Mount Ware

Five days of snow!

The forecast in Canmore / Kanasaskis / Banff calls for snow every day for the next five days. This is good news if you're as anxious to start backcountry skiing as I am. However, with the impending snow, hiking season is coming to a close.

Mount Ware is in the southern part of Kananaskis Country, skirting along the edge of Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park. I had never even heard of this park before today, so obviously there's a lot more to Kananaskis Country than what I am familiar with. Access is via Turner Valley along a very innocuous little side road that eventually bursts out into acres and acres of farmland. I'm always amazed at what is hidden in the foothills south of Calgary.

The first half of the trail is shared with horses, so is a bit chopped up and muddy in sections. Eventually, one breaks off the trail and goes cross country through a forest and then some hilly meadows. There was a fair bit of snow cover, even on the trail, but fortunately a couple had passed through earlier (I eventually caught up with them) and they did most of the hard work of figuring out exactly where to go. There are trail markers along the way (little orange and pink ribbons tied to the trees), but sometimes it's just easier to put your head down and trudge uphill.

The last bit to summit Mount Ware is a bit scrambly and loose, although it's probably not all that much worse with the snow than without. The view from the top is quite nice, as you get a very good panoramic view of Bluerock Mountain. The winds were howling in from the west, portending a wet weather system moving in.

Cairn on the summit of Mount Ware (2150m), with Bluerock Mountain (2790m) in the background

And now, it's time to clean the gaiters and boots. My road bike is already clean and in storage, so summer is really at an end. But my skis are waxed and ready to go, so here's to hoping for a good winter.