I am allowed to set the agenda. The only thing is making sure we are back at the condo in time to change and get to the Banff Centre for the Arts to watch an Opera of Little Women.
For about 6 years I have been trying to convince everyone to do a certain hike, and I have always been met with resistance...today, I knew there would be none. Ptarmigan Cirque is a short 3.5 km hike known for its flowers and exquisite views. Even the drive along Hwy 40 offers many breathtaking spots to stop and take in the scenery of the mountains and valleys or to enjoy a picnic. We were fortunate enough to see a brown bear, as he quickly changed his mind about crossing the hwy. The agility of the bear was amazing and confirmed the fact that I would hate to come across a bear unexpectedly.
This hike starts at the Highwood Pass Parking Lot which is 67 kilometers south on Highway #40 from the intersection of Highways #40 and #1 (Trans-Canada). As you head south on highway #40 do not be misled and stop at the Little Highwood Parking Lot. The Highwood Parking Lot is further south on Highway #40. The Parking lot is on the west side of the road.
The trailhead is north about 100m, through the meadows and over a little bridge. After crossing the highway you will head up into the trees through a spruce forest for 500 meters before reaching the loop of the Ptarmigan Cirque trail. The first kilometre is quite steep. But stick with it because the cirque area itself is worth the effort. Keep to the left of the trail and follow the loop clockwise. While walking through the meadow you will cross the stream twice below the cliffs of Mount Arethusa. This is an extremely environmentally sensitive area so it is important to keep yourself and your dog on the trail. The landscape in the cirque is quite stark, but the views are fantastic. Plus, the waterfalls are plentiful. You can stay on the trail or head further up the cirque along a faint trail, which Hubby and the boys choose to do. The boys were fascinated by the amount of snow in the glacial bowl. You can also go further up to Mt. Rae from here, but that's a fair bit of a scramble.
This is also a favorite area for grizzly bears, bighorn sheep and elk so be alert when hiking. In fact, we were graces with the presence of an elk and a number of hoary marmots. In fact, we had one that refused to stop chattering at us. We think that maybe it was protecting babies. Thankfully Buzz chose to ignore it. However the chipmunk that decided to run past us, Buzz felt the need to bark at it.
Due to the height of the bowl, the weather is rather nippy and not the best place to eat lunch. Damon and I both had a sip of the wonderfully fresh stream water, which is not generally recommend due to the possibility of illness. Like that would stop me. We started down the trail and found a bench with views to eat at. As with most hikes, the way down seemed to go quicker than we way up. This didn't bother me, as it meant more time to see the big things.
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