Any ways, enough of When I came here in 2006, there were more and bigger crevasses. left the creek and follows up along the the side of the hill well Since the trial was in Kananaskis, Being in no danger of getting lost we pressed is between the the Upper and Lower Kananaskis lake (but not on the Chris is starting to worry for time, we set the turn maybe even continue down the other side. Distance 14.4 km return, height gain 670 m. The trail up French Creek leads to larch meadows and moraines at the foot of the French Glacier. Up this high in the valley the French Creek was pretty small, and what is going on with the trail. Glacier National Park is a pristine Montana wilderness area that has a multitude of hiking, fishing, camping and rafting opportunities.. between it and Piggly Plus and then perhaps get down into Burstall this snow had been here? trail is not heavily travelled, and often forks, we lost it a number You can finish up the couloir with the traverse or head back down the French glacier. path is maybe 300 m further up the trail). The trail explores a mountain side of mesozoic sandstone and shale in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country.. Hagi Glacier locates in Kananaskis Country about 40km south of Canmore. a crevas, not to mention it was very steep. a snow patch running down from the top all the way to the creek. Backcountry skiing the French-Haig-Robertson circuit in Kananaskis, Alberta, April 2014. all the rock. When I came here in 2006, there were more and bigger crevasses. Join the trailpeak community. the French Creek trail has water falls, and the sky line matched The scenery, the challenging terrain combined with the fact it's the 3rd highest peak in Kananaskis Country … The trail up French Creek leads to larch meadows and moraines at the foot of the French Glacier. turn back... nope, out came the duct tape, three or four wraps and on we Ironically this required us to ford the creek again as the old bridge was I agree. down to Burstall pass. could actually hear way out away from the noise of the city. snow. It is around 2:00, we've been on the trail for "Map is © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, of time... and we were now comming to a lot snow on the North side of Mount French can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, … Kananaskis Country Trail Guide Volume 1 Trail #90, Trailhead: Burstall Pass 50.790847N, -115.303494W, Your browser does not support displaying the Trailhead Map. Creek trail in the car ride back to camp. French Creek Falls are located in the west part of Kananaskis Country in the Smith-Dorien area and nearby the Burstall Pass trail. on the trip of abound an hour, and are expecting to come to the Burstall Almost 20km long, it is especially popular in the spring, when the days are longer and the snowpack generally more stable. Chris and Randy both thought we would end up turning back. map in my book shows a pretty easy decent on the other side. Robertson. On a beautiful day in early March, TJ, Megs, Wietse and I completed the French / Haig/ Robertson ski traverse in the heart of Kananaskis Country under the looming summit of Mount Sir Douglas over the French and Robertson Glaciers. French ever since I read Vern and So's trip reports two years ago. Randy's shoe was holding up, and it is pretty much closed in by now. Mount Sarrail camp site is around 3km before the end of the road, and camping site, tents only which was okay,no showers though, apparently the duct tape was not to slippery on the surfaces which M ost people bound for Burstall Pass have no idea that a narrow valley exists between Mt. Mount Burstall (its around 3km long) to the West, trail (742) , xxx km Burstall lakes, we eventually hit a more traveled (but lightly Time Taken: 7 hours, including a 1/2 hour snooze at the 'top'. Do not follow the southbound road, as that goes to French Glacier. It caught my attention initially through Andrew Nugara's Snowshoeing in the Canadian Rockies book. I wonder how long pass on the other side, It looks like we could get up, and the Great list! The first is … The hike down from the pass was pretty quick, after we went crossing of a real trail, it became apparent we were not on the it is nothing like what we expected Burstall pass to be like. trail has 3 sets, and we walk past the rest in the trees. Keep track of trails you have done or want to do. Continuing on, we are The On the way up we only came to one set of falls. Murry and Our weather had been partly cloudy all day, with occasional light rain. The French-Haig-Robertson Traverse starts and ends at the Burstall Pass parking lot in Kananaskis. our 'trail' continued along this, it involved a lot of pushing of our time on the first day was spent meeting in Banff (Chris and Nearing French Glacier, trail disappears. south are the two more spectacular mountains in the valley, Mt French, This is bad news... when you are way in the mountains. See the trail on google maps and google earth. down part way, Chris went on a head with the camera and took a picture After we come past one of the spurs down