Lupe and SPHP spent several days in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Alberta on the Canadian Rockies portion of Lupe’s 2014 Dingo Vacation. Our base of operations was centered around Upper Kananaskis Lake, a beautiful and fairly large mountain lake where there were a number of great hiking trails to explore. The most outstanding of these hikes was along the Maude-Lawson Lakes Trail, which leads to North Kananaskis Pass and on into Height of the Rockies Provincial Park in British Columbia.
This hike started at the North Interlakes Day Use trailhead located between the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. The trailhead is close to the NE corner of Upper Kananaskis Lake. Near the junction of Hwy 40 and the S end of Route 742 (Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail) is a paved road to the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Visitor Center. The North Interlakes Day Use trailhead is at the end of this paved road well beyond the visitor center.
Lupe arrived at the North Interlakes Day Use trailhead between Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes around 9 AM on this smoky, but otherwise very fine morning. She found the trailhead parking lot already crowded with two groups of 8 – 10 teenage boys each busy preparing to hit the trail too. One group was ready and set out shortly before Lupe and SPHP. The second group was still organizing at the trailhead parking lot when Lupe and SPHP got underway.
Lupe started out on a portion of the Upper Kananaskis Lake trail, which ultimately goes all the way around the lake. This first stretch of trail was pretty easy with only moderate elevation gain. Lupe trotted W on the trail while keeping watch for any squirrels that might be about. The trail rose gradually until it was well above the lakeshore. Although Lupe was in the forest most of the time, there were a few open stretches along the trail with very nice views of Upper Kananaskis Lake.
Unfortunately, the air was quite hazy due to smoke from distant forest fires. The air had been smoky on and off for days, starting back when Lupe had reached the area E of Glacier National Park while still in the USA.
SPHP had heard various rumors of where the fires were ever since Lupe had stopped by at Waterton Lakes. Just this morning, while still at Upper Kananaskis Lake before arriving at the trailhead, Lupe and SPHP had met a couple from Yellowknife in the Yukon who had told SPHP there were over 200 wildfires now burning in northern British Columbia.
After 2.2 km, Lupe came to an intersection with the Three Isle Lake trail. The Three Isle Lake trail led Lupe away from Upper Kananaskis Lake and deeper into the forest. Now there were no views, but the forest itself was beautiful. The Three Isle Lake trail was in good condition and a very easy stroll as it was quite level. It headed NW for a little way and then turned W again.
Lupe crossed two streams while on the Three Isle Lake trail. The first one was a small stream coming down from Invincible Lake. Lupe enjoyed a good drink out of this stream. The second stream was actually a small river, the Upper Kananaskis River.
The Upper Kananaskis River was flowing fast and deep in a narrow gap where Lupe had to cross it, but fortunately there was a very good bridge. After crossing the bridge, the trail remained fairly level as it followed the river upstream. Lupe soon came to a couple of guys making a new trail around old portions of trail damaged in the June, 2013 floods. Not too far beyond them, Lupe reached the Forks Campground.
Appropriately enough, at Forks there was a choice to make. Lupe was now 7.2 km from where she had started the day. If Lupe continued W another 3.5 km on the Three Isle Lake trail, above a steep headwall she would reach another campground at Three Isle Lake. Quite a few of the hikers SPHP had chatted with along the trail were either coming from or going to Three Isle Lake. After reaching Three Isle Lake, the trail continued on another 2.8 km to South Kananaskis Pass, but no one had told SPHP they’d been that far.
The other available choice was to take the Maude-Lawson Lakes trail. This trail went N 7.7 km to the Turbine Campground beyond Lawson Lake, and then another 2.1 km W on up to Maude Lake just E of North Kananaskis Pass. Lupe expressed no great preference for either the South or North Pass. SPHP hoped to reach the more distant North Pass and set off along the Maude-Lawson Lakes trail. Lupe seemed happy enough to follow along.
