01

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Crystal Ridge II
  • Location: Banff National Park (Icefields Parkway)
  • Activity: Snowshoeing
  • Height: 2,631 m (8,632 ft)
  • Elevation Gain: 860 m (2,822 ft)
  • Distance: 9.1 km / Loop (5.7 mi)
  • Avg Steepness: 10.7°
  • Estimated Time: 5-7 hrs
  • Technicality: Intermediate
  • Fitness Level: Moderate

Park at Helen Lake parking. Trail starts right at the parking. Official trail goes around the ridge from east side. You can stay on the trail until it curves left then go up the ridge or you can get off the trail earlier than aim for the ridge like we did. Either way you can do a long awesome ridge walk close to or even to the Cirque Peak. It's in the book "Ridgewalks" by Mike Potter. After a short hike, you will get out of tree and the route after that is totally your choice.

02

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Apparently this is very popular place. There were so many snowshoe / ski trails. Heck even Bob Spirko came a week before us.

03

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

From the start, Crowfoot Mountain and Bow Lake entertained us.

04

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Once on the top of the ridge, now it was Cirque peak and Dolomite Peak's turn to wow us.

05

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

One of peaks on Crystal Ridge.

06

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

View from the first peak we reached. Mouse over for names.

07

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Sun dog and cloud trail. I can't quite figure out how the shadow of the trail appears like that.

08

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Ok, finally the first full member group shot from this 2 day snowshoe trip. From left, Shaun, Mark, Ali, Kinu, Andrea, Wil and So.

09

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Looking back the first peak.

10

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Two weeks ago, I went Commonwealth Peak just a day before Nugara went. He guessed that broken trail belong to me and it was, so he commented about it in his website. The same day he also met two math teachers, Dave R. and Dave K. on the ridge. Nugara also commented about the teachers as well. Here I was at Crystal Ridge, the math teachers and I run into each other... Little surprise for Nugara (was surprise for me too or for all of us actually).

11

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Shaun pointing to the two peaks we went after the first one.

12

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

We quickly finished off the second one and moved on to the third one. Looking back the second peak.

13

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

The ridge top of the 3rd peak was exposed one side. Far away I could see Mount Hector and Bow Peak.

14

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

The ridge keeps going. This is a sweet spot. It only took us 2 hours to get up on the second peak. You can spend hours just walking on this ridge here.

15

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

The 3rd peak was getting crowded. Rush hour rush hour.

16

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

It had been a long time since my core 6 members + 1 got all together. Perhaps since last November?

17

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Drooling to go farther but…

18

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Another moment where I felt "this is winter!"

19

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

I still have an unfinished business with Cirque peak.

20

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Shaun and I went little farther from 3rd peak making rest of them wait… After making members wait for 3 hours at Commonwealth Ridge, we have done it again!!

21

Crystal Ridge 10 | 2010-03-07

Ok alright, time to go home…

RETURN TO TOP
 
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT
CLICK BLANK SPACE OR PRESS ESCAPE TO EXIT