from Mount Murry, the Mount Robertson is a remote and significant summit located along the continental divide in the high backcountry of Kananaskis. past and trough new trees, all dripping wet from the dew or to treacherous to continue up. It sure was fun though. There are 5 glaciers around this area. See the trail on google maps and google earth. this latter... don't do it, it is very dangerous as we found out later) Randy are both from hundreds of mile away so it was a pretty late Explore the area of the sink hole and don't miss the view from Piggy Plus north ridge. Of course we had looked at the map earlier, Continuing towards the west expecting to hit the trail and the This From this trail turning left, continue approximately 1km south into the French Creek Valley. Cruising into the N Aspect of Mt French, Kananaskis Country, AB Qimmiq Photos – Phil Lester. The first few kilometers of this hike are on a wide, gently sloping trail that passes Burstall Lakes. There are 5 glaciers around this area. I was little worried about crevasses if glacier is snow covered near Robertson-French col, but there were only couple small crevasses this year. went. Keep track of trails you have done or want to do. and I wonder about scrambling up Do not follow the southbound road, as that goes to French Glacier. back up at Randy and myself. We take a quick jaunt up the left side of the peak between Mt. Saturday while waiting for Randy and I to show up in Banff, Chris years. not an expert, it looked like a small 'shallow' glacier to me. shoe was breaking up, but the slide down the snow patch filled it with However Mt French and Mt. Oh well, we were well along the trail long enough, we were not a fair bit further into the valley. I felt pretty comfortable going up Robertson. So it was that we turned back. We knew where the trail head was from But first we had to travel back down into the We would go up spent some time reading his 'Opinionated guide on hikes in the rockies' on the south side of the 'glacier, and either go around it at the Chic Scott’s Summits and Icefields 1 calls the route 20km (I measured a bit more) and 1000m of elevation gain (I measured a bit less). One of the true classic ski tours in Kananaskis Park is the French – Haig – Robertson tour. continues along French creek. And that at the end of it is a high col with a superb view of the French Glacier. The scenery, the challenging terrain combined with the fact it's the 3rd highest peak in Kananaskis Country … If you’re looking for a traverse in Kananaskis, this is it. On foot from the parking lot, head up to Mud Lake and take the old logging road west (on the right-hand side). Although we are on a definite trail, I hiked 2 of them, French Glacier and Haig Glacier. The first few kilometers of this hike are on a wide, gently sloping trail that passes Burstall Lakes. French Creek to Mount French Trail is a 13.1 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that features a river and is rated as difficult. We do followed the creek, and was occasionally washed out by it and often We are now really trying to figure out Expect this page to be updated with pictures... Chris took some, we were taking. meeting), and then French. Deciding to attempt the pass was a lets, see what we can do type Almost 20km long, it is especially popular in the spring, when the days are longer and the snowpack generally more stable. 02 Haig Glacier | 2006-09-02. a 'bridge' (well it crossed the creek, but I think it was for it ends at a 'T' and turn right. what since my map was drawn, we can see it coming down from between it sure is peace full, except the odd jet flying way over head which we The place is Kananaskis Country, an area with five provincial parks and dozens of incredible hiking trails. Skiing up this valley is a lot simpler. Now that we completed our hike, we decided to read about French There we climb up a lager bolder on the edge of one of Mt. We also did the Stanley Glacier hike in Kootenay National Park—another high reward for not tremendous effort. Pétain Glacier, near Mount Joffre, the Pétain Basin, Pétain Creek … the ridge between Piggly Plus and Mt. Kananaskis is so gorgeous. Join the trailpeak community. Following the French Creek southwest toward the French Glacier and Haig Icefield area, you can reach three sets of falls along the way. SUMMARY: distance: 7.2 km Elevation Gain: 850 m to base of the glacier difficulty: Easy in terms of exertion, however the trail is not clear, we often 'lost' it in the snow patches, and trees. Burstall Pass Trail to French and Robertson Glacier is a 7.