After bypassing the Forks Campground, which was deserted at the time, the trail headed N along the Upper Kananaskis River upstream for a little way, but then began to climb. Once the climb began, it was relentless and pretty steep. This was where most of the elevation gain for the day occurred as the climb turned into a long series of switchbacks up the head-wall on the W side of the Upper Kananaskis River valley.
While climbing, the trail continued to work its way to the N. The E side of the canyon was visible as a massive continuous rock wall rising a couple thousand feet above the valley floor. Mt. Indefatigable (8,760 ft.), Mt. Invincible (8,793 ft.), Mt. Warspite (9,318 ft.), and Mt. Black Prince (9,642 ft.) were all along the E side of the valley, but partially obscured by the smoky haze in the air.
SPHP had to stop to rest frequently on the climb up the headwall. It was getting warm out. Fortunately Lupe came to a few very small streams along the climb where she could get a drink. On one of SPHP’s first stops, the second group of teenage boys caught up to and passed SPHP. From then on Lupe and SPHP took turns with the second group of boys passing each other at various rest stops on the headwall.
SPHP started talking to the boys and learned that this second group was from a camp near Bemidji in northern Minnesota called Camp Thunderbird. They were on a 6 week “Junior Leader” journey that had already taken them to the Badlands and Black Hills in South Dakota, the Wind River Range in Wyoming, and a trail-making service job in the mountains in Idaho. The Thunderbirds were now backpacking up to Turbine Campground.
The Thunderbirds intended to stay the night at Turbine Campground before hiking back out the next day. After that they were headed up to Jasper and Mt. Robson. All of the boys were about 15 years old. They were accompanied by a couple of leaders in their early twenties. Many knew each other from previous summers spent together at Camp Thunderbird. The trip they were on was one of several offered through Camp Thunderbird, which also has programs and trips for girls. Camp Thunderbird really sounded like an awesome place.
One of the boys fell behind near the end of the climb up the headwall. He’d had concussions from playing hockey and had developed a headache. One of the leaders was with him. SPHP gave him a Cliff bar in case his blood sugar was low. The Thunderbirds decided to take a longer break and have lunch so everyone could rest up. Lupe and SPHP passed the Thunderbirds for the final time at that point. Very shortly after that, Lupe and SPHP reached the top of the headwall and the trail finally leveled out a great deal.
Within 10 minutes, at a larger stream Lupe and SPHP caught up with the group of teenage boys who had left the trailhead back at Upper Kananaskis Lake first. They wanted to know how close the Thunderbirds were.
SPHP told them the Thunderbirds were very close, only 10 minutes behind them, but that they had just stopped for lunch. Although this first group of boys was not from Camp Thunderbird, they were also headed for Turbine Campground for the night.
Lupe and SPHP passed the first group of boys and were now ahead of both groups. It was still 2 or 3 km to Turbine Campground. Lupe and SPHP went through a couple more climbs, but nothing comparable to the headwall. Beyond the first rise was a beautiful open meadow with a small alpine lake. Glorious mountains were all around. It was rather a pity that the air was still smoky enough to detract from the fabulous views.
Beyond this meadow was another small climb through the trees and then the trail started downhill emerging from the forest near Lawson Lake, which wasn’t too far from Turbine Campground. Another km or so brought Lupe to a bridge over Maude Brooke.
On the other side of Maude Brooke was Turbine Campground. No one was around when Lupe first arrived. Lupe and SPHP laid down on an open grassy bank on the campground side of Maude Brooke to take a rest. While SPHP contemplated the grand mountains all around, Lupe tried to doze a bit in the sun. She snapped at flies bothering her, while laying right next to SPHP.
After resting about 15 minutes, Lupe suddenly woke up and stood stiffly a couple of feet in front of SPHP while sniffing the air and staring intently upstream. She didn’t move or make any noise, but just stood there sniffing excitedly for several minutes. The first group of boys now started arriving at Turbine Campground. Some of them waved at Lupe and SPHP as they crossed the bridge.
