Headwall Lakes, Alberta

SteveR

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2016
Messages
876
In a month of great camping, hiking and biking, thanks to dry and hot weather in southern Alberta, a highpoint was last week's day hike to the Headwall Lakes in Kananaskis Country west of Calgary. After a dusty gravel road drive and an easy walk on xc ski and snowshoe trails, a winding forest trail took us into the Headwall Creek valley.
_1200614-copy.jpg
Views opening up in avalanche paths falling off Mount Chester, with our destination around the corner of the low ridge up-valley.
_1200623-copy2.jpg
Next- a steep but fairly short grunt up a "goat trail" in the trees and slide path at right.
_1200627-copy2.jpg
These Columbine were a surprise, after all the hot weather that has brought flower season to an end in many places.
_1200650-copy2.jpg
Well watered pocket meadows on benches along the headwall ascent were still crammed with arnica- here with fleabane as a centrepiece.
_1200725-copy.jpg
Swarms of fast moving, hard to capture butterflies and bees were taking full advantage of the late summer bounty. Thankfully- the mosquitos are done, and horseflies nearly absent.
_1200653-copy2.jpg
One final stretch of talus to go before the first lake, on this unofficial trail/route.
_1200655-copy2.jpg
Lower Headwall Lake, set in a saucer of rock. After a late lunch (more like afternoon tea!) we are going up the headwall between the two lakes, in the vicinity of the cascades at the far end that emanate from a spring draining the upper lake.
_1200662-copy-2.jpg
Not a bad spot to refuel!
_1200675-copy2.jpg
On the way to upper Headwall Lake after lunch.
_1200682-copy2.jpg
Although it hasn't been that long since our first break, an afternoon siesta is called for. By this time we have the place to ourselves, thanks to a tardy start to the day, and only 7 other hikers in the area who are on their way out by now.
_1200684-copy2.jpg
The Fortress at valley head, looking much less imposing from here, compared to it's commanding presence that earns it the name as seen from the opposite aspect. It's an easy walk up from this side. Not today though- it's already late afternoon and there is a lot of clambering over blocky terrain to get to the scree slopes leading up to the summit block, which is circumvented by an out-of-sight break in the cliffs.
_1200688-copy2.jpg
An austere yet beautiful setting. The snow fed waterfall that typically tumbles down the cliffs opposite into the lake, has dried up in the August heat.
_1200689-copy2.jpg
While the others nap, Piper the dog and I wander around with the camera. 150 m below- Lower Headwall Lake sparkles in the breeze.
_1200690-copy2.jpg
Time to get moving! A ramp of tundra leads easily down between lakes.
_1200695-copy2.jpg
Up close to the cascades springing from the rocks above.
_1200705-copy2.jpg
From the ridge cradling the lower lake- views west to skyline peaks on the glaciated divide between Alberta and BC.
_1200706-copy2.jpg
A last look back at lower Headwall.
_1200714-copy-2.jpg
A stark contrast on the descent, between flowery glades and the seemingly barren limestone landscape. The adjacent talus slopes are a Pika hotspot- too elusive to photograph though.
_1200736-copy2.jpg
An easy shaded finish to the day along the old xc ski trails with Mount Chester above. The ski trails/old logging roads in this area that are often used to access several other hikes as well, can sometimes feature a bounty of wild strawberries that slow progress to a crawl (literally!). Not today however- they are done for the season.
It had been at least 10 years since we had last visited these gems of lakes- I'm glad we did, on what turned out to be a perfect day with friends in the mountains.
 
Nice Hike and photos.
I remember oogling at the Fortress years ago from the highway. Nice to see the other side.

Are crowds less or more this year? No internationals, but are Albertans flooding anything nearby like here in the states?
 
Nice Hike and photos.
I remember oogling at the Fortress years ago from the highway. Nice to see the other side.

Are crowds less or more this year? No internationals, but are Albertans flooding anything nearby like here in the states?
It's been a mixed bag. The more popular day hikes within easy driving distance of Calgary have been swarmed by locals, far more than in the past. Less popular spots such as Headwall Lakes seem to be about the same. A bit further west, in places that have been high on the international traveler "must see" list such as the Lake Louise area, I have heard that the crowds are somewhat less than in previous years, but still quite busy as Albertans take advantage of less tourist traffic. Recently we spent a few days car camping and hiking near the Columbia Icefields on the Banff NP- Jasper NP boundary. No tour bus or rental RV's meant for much less traffic on the Icefields Parkway, and plenty of camping available despite about 50% of national park campgrounds remaining closed this summer.
 
Just beautiful- thanks for sharing. You mentioned the tardy start- is it common for the weather to be this nice in the afternoon in that area? In Colorado we usually had to be off the mountain by noon or maybe 1pm ideally in the summer before the storms arrived.
 
Talk about a blue sky! Everything just looks so stunning!