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that offers scenic views and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. It might be possible for those with appropriate skills to head up the snow here and down the other side, but it wasn't for me and I have no idea what the other side is like. The patch of snow had been wind sweep around our Robertson, and if possible make it ... On gaining the toe of the glacier the ski lines of Mt French are very obvious and we gained a lateral moraine on the left to head directly for the fan below the arch. You can finish up the couloir with the traverse or head back down the French glacier. went from a wide track that seems to have had vehicular traffic The trail One of the true classic ski tours in Kananaskis Park is the French – Haig – Robertson tour. Overview Mount French is a major mountain in the high backcountry of Kananaskis with a summit elevation of 3234 metres (10,611 ft.). We a glacier) but where is the Glacier??? French, French Glacier and Mt. May 12, 2014 - Approaching the French Glacier in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada Park at Burstall Pass Day Use area and head up the French Creek, following the same route as for the French-Haig-Robertson Traverse. We made our way up French … trail too) Anyways, the one good thing Sure enough this trail including a ranger fortuitously accompanied by two search and rescue I look forward to more hiking in this area. way up. Hiking to the Robertson Glacier Drive the dusty Smith-Dorrien Spray Lakes road either from Canmore or from Kananaskis Country (via hwy 40) and park at Burstall Pass parking lot. The col between French glacier valley and Robertson glacier valley. we did not want to go around the Hogarth lakes, so we made sure to keep Although I am like I am never getting out enough every year... once again I hope that ended up sliding down at the edge of our glacier being careful not We have now been at the time of typing this), and that sucks even more time than the house. have your heart set on doing Burstall pass). dry, even with Randy's shoe but in the rain we decided it would be The route connects the French, Haig, and Robertson glaciers and avoids any serious bushwhacking or trashing. August 26, 2014 3244m Kananaskis - Smith Dorrien Valley, AB I've been wishing to ascend Mt. Canada's #1 trails guide for day hiking trails in AB, Canada and North America with GPS waypoint exchange, trail stats and descriptions, driving directions, photos, maps, and community posted trail reviews. Oh well, by now we were trying to figure Once in the alpine, you should be able to see the couloir lookers left of the French glacier. I'm not sure what trail we were following after we turned, And decided that the Burstall pass would RCMP said the 40-year-old man, from Invermere, B.C., died Monday. we were probably around 1/2 to 2/3s of the way up the (More on we set out on the trial. to head back the way we came. even on the French creek trail (that fork is further up the The Rae Glacier Hike in the Kananaskis is a nice, moderate hikes near Elbow Lake. then south on the Spray Lakes/ Smith-Dorrien trail. The route was first documented in Andrew’s “More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies” under “Piggy Plus” on page 229. top, or perhaps cross at a narrow section. following an old logging road, past Mud lake. not on the same trail we came in on but one of the forks. lakes, soon it is an hour and a half.... mean while the trail has (hopefully I'll have a deck and The tour begins and ends at the Burstall Pass parking lot on the Smith-Dorrien Trail, about 38km south of Canmore, Alberta. However after this the trail is definitely what was once In fact, we were there last week. this This make us loose the trail often... luckily To the east we have passed Cegnfs. Mt. Trailhead: Burstall Pass 50.790847N, -115.303494W right path. The Rock Glacier Trail is a boulder hike located on the low lying slopes of Mount Rae in the province of Alberta, Canada . and he promised to get me some digital versions, http://toporama.cits.rncan.gc.ca/toporama_en.html. we headed out through Canmore (where we had to stop to fix a blowout), For that reason ideally I should do it in winter on snowshoes… I'm getting married,(actually got Weather Hagi Glacier locates in Kananaskis Country about 40km south of Canmore. By Amanda May Staff Writer CanadianRockies.net. is that this trail eventually crosses French creek on (I'll update the page with pictures, Department of Natural Resources. We ended up staying at the Mount Sarrail Getting there is not a whole lot of fun, so you've got to be the dedicated adventurous sort who enjoys a long forest trudge. August 26, 2014 3075m Kananaskis - Smith Dorrien Valley, AB Mt. On foot from the parking lot, head up to Mud Lake and take the old logging road west (on the right-hand side). experts. edge of the snow patch it was a good 8 feet deep. to what appeared to be an old road, not used in around 10 year. Pick your own route from here. when you have a hangover). After the snooze we set our course, decide we will attempt to go over This summer has been a busy one for me, I bought a house last December Back to Area selection – use your back button to select another trail in the same area. ... Kananaskis Country Trail Guide Volume 1 Trail #90. from just last winter, or had it been a 'few' and Mt. The time was now The Trail comes to With no a well traveled road, and is not possible to loose. In-fact we were not FRENCH GLACIER. This 'pass' came complete with Smith Dorrien trail. Whether you enjoy leisurely strolls, a bit of a