About 10 minutes later the Thunderbirds started coming. About 2/3 of the Thunderbirds had crossed the bridge when suddenly SPHP saw movement about 100′ to 125′ away in the bushes on the other side of Maude Brooke where Lupe was still staring. A moment later, SPHP had a clear view of what was there. A large grizzly bear raised its head above the bushes to look directly at Lupe and SPHP!
Some of the last few Thunderbird stragglers were just now coming into view along the trail on the same side of Maude Brooke as the grizzly was. SPHP started waving at the Thunderbirds and pointing at the bear. Lupe started growling, but did not bark.
The Thunderbird stragglers saw the grizzly and quickly made it across the bridge over Maude Brooke to Turbine Campground. The big grizzly ambled over to the trail they had just been on. As the big bear left the bushes and crossed the trail, it turned out there were three grizzly bears traveling together! The other two were already good-sized bears, not little cubs, but they were not as large as the first bear. Lupe growled more loudly and the hair on her back stood up like she’d seen, well, 3 grizzly bears – but still she did not move or bark.
The sight of three bears crossing the trail where they had just been only a minute before caused quite a commotion among the Thunderbird stragglers. Other boys started coming from the trees at Turbine Campground to see what the fuss was about. None of them arrived in time to see the grizzlies before all three disappeared into the forest in the direction of Lawson Lake. It all happened so fast, no one got a picture of the grizzlies.
Three grizzlies in the area gave SPHP some pause. The plan had been for Lupe to continue on to Maude Lake and North Kananaskis Pass, which was only a few km farther on. However, it was already 3:30 PM. Lupe and SPHP were not equipped to spend the night at Turbine Campground, and did not have the required reservations. Before the day was over, Lupe and SPHP had to return all the way to Upper Kananaskis Lake where the G6 was parked, already some 15 km away now.
Reluctantly SPHP decided Lupe would have to forego the rest of the journey to Maude Lake and North Kananaskis Pass. It just wouldn’t be smart to stay out so late knowing there would be a long hike back in the dark while there were three grizzlies wandering around nearby.
Lupe and SPHP waited 20 minutes before leaving Turbine Campground to give the grizzlies time to get farther away. Before leaving, SPHP cautioned several of the boys staying at Turbine Campground to make certain everyone stored their food safely away after dinner so the bears wouldn’t come back in the night.
Shortly before 4 PM, Lupe and SPHP cautiously set out on the way back to Upper Kananaskis Lake. Lupe and SPHP never did see the three grizzlies again. Lupe didn’t see anyone else either until she reached the Forks Campground. Although the Forks Campground had been abandoned earlier in the day, now it was packed with people.
It turned out the entire Forks Campground had been reserved for the weekend by a company from Scandia, a small town along Hwy 36 in southern Alberta. Lupe and SPHP became temporary minor celebrities at the Forks Campground due to having news about the grizzlies.
SPHP chatted with the owners of the company from Scandia. The owners said they were beekeepers and employed all these people at Forks Campground making honey. They cooked SPHP a burrito and even provided a glass of wine. They had a big black German Shepherd with them, and made up a batch of a special dog food for Lupe. Lupe politely ate some of the dog food, but preferred devouring half of SPHP’s burrito.
After concluding the tale about the three grizzlies and thanking the beekeepers for dinner, Lupe and SPHP hit the trail again. The rest of the way back to Upper Kananaskis Lake, Lupe and SPHP told the few people still on the trail to be on alert for bears. A couple of people were still on their way to Turbine Campground and clearly wouldn’t reach it before dark. They listened with considerable interest, before continuing onward.
By the time Lupe got back to the North Interlakes Day Use trailhead and the G6, it was about 8:30 PM. With the new, strong, strange scent of grizzly bear still fresh on her mind, it had been both a long and memorable day for Lupe. She was soon ready for a good snooze in the G6. Lupe lay twitching as she dreamed. SPHP wondered if the twitching dingo was fighting and bringing down grizzly bears in her dreams?