{"id":575,"date":"2015-04-25T06:52:54","date_gmt":"2015-04-25T12:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=575"},"modified":"2019-03-16T12:09:35","modified_gmt":"2019-03-16T18:09:35","slug":"nigel-pass-panther-falls-banff-national-park-canada-7-31-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=575","title":{"rendered":"Nigel Pass & Panther Falls, Banff National Park, Canada (7-31-14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0 The Nigel Pass\u00a0trail is popular with backpackers for gaining access to long distance trails in the Brazeau River canyon area.<\/em>\u00a0 Canadian Rockies explorer Mary Shaffer and her party first came across 60 meter Panther Falls on Nigel Creek\u00a0in 1907.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Nigel Pass trailhead is located along a gravel road\u00a0on the E side of the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93.\u00a0 The trailhead\u00a0parking lot is\u00a0tucked out of sight\u00a0a very short distance from\u00a0and 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lupe set off from the Nigel Pass trailhead at 10:05 AM.\u00a0 It was a pleasant 59 \u00b0F out, but the sun was already blazing high in a cloudless sky promising a very warm day for the Canadian Rockies.\u00a0 The previous day on Lupe’s way to Miette Hot Springs E of Jasper, the temperature had soared to a scorching 94 degrees.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 This road gains elevation at a very steady, but relaxed pace.\u00a0 It is on the SW side of the Nigel Creek valley and was pretty exposed to the sun in late morning.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP\u00a0were glad when the trail left the road and turned N into the shade of the forest.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Once on the E side of Nigel Creek, the trail made a short steep climb into the forest.\u00a0 It then headed steadily N up the E side of the valley well above creek level.\u00a0 As the trail continued N, the rate of climb gradually diminished to a very easy pace.\u00a0 Soon the trail started approaching tree line, and the forest began to thin out.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The bushes still amounted to a forest to Lupe.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe reaches the SE end of the ridge at Nigel Pass. Photo is looking NW toward the Brazeau River canyon area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After several km, Nigel Creek turned NW to head even farther away from the trail over to the W side of the valley.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 A couple from Michigan and their two daughters were at the high point on the trail.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

The trail continued over the ridge from this high point losing perhaps 100 feet of elevation down to where it crossed\u00a0the Brazeau River, here\u00a0just a\u00a0swift stream not far from its source.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The huge slab of rock on the mountain just N of the SE end of the ridge at Nigel Pass.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Without a map,\u00a0SPHP was not certain Lupe had actually reached Nigel Pass.\u00a0 There was no sign around. \u00a0The people from Michigan had not seen any sign for the pass either.\u00a0 They thought the pass was farther along the trail at the high point on the S side of the mountain beyond the\u00a0Brazeau River in the valley to the N.\u00a0 They weren’t sure either, though.<\/p>\n

SPHP\u00a0was pretty certain Nigel Pass was somewhere along the ridge Lupe was already on.\u00a0 Leaving both the trail and the people from Michigan behind, Lupe climbed NW just a short distance up onto the top of the ridge.\u00a0 The ridge was barren and rocky and extended about a km off to the NW.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This photo looks along the ridge line towards the WNW, but is partially obstructed by a favorite American\u00a0dingo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The view to the S down the Nigel Creek valley Lupe had just come up.\u00a0 Mt. Saskatchewan<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(10,965 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0is looking glorious beyond Parker ridge in the distance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The view towards the ESE from the ridge at Nigel Pass. The Brazeau River issues from the canyon in this direction and there are a couple of small lakes back there. If SPHP had brought a decent area map along and realized what was there, it would have been fun to explore in this direction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were several modestly higher points along the ridge farther to the NW.\u00a0 It was also clear that a much better view of the lower Brazeau River\u00a0canyon heading off to the N could be obtained by hiking over to the NW end of the ridge.\u00a0 So Lupe headed NW up and down along the barren rocky ridge, climbing each of the high points along the way.<\/p>\n