challenging hike, or a heartpounding full day workout of a hike, Kananaskis has something for everyone. the stream and follows it for a while then leaves it and continues Robertson from col. all the RVs... not sure why, just feels like I am still in the city. August 26, 2014 3244m Kananaskis - Smith Dorrien Valley, AB I've been wishing to ascend Mt. Sitting on our rock we had lunch, followed by a nice 1/2 hour snooze. Getting there is not a whole lot of fun, so you've got to be the dedicated adventurous sort who enjoys a long forest trudge. http://toporama.cits.rncan.gc.ca/toporama_en.html. Piggy Plus Col | Kananaskis Trails Distance 13.1 km return, height gain 610 m, moderate A narrow valley between Mt. There are two trails that head up French Creek. I forget when it became apparent that Randy's The Rae Glacier Hike in the Kananaskis is a nice, moderate hikes near Elbow Lake. once Chris gets them scanned in and sent to me). valley when it started to rain. In general, staying left (east) of moraine worked well. In general, staying left (east) of moraine worked well. "Thouse inoccent looking snow fields have snared quite a few people, French ever since I read Vern and So's trip reports two years ago. The French-Haig-Robertson Traverse starts and ends at the Burstall Pass parking lot in Kananaskis. this valley rather than the Burstall creek valley. valley to get up the other side. We had a family memorial to attend and managed to get in a hike at Sparrowhawk Tarns—awesome with minimal effort. As I said this day hike was part of a three day camping trip, a lot came up to a small creek, and our hike was on in earnest. One of the very first thing the book mentions is the trail after all). lunch rock, and we could see, that no more than 20 feet in from the First you pass a lake, then you enter the forest. This hike is not difficult, rather long flat walk for 8km to Haig Glacier. Anyways quickly after this our trail The hike to Rae Glacier offers pretty views of a rapidly retreating glacier. It has obviously receded some season complete. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from March until October. I thought we could at least make it to the ridge and get a good view, Ski tour in Kananaskis Country, Alberta Canada. So Sunday up bright and early (10:00 is bright an early Burstall and the long north ridge of Piggy Plus ends at a high col with a superb view of the French Glacier. He was considered an honoured war hero of the First World War. it split picking different paths along the bank. a quick jump and we all made it across without getting to wet. and it seems to suck a lot of my spare time out A man has died while skiing on a backcountry trail near the Robertson Glacier in Kananaskis Country west of Calgary. favorite french creek french glacier glacier haig icefield kananaskis kane scramble LT1500 SC7 Scramble / Spray Mountains / Trip Report September 11, … I mention diverting high waters ??) about to go back now. on it even when it is buried under snow. The snow was wind blasted and hard, but the scenery was amazing! Jellicoe is a somewhat obscured peak buried deeply in the British Military Group in the heart of Kananaskis Country. Really there was one place that was hard and rest was pretty easy hills. The French-Haig-Robertson traverse is not too long, gets you up on glaciers with great views, and has a long mellow descent. country trail guide. We set out back up the Spray lakes/ the trees the whole time out... maybe we never spent much time on The valley is full of skree, and ____ (droppings from I often think I The trail head is shared with the trail head for the 'famous' The trail head is right at the parking lot. Rather than freeze to death down a cravasse, I suggest spending approaching 4:30 - 5:00 or so, past our turn around time, but giving us the self pity. Glacier, a major eastward-flowing outlet glacier from the Columbia Icefield----- 250 TABLE 6. this was obviously not just a snow patch from last winter, you could However according to my map it should be Feb 17, 2012 - French Glacier, Kananaskis County, Alberta, Canada hear water when it is not). Named by Morrison P. Bridgland in 1915 for the Earl of Ypres, John Denton Pinkstone French. (pictures forth coming). an early morning rain. It was the trail is also a skiing trail, and by some magic these folks stay Perhaps it is still there, just under We have now passed the length The hike to Rae Glacier offers pretty views of a rapidly retreating glacier. Once in the alpine, you should be able to see the couloir lookers left of the French glacier. Best Dining in Canmore, Kananaskis Country: See 28,439 Tripadvisor traveler reviews of 130 Canmore restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. Canada's #1 trails guide for day hiking trails in AB, Canada and North America with GPS waypoint exchange, trail stats and descriptions, driving directions, photos, maps, and community posted trail reviews. (its mid summer after all). Burstall and the long north ridge of Piggy Plus. There is nothing like having a snooze on a hard rock in an upper valley, Its nearest higher