Really does sound like a perfect day :)
 
Looks like a great day, need a photo of Piper to make the trip report complete :)
 
Just beautiful- thanks for sharing. You mentioned the tardy start- is it common for the weather to be this nice in the afternoon in that area? In Colorado we usually had to be off the mountain by noon or maybe 1pm ideally in the summer before the storms arrived.
The stable weather all week made afternoon thunderstorms very unlikely on that day. But yes- they can be an issue here too. A typical pattern in our area when conditions are conducive- which can be weeks at a time during peak season in mid summer- is that they build up at mid-day over the front ranges, then drift eastwards in the prevailing upper flow and unleash their full fury on the foothills and prairies, from mid afternoon into the evening.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
B Beartooth Lakes Info Trip Planning 1
TheMountainRabbit Dana Meadows to Twin Lakes via the High Route (Yosemite/Hoover Wilderness) - August 2023 Backpacking 8
wabenho Big Pine Lakes – John Muir Wilderness Backpacking 6
shredhiker Kings Canyon July 2022 Kearsarge, Rae, & Sixty Lakes Backpacking 8
R Wind River Range: Green River Lakes/Clarks Trail/Porcupine Creek Trail Trip Planning 3
Mikjik86 Another Wind River Trip Planning! Elkhart/Titcomb/Knapsack/Shannons Pass loop back to Elkhart, or continue to Green River Lakes Trailhead? Trip Planning 10
John Goering Boulder Lakes, Tobacco Root Mountains Off Road 0
2eez4life Four lakes or Naturalist Trip Planning 5
WasatchWill WRHR - Day 7: Beaver Park to Green River Lakes Backpacking 15
westy Invite Also, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Meet Up (Members Only) 0
Mountain Wanderer Four Lakes Basin in the Southern Cabinet Mountains - Montana Backpacking 12
futurafree Beartooth Lakes and Passes Trip Planning 2
Bob USFS cabin green River Lakes, WY Trip Planning 0
travel2walk trip report: Wind River Range – Ross Lakes, Bear Basin, Grasshopper Glacier, & Dinwoody Creek loop, Aug-Sep 2020 Trip Reports 41
marquiri Wind River Range - Green River Lakes Trailhead Trip Planning 9
Parma Sawtooth Loop: Redfish, Hell Roaring, Imogene, Edna, and Cramer Lakes Backpacking 13
NorthwestWanderer North Cascades NP : Dee Dee Lakes & the Mcallister Ledge Backpacking 0
NorthwestWanderer North Cascades - Cutthroat/Granite/snowy lakes passes Backpacking 3
Mountain Wanderer Cedar Lakes Loop in Montana's Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Backpacking 4
andyjaggy Deep Creek Lakes and Windriver Peak Trip Planning 6
norwegianxplorer Rae Lakes Loop, SEKI, June 2020 Backpacking 6
Matt Van Natta HELP: Wind River Range, Baker Lake to Green River Lakes Trip Planning 7
Dreamer Wind River Dreaming | Summer 2019 July 17 - July 29 | Green River Lakes - Elkhart Park Backpacking 14
Curt Lost Twin Lakes, Cloud Peak Wilderness, Wyoming Backpacking 16
McKee80 TR: Bear Lakes Basin Pine Creek TH 09-05/11-19 Backpacking 14
Pianomover Overnighter to Caribou lakes in the Trinity Alps. Backpacking 0
balzaccom Dinkey Lakes Trip Reports 2
fossana Bear Lakes > Royce Lakes overnighter (High Sierra) Backpacking 12
balzaccom Chain Lakes Backpacking 1
misSOULa Montana's Bitterroot Mountains: Big Creek Lakes and Ranger Point Backpacking 2
bdunn02 Stough Creek Basin via Twin Lakes Backpacking 7
Parma Idaho's White Cloud Mountains - Boulder Chain Lakes - Chamberlain Basin Backpacking 8
NorthwestWanderer Overnighter in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness : Ingalls Pass and Lake Ingalls Backpacking 9
Born to Hike Windriver 36 mile loop: Skull Lake, Washakie Pass, South Fork Lakes, Lizard Head Trail, The Cirque, Big Sandy Lake Backpacking 6
NorthwestWanderer Lyman Lakes, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA Backpacking 12
NorthwestWanderer Yellow Aster Butte & Tomyhoi Lakes Basin, WA Hiking & Camping 11
MTNgoat OHV tails close to lakes Trip Planning 1
T Day Hike to Tatoosh Lakes and beyond Hiking & Camping 1
stevecochranephotography Blue Lakes Trail... Southwest Colorado in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness Hiking & Camping 9
Shirt357 Twin Crater Lakes - 0707-0708 Backpacking 5
L Red Castle Lakes / Wilson Peak OR Rock Creek Basin Trip Planning 4
Wanderlust073 South Colony Lakes overnight Backpacking 9
NorthwestWanderer Ancient Lakes & Dusty Lake, WA 4/28 - 4/30 Backpacking 2
DrNed Upper Henry's Fork Lakes Trip Planning 1
Jimmy BANFF: Fish/Devon Lakes/Pipestone Highline Backpacking 5
AbinadiWitness Part 1: Telluride Via Ferrata and Mount Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes- Colorado Trip # 1 - 2017 Backpacking 0
RyanP Cook Lakes to Wall Lake to Indian Basin to Titcomb Basin Trip Planning 4
TrektheWorld Rawah Wilderness Camp Lakes to West Branch Loop Backpacking 3
scatman Mallard Lake and DeLacy Lakes, Yellowstone National Park - June 30,2017 Backpacking 6
S White Cloud route, Big Boulder Lakes to Boulder Chain Lakes Trip Planning 3

Similar threads

Back
Top