Sun, Jul 21 2019 - Boulder Pass / Ptarmigan Lake (View Event Details) Event Coordinator(s): (To see who coordinated the hike, log in to the Member Area) Participants: (To see who hiked, log in to the Member Area)

Write Up:
This trip offered a taste of civilized Canadian wilderness with some exquisite scenery. The trail was busy, but not crowded, mostly with backpackers going to and from various campgrounds in the area as well as Skoki Lodge. The start was rather mundane on a ski-area access road, but its surface of soft sand was easy on the feet and allowed for fast progress. We had a good rest at a picnic table conveniently located at the end of the road for the patrons of Skoki lodge, waiting for a shuttle. Past the road, the trail led through forest but before long it opened up into an alpine mix of trees, meadows and summits. True to its name, Boulder pass was full of boulders, small and huge. Just a few meters below the pass, a large lake, Ptarmigan, stretched as far as the eye could see. We had a lunch on its shore, but unfortunately mosquitoes liked it too. A pair of loons made a summer home here too. The sky above was deep dark blue. On the return we caught frequent glimpses of the glaciated peaks piercing the sky across the Bow Valley. We covered about 18 km. On the drive home, Maryam, our driver, treated us to a music with great rhythm and melody, which I first thought was Latin American but was actually the music of Iran, a country Maryam was born in but left for a happier life in Canada. Peter Minarik