Plan by downloading the trail route or getting a map as there are a few trails in this area. Fun trail run on the return. Total distance is approximately 10 miles with 4,500 ft of gain. If you’re comparing this to some of the smaller hikes nearby such as the Tunnel Mountain Hoodoos or Johnson lake, I’d rate this as moderate. Traversing the false summit needs to be virtually clear of snow to reach the true peak. We ran into a group of hikers who did the hike two days later and they were followed by a bear (they had the video to prove it!). Trail often floods during spring snow-melt and high water events. Trailwrights 72. Came across a bear on the trail, but he paid me no mind. Like Tunnel Mountain , across the valley, Stoney Lookout is not really a mountain, just an 1884 m promontory extending east from the slopes of Mount Norquay. 15 cm snow on top. At 0.8 kilometers, the trail turns to the right, away from the Fort Mile Creek Trail, which continues on straight. Check trail conditions before you go. The Cascade Amphitheatre trail turns away from the ski lifts and drops down into a forest. The trail, which heads down into the forest, starts just past the chair on the right. From the Amphitheatre’s natural entrance, the trail moves on for a little more than a kilometer to the mountain’s summit ridge, which also creates a headwall to the Amphitheatre. It wasn't very busy today which was nice. Very light traffic so carry bear spray as we saw few bear poop on the trail and a person spotted a bear too. More snow is needed to cover rocks, roots and creeks; Dogs on leash permitted; If you want to go for the summit, pick-up a copy of A Climber’s Guide to Cascade Mountain at the Park Visitor Centre in Banff. At the creek, turn right at the junction and follow the Elk Laketrail for another 2.5 km to a sign for CascadeAmphitheater where the trail branches right. Trail generally well marked with orange markers - deviated two or three times from the trail but quickly realised and found the path again. A relentless series of switchbacks transport you upwards through a dense forest of spruce and lodgepole pine for 2.3 kilometers to the cool, subalpine forest at the mouth of the Amphitheatre. Trail work is complete. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km) east of the U.S. Pacific coast. Road Status and Conditions. From Santa Ysabel on Hwy. 2 pikas came rugby up to us. USGS Streamflow. JMT FAQ; JMT maps and books; JMT permits; JMT regulations; ... Columbia Cascades Trail Skills College; North Cascades Trail Skills College; ... Pacific Crest Trail Association 1331 Garden Highway, Suite … NH 100 Highest. To get to the trailhead, follow the service road (marked as X-Country trail on the ski map) to the Mystic chair. Climbing Conditions. It took us 2.5 hours in and 2 hours back. But if you’re comparing it to something more similar like Cory Pass / Mount Edith, I’d rate this hike as easy compared to those. Please check the links below for current status and the latest reported conditions within the park. Lower Forty Mile Creek trail left. Cascade Amphitheatre Trail is a 7.7 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Banff, Alberta, Canada that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Beautiful meadow, would like to return and do the scramble. 8, Alberta. Cascade Amphitheatre right.3.1 - Forty Mile Creek bridge (1555 metres). COVID-19 FAQs. Take the Cascade Amphitheater trail to the starting point of the Cascade mountain ascent. We saw evidence of bear on the way but did not encounter any. Cedar Creek Falls 3 mi RT / moderate; off Hwy 78. Access: From the Trans-Canada Highway at the Banff West exit, follow the Mount Norquay Road north from the Trans-Canada Highway 6.0 kilometres (3.5 miles) to the Mount Norquay Ski Area. NE 50 Most Prominent. Unfortunetaly, the trail (we followed the Alltrail map) does not go all the way to the peak where you see viewpoints of the lake. Very nice trail but we expected to see the peak and the views on the lake. The moist meadows along the way are carpeted with wildflowers throughout much of the summer, beginning with white-flowered western anemone and nodding yellow glacier lilies along the edges of receding snow banks in late June. So let me start off by saying, we didn’t know until AFTER the hike that this is a known cougar habitat! From the Amphitheatre entrance, the trail extends for just over a kilometre to a headwall created by the mountain’s main summit ridge. Two small sink lakes also appear in the meadows with the spring snow melt, but these usually disappear by early July. Before climbing, check the left skyline ridge near the