On Lupe’s last full day of vacation in the Canadian Rockies in 2014, Lupe and SPHP took the trail to Nigel Pass and also stopped by nearby Panther Falls. The Nigel Pass trail is popular with backpackers for gaining access to long distance trails in the Brazeau River canyon area. Canadian Rockies explorer Mary Shaffer and her party first came across 60 meter Panther Falls on Nigel Creek in 1907.
The Nigel Pass trailhead is located along a gravel road on the E side of the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93. The trailhead parking lot is tucked out of sight a very short distance from and below the highway. The turnoff for the gravel road is N of the big loop in Hwy 93 as it starts to climb out of the N. Saskatchewan River valley, and 5.5 miles S of the Banff and Jasper National Parks boundary at Sunwapta Pass. The Parker Ridge trailhead along the opposite side of the highway is a couple of miles N of the Nigel Pass trailhead access road.
Lupe set off from the Nigel Pass trailhead at 10:05 AM. It was a pleasant 59 °F out, but the sun was already blazing high in a cloudless sky promising a very warm day for the Canadian Rockies. The previous day on Lupe’s way to Miette Hot Springs E of Jasper, the temperature had soared to a scorching 94 degrees. Fortunately Lupe was riding in the G6 in air conditioned comfort then, but today Lupe was destined to seek out shade, creeks and a small lake to stay cool and comfortable.
The hike to Nigel Pass is 7.2 km long and starts out with a 2.1 km walk along a gravel road heading NW. This road gains elevation at a very steady, but relaxed pace. It is on the SW side of the Nigel Creek valley and was pretty exposed to the sun in late morning. Lupe and SPHP were glad when the trail left the road and turned N into the shade of the forest. The trail soon passed to the W of a group of old buildings and then continued downhill for a short stretch to footbridges across Hilda Creek and then Nigel Creek just above their confluence.
Once on the E side of Nigel Creek, the trail made a short steep climb into the forest. It then headed steadily N up the E side of the valley well above creek level. As the trail continued N, the rate of climb gradually diminished to a very easy pace. Soon the trail started approaching tree line, and the forest began to thin out.
Lupe came to stretches of open ground where there were great views of Nigel Creek down in the valley to the W and a big rocky ridge up ahead at Nigel Pass. Lupe didn’t get too much of a chance to appreciate the view, however, since the open areas were almost entirely covered with bushes about 3 feet high. The bushes still amounted to a forest to Lupe.
After several km, Nigel Creek turned NW to head even farther away from the trail over to the W side of the valley. The trail itself continued N for another km and then turned NE as it climbed more steeply again through a patch of forest for the final stretch up to Nigel Pass. A couple from Michigan and their two daughters were at the high point on the trail. They had come to Canada to visit relatives in Edmonton, but were now on their way back from a backpacking trip down in the Brazeau River valley.
The trail continued over the ridge from this high point losing perhaps 100 feet of elevation down to where it crossed the Brazeau River, here just a swift stream not far from its source. From there the trail turned NW climbing the S side of a mountain, the upper reaches of which looked like one huge slab of rock. The trail actually rose to a higher point over there than where Lupe was now, before dropping a long way down into the Brazeau River valley.
Without a map, SPHP was not certain Lupe had actually reached Nigel Pass. There was no sign around. The people from Michigan had not seen any sign for the pass either. They thought the pass was farther along the trail at the high point on the S side of the mountain beyond the Brazeau River in the valley to the N. They weren’t sure either, though.
SPHP was pretty certain Nigel Pass was somewhere along the ridge Lupe was already on. Leaving both the trail and the people from Michigan behind, Lupe climbed NW just a short distance up onto the top of the ridge. The ridge was barren and rocky and extended about a km off to the NW.
There were several modestly higher points along the ridge farther to the NW. It was also clear that a much better view of the lower Brazeau River canyon heading off to the N could be obtained by hiking over to the NW end of the ridge. So Lupe headed NW up and down along the barren rocky ridge, climbing each of the high points along the way.
The highest of these points was at the far NW end of the ridge. From there Lupe did have a great view down to the N of the Brazeau River canyon. Back to the S was a beautiful view down the upper Nigel Creek valley with Parker Ridge and the snow covered slopes of Mount Saskatchewan beyond.
To the SW was a broad gap between the end of the ridge and a steep high rock wall. About 100 feet below Lupe down in the gap was a beautiful light blue heart-shaped lake with a few trees around it. This area looked like it might just as easily be Nigel Pass as where the trail had reached the crest of the ridge.
Lupe headed down the slope to the heart-shaped lake. Reaching the lake, she plunked herself right down in it and had a good long drink. A trail headed S from the lake down into the upper Nigel Creek valley.
Always enthusiastic about the prospect of being able to make a loop and see something new on the way back, SPHP led Lupe S down the trail from the heart-shaped lake. Lupe was now heading back down the Nigel Creek valley, but on the W side of it instead of the E side. The trail from the heart-shaped lake is apparently seldom used. Bushes and small trees were growing up and crowding it. In some spots SPHP lost the trail completely, but soon found it again each time. Only Lupe’s curly tail stuck up above the bushes in many places. The trail continued steadily on though, and eventually reached Nigel Creek.
The trail looked like it went across to the SW side of Nigel Creek, but there was no bridge. Not wanting to get boots soaked and uncertain where the trail would end up, SPHP decided it might be best to just head back to the main trail. Fortunately, right along Nigel Creek the ground was rocky and pretty much free of trees and bushes. So Lupe stayed on the NE bank of Nigel Creek and followed it SE downstream. When Nigel Creek approached the E side of the valley, it turned S. A quick scramble up a low bank into the forest just ahead led Lupe back to the main trail. Lupe then followed the main trail the rest of the way back.
It was 4:21 PM, 85 degrees F, clear and calm when Lupe got back to the G6 at the trailhead. Lupe’s trip to Nigel Pass was complete, but she was destined to make one more little exploration this day. Lupe went to see Panther Falls a short distance farther downstream on Nigel Creek, first seen by explorer Mary Shaffer and her companions in 1907.
The trail to Panther Falls is located at the S end of a huge gravel pullout area on the E side of the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93 located just 1 or 2 km S from the gravel access road to the Nigel Pass trailhead. This huge pullout area is the same one as for the Bridal Veil Falls lookout. At the S (downhill) end of the pullout, the trail to Panther Falls leaves the pullout area and makes a couple of switchbacks down a steep canyon wall to a viewpoint for Panther Falls.
The Panther Falls viewpoint is hidden in a thick forest and a bit treacherous as spray from the falls makes the narrow trail wet and slippery. On such an amazingly hot day in the Canadian Rockies, Lupe and SPHP both appreciated the cool spray coming from Panther Falls!
Links:
Next Adventure Prior Adventure
Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s 2014 Canadian Rockies & Beartooths Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.