Grotto Mountain Hike

Where:

• Grotto Mountain

 

When:

• May 18, 2024

 

Who:

• Ed, Oak, Dave, Todd, Kellie, Jeff, Neil

 

Trailhead:

• 10 minutes east of Canmore on the 1A highway
• turn left onto Indian Flats Road towards the Alpine Club and park along the road on the left hand side just before the left turn up to the Alpine Club
• the trail starts enroute to the Alpine Club just past the woodpile to the right up a signed trail
• you can also start at the Cougar Creek parking lot

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

• 1375 meters to the top, but we got to 950 meters before time constraints required us to make the turn for home
• 11 km to the top, and we went 9 km
• 4 hours total time on the trail
• the trail starts on an undemanding grade before turning very steep until it becomes switchbacks
• after going up a couple of cliff bands, the trail breaks out of the trees and up a lengthy stretch that runs up a scree slope to a rocky ridge

 

 

Interesting notes:

• there were very few people on the trail, although one young trail runner embarrassed us by flying by us as we gasped for every breath

• this was our first time doing this trail and it proved quite challenging but we would like to go back under drier conditions and with ample time to make a slower more calculated summit ascent
• the trail offers sweeping views of the Bow Valley corridor, Lady MacDonald, East End of Rundle, Ha Ling, Three Sisters, Wind Ridge, Centennial Ridge, Pigeon Mountain, and a few others
• 230 meters before the summit is a hole in the rock formation
• at the top, looking north and east, the summit offers views of Mount Townsend, Epic Tower, Mythic Tower, Little Mythic Tower and Cougar Peak
• Grotto Mountain was named by James Hector and Eugene Bourgueau on August 12, 1858 after discovering a cave formation with a high arched roof and narrow mouth