summit as viewed from Banff Avenue—if the ridge is snow-covered, parties may be forced to turn around and abandon the climb at … Cascade Mountain Trail Conditions and Trip Reports are crowdsourced from many hiking websites across the Internet. The waterfall cascades under an often-traffic-filled bridge, English ivy draping the large rock that terraces the falls’ three tumbling cascades. One of the longer and more strenuous day trips near Banff leads up the western flank of Cascade Mountain to a large natural amphitheatre at just over 2100 m. This hanging valley, enclosed by the limestone cliffs of the mountain’s summit ridges, features lush subalpine wildflower meadows and immense rockslides inhabited by marmots and pikas. More snow is needed to cover rocks, roots and creeks; Dogs on leash permitted; Trail details: Easy Drummond: Early season conditions. Quite challenging. Hope this helps. Norquay Lodge to Cascade Amphitheatre—6.6 kilometres (4.1 miles). Pick up the Boundary Trail and take it too the area at Amphitheater's west base. I am not sure either it is possible to reach this point in that time of the year! General Conditions: In 2015, this trail was used as a fire break for the Wolverine Fire--expect to see many cut trees. Follow a faint trail in the scree along the base of this cliff. Rundle from the Banff Information Centre (224 Banff Avenue) and check the Parks Canada trail conditions report. Loved walking around the amphitheatre. Introduction. Cascade Amphitheatre ahead. From the rockslide at the edge of the cirque, a faint trail continues up to the right along a sparsely forested ridge to an even higher vantage point above the basin. Before climbing, check the left skyline ridge near the summit as viewed from Banff Avenue—if the ridge is snow covered, parties may be forced to turn around and abandon the climb at that point in the route. Nice meadow at the end. Uphill most of the way with some steep incline at parts, so poles are very helpful. Starting at Mount Norquay, the hike to Cascade Amphitheatre is of moderately difficulty. Steady uphill.4.3 - Junction. It's a very steep, steady climb but we practically ran up the trail trying to get away from the mosquitoes. Incredible geology and amazing views of Bow Valley and Lake Minnewanka. Little steep but not difficult till Cascade Amphitheater. A short, easy loop hike, combining the Portland Trail with a portion of the Upper Cascade Falls trail, explores the basin below the amphitheatre and features scenic viewpoints to appreciate the formation along with the peaks rising … 3.5 hours car-to-car including breaks. Walk 200 m through the parking lot opposite the kiosk (right) leading to the ski area’s lodge complex. only saw 3 other groups all day. Gradual uphill.7.7 - Amphitheatre headwall (2195 metres). Webcam Hunting Seasons. views of the amphitheatre were gorgeous, well worth the climb. Regarding the Amphitheatre trail itself, it is a continuous steep trail, shaded, with no views until the end. Trail generally well marked with orange markers - deviated two or three times from the trail but quickly realised and found the path again. Sulphur Moutain via Cosmic Ray Road - Out and Back, Municipal District of Bighorn No. We followed the trails to the Cascade Amphitheater (5500'-7000'). Cascade is a summer climb. Continue through the lodge plaza and down-valley on a service road. Steady switchbacking climb.6.6 - Cascade Amphitheatre. July 20-23, 2020 I hiked from Walupt Lake Trail #101 PCT Mile 2262 NOBO to just south of Old Snowy alt. Also, the view here is not that great. Belknap Range. This vertical wall of Palliser limestone is one of the more popular and demanding climbs in the Rockies. While the ascent of Cascade Mountain from the Amphitheatre is not particularly difficult, the route is tricky and can be dangerous at certain times of the year. This forested trail climbssteadily up a series of steep switchbacks. They... Log #21450 - by Gyula Péch on Sep 29, 2008 Walk through lodge complex and down- valley on ski area service road.0.8 - Junction. No snow on route at all. At the amphitheatre, snowshoes are definitely not an option! The first kilometre can be a bit confusing as you work your way past the base stations of a number of ski lifts, but stay on the valley bottom and watch for trail markers. Trail descends into forest.2.9 - Junction. The trail is accessible from a trailhead at the east end of 8th Avenue as well as a trailhead higher up the mountain across from the Amphitheatre … Moderate incline through the forest most of the way and beautiful panorama in the end. 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