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September 26, 2020 In Outdoor Edventures

Black Prince Hike

Where:

  • Black Prince

 

When:

  • September 26, 2020

 

Who:

  • Ed, Jace, An, Craig, Brandi, Peter, Lisa, Peggy, Angela, Russ, Oak, Jane, Luna, Brenda, Mike, Shelley, Tomonori, Dave

 

Trailhead:

  • the trailhead is on the Spray Lakes Road 55 km south of Canmore
  • for those coming from Calgary, it is faster to access it via Highway 40 past the Kananaskis Lakes (136 km from Calgary, 50 km from the Highway 1/40 turnoff to the Kananaskis Lakes turnoff, then 2.2 km to the Smith Dorrien/Highway 742 turnoff and 8 km from there to the trailhead on the left/west side of the road)
  • the trail starts from the NW corner of the parking lot

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

  • 700 meters of elevation gain and 10 km distance
  • the trail starts flat for a half km and then into a gradual climb for 1 km followed by a half km to Warspite Lake
  • at Warspite Lake follow the trail to the right-hand side, across a boulder field, and up the steep switchback to a beautiful waterfall known as Warspite Cascades
  • once you exit the switchback, you enter the upper cirque where you follow a path to the right that leads over two ridges to the lakes, which are more like tarns and are sometimes completely dry
  • the hike took us 5 hours due to the treacherous conditions on this snowy day

 

 

Interesting notes:

  • we encountered early season snow conditions that made the final part of the climb out of the valley bottom very challenging as well as the climb from the cirque up to the ridge overlooking the lakes (we should have had gaiters and spikes for our boots)
  • the hike to Warspite Lake is very moderate and hence suitable for a leisurely stroll with all ages and abilities
  • at the top of the valley, you can look back for a sweeping view of the Kananaskis Range
  • keep an eye out for bears as they are quite prevalent in this area and especially in the dense brush area on the switchbacks leading out of Warspite Lake
  • the area is surrounded by Mount Black Prince and Mount Warspite
  • Mount Black Prince is named after the HMS Black Prince, a Royal Navy cruiser that sank in WW1 during the Battle of Jutland
  • Mount Warspite is named after the HMS Warspite, one of the most decorated ships in Royal Navy history that fought in the Battle of Jutland and survived to fight in WW2
  • this trail is quite popular in the wintertime for the alpine backcountry skiers and as a short family-friendly snowshoe to Warspite Lake

 

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