ACMG Assistant Hiking Guide Course: June 17-25, 2017
Area: Spray, Kananaskis and Highwood Areas

Trips: A group of Assistant Hiking Guide Candidates with the Canadian Ski and Mountain Guide Program spent 9 days hiking in the Canmore, Spray Lakes and Kananaskis areas. We spent the first four days hiking various ridges and valleys in the vicinity of Mt. Quaite, Mt. Buller, and Wind Pass. The last three days were spent in the Highwood Pass area, hiking a loop around Mist Ridge and Picklejar Lakes.

Weather: We had generally dry but cloudy weather. Clouds were threatened on several days, but we only got a few sprinkles of rain throughout the week, with occasional light snow and graupel accompanying passing fronts. Temperatures ranged from +19C to -1C with light to moderate ridge top winds.

Trail Conditions: The trails were mostly snow free, with occasional snow patches. SW exposures were completely dry. The flood washouts of 2013 were evident in most drainages, both helping and hindering travel.

Wildlife: A few deer were seen, as well as a large herd of elk in the Highwood area. Otherwise, no wildlife was encountered. Sign of deer, elk, moose, and bear was abundant, but not very recent. Ticks were found on the last day of the hike – hard to say how long they’d been hitch hiking.

Other:
Spring flowers were in full bloom and stunning.

AHG group along with:

Sylvia Forest MG
Helen Sovdat MG