The highest of these points was at the far NW end of the ridge.\u00a0 From there Lupe did have a great view down to the N of the Brazeau River canyon.\u00a0 Back to the S was a beautiful view down the upper Nigel Creek valley with Parker Ridge<\/a><\/strong><\/span> and the snow covered slopes of Mount Saskatchewan beyond.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe now near the NW high point on the ridge at Nigel Pass. Photo looks N down into the Brazeau River canyon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking S down the Nigel Creek valley towards Mt. Saskatchewan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To the SW was a broad gap between the end of the ridge and a steep high rock wall.\u00a0 About 100 feet below Lupe down in the gap was a beautiful light blue heart-shaped lake with a few trees around it.\u00a0 This area looked like it might just as easily be Nigel Pass as where the trail had reached the crest of the ridge.<\/p>\n

Lupe headed down the slope to the heart-shaped lake.\u00a0 Reaching the lake, she plunked herself right down in it and had a good long drink.\u00a0 A trail headed S from the lake down into the upper Nigel Creek valley.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The heart-shaped lake below the ridge at Nigel Pass. The topo map on Peakbagger.com shows the area near this lake labeled as Nigel Pass. SPHP considers the entire ridge from where Lupe met the people from Michigan on the trail to this heart-shaped lake all part of Nigel Pass.\u00a0 The heart-shaped lake is actually in Jasper National Park.\u00a0 The boundary between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park runs along the ridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A last look back along the Nigel Pass ridge towards the SE before Lupe headed SW down to the heart-shaped lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Always enthusiastic about the prospect of being able to make a loop and see something new on the way back,\u00a0SPHP led Lupe\u00a0S down the trail from the heart-shaped lake.\u00a0 Lupe was now heading back down the Nigel Creek valley, but on the W side of it instead of the E side.\u00a0 The trail from the heart-shaped lake is apparently seldom used.\u00a0 Bushes and small trees were growing up and crowding it.\u00a0 In some spots\u00a0SPHP lost the trail completely, but soon found it again each time.\u00a0 Only Lupe’s curly tail stuck up above the bushes in many places.\u00a0 The trail continued steadily on though, and eventually reached Nigel Creek.<\/p>\n

The trail looked like it went across to the SW side of Nigel Creek, but there was no bridge.\u00a0 Not wanting to get boots soaked and uncertain where the trail would end up,\u00a0SPHP 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.\u00a0 So Lupe stayed on the NE bank of Nigel Creek and followed it SE downstream.\u00a0 When Nigel Creek approached the E side of the valley, it turned S.\u00a0 A quick scramble up a low bank into the forest just ahead led Lupe back to the main trail.\u00a0 Lupe then followed the main trail the rest of the way back.<\/p>\n

It was 4:21 PM, 85 degrees F, clear and calm when Lupe got back to the G6 at the trailhead.\u00a0 Lupe’s trip to Nigel Pass was complete, but she\u00a0was destined to make one\u00a0more little\u00a0exploration this day.\u00a0 Lupe went to see Panther Falls a short distance farther downstream on Nigel Creek, first seen by explorer\u00a0Mary Shaffer and her companions in 1907.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 This huge pullout area is the same one as for the Bridal Veil Falls lookout.\u00a0 At the S (downhill)\u00a0end 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe enjoyed the cool spray from Panther Falls on this hot day. The trail to this viewpoint would be quite treacherous on a day cold enough for the spray to freeze. Bridal Veil Falls is not far away, but on a smaller creek, and not as impressive as Panther Falls.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Panther Falls\u00a0viewpoint is hidden in a thick forest and a bit treacherous as spray from the falls makes the narrow trail wet and slippery.\u00a0 On such an amazingly hot day in the Canadian Rockies, Lupe and SPHP both appreciated the cool spray coming from Panther Falls!<\/p>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from\u00a0Lupe’s 2014 Canadian Rockies & Beartooths Adventure Index<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span>,\u00a0Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/a><\/strong><\/span> or Master Adventure Index<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0 The Nigel Pass\u00a0trail is popular with backpackers for gaining access to long distance trails in the Brazeau River canyon area.\u00a0 Canadian Rockies explorer Mary Shaffer and … Continue reading Nigel Pass & Panther Falls, Banff National Park, Canada (7-31-14)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[105,32,30,31,106,104,123,101,102],"class_list":["post-575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2014-canadian-rockiesbeartooths","tag-american-dingo","tag-banff-national-park","tag-canada","tag-canadian-rockies","tag-carolina-dog","tag-lupe","tag-mt-saskatchewan","tag-nigel-pass","tag-panther-falls"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/P1050409.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=575"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20823,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575\/revisions\/20823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}