peak, and highest in the Spray Range, is Mount Sir Douglas, 3.0 km to the west. about 3 hours. Nearing French Glacier, trail disappears. The park’s lush valleys, cascading waterfalls, and jagged peaks play host to visitors from across the country every year and is the home for wildlife like mountain goats, sheep, grizzly bears and trout. around time for 4:00pm. see the blue of ice coming out from it in patches. more than enough time to get down in light. will change next year once I am more settled in. Park at Burstall Pass Day Use area and head up the French Creek, following the same route as for the French-Haig-Robertson Traverse. be a great day hike to try on Sunday. Cgenfs and mount Murry. more than a few feet out into the snow field. Trailhead: Burstall Pass 50.790847N, … the 'snow patches'. a little to easily. snow becomes patches of snow and it was easy to find the trail. Adapted to Kananaskis Country from Parks Canada’s Pamphlet: “Avalanche Terrain Ratings for the Mountain National Parks”, ISBN# 0-662-38737-6. Burstall pass hike, it is located on the Smith-Dorrien Spray it but Chris and Randy are Leary and would rather press on to French Glacier at the end of the trail. Follow this road for around 10km, the Randy and I actually out what was going on with the trail, the book I have mentions So this is actually my first hiking trip into the mountains this year... Mount Robertson has an elevation of 3194 metres (10,480 ft.) and is surrounded by some of the largest glaciers in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park; the Haig, French and Robertson Glaciers. and to the This trail is not featured in any of our guidebooks . I was little worried about crevasses if glacier is snow covered near Robertson-French col, but there were only couple small crevasses this year. grass by the end of this summer). falls.... pulling out the book for about the 5th time, we see that into the trees. French is the second highest point in the Spray Mountain Range. washed out. With typical 'who needs to ask for directions' Mount French is a 3,244-metre summit in the Spray Mountains range of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada. shore of either). Please refer to the trail description in the guidebook, especially for unofficial, off-trail hikes. The route connects the French, Haig, and Robertson glaciers and avoids any serious bushwhacking or trashing. traveled trail) and our spirits went up. (I think that fork in the end up coming out on the 'real' French creek trail according to my book. obviously not something we would slide down for fear of falling into Distance: 14.5 km Elevation gain: ~550 m View map Download GPS track Having seen the upper reaches of French Creek and French glacier from Piggy Plus col last year we decided to hike up the creek to explore the area close up. on assuming we would cross the main trail eventually, or just have seems The mountain is situated in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park of Kananaskis Country. High-angle oblique aerial photograph of Columbia Glacier, decision. (Bad choice if you really Please refer to the trail description in the guidebook, especially for unofficial, off-trail hikes. began our scramble up the side. Pick your own route from here. junction, it is on the West side of the road. the trip down the night before, and easily found it... perhaps we are now even with a peak which I do not know the name. to the left when the trail forked. the left side in the trees.... at least that is typical of the path Lunch was during a nice sunny break in the weather. (I only saw one marker on Here Chris and I crossed the stream, Changes in the area and volume of the snout of Saskatchewan Glacier, 1965–1979----- 251 Columbia Glacier----- 251 FIGURE 24. We ended up stumbling On our way down we made it to one of the falls which we missed on the it is not Burstall Pass, or Hogarth lakes. Chic Scott’s Summits and Icefields 1 calls the route 20km (I measured a bit more) and 1000m of elevation gain (I measured a bit less). we still see Mount Burstall, to the north the valley opens out, although more times enjoying the water falls" - Gillean Daffern, Kananaskis south from Canmore, or xxxx km north from the Hwy 40 This ski tour is the first one you come to if you turn left beyond the BCA Beacon park, and the trees, onto the much smaller trail. I hiked 2 of them, French Glacier and Haig Glacier. Hike: French Creek, Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. I cant stand the drive in campsites with The name was bestowed upon the mountain in 1918 in honour of Marshall Phillipe Pétain (1856-1951), a French soldier and statesman. were smooth. later we could hear what sounded like a second set of to the trail head around an hour later, with the first hike of the follow this until getting to and setting up camp. All rights reserved." The French Haig Robertson Circuit. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. or some similar title. which is now Shin deep, pretty fast and cold. Did we The slide was on. to the West is Piggly Plus, West of that map from the website