WINTER WALKS IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY
It’s a balmy 10 C on this winter’s day, the Chinook winds turning last week’s powdery trail into a sparkling, crystalline path. The snow-topped peaks of the Rockies beckon, encouraging us ever upward. An abundance of snowshoe and ski trails lead from the doorstep of Alberta’s Mount Engadine Lodge, a six-room mountain getaway. While it’s frequented mainly by in-the-know Calgarians, the rest of Canada deserves to be in on the secret.
—Sarah Brown
DAY 1 SPIKES AND SNOWSHOES | 9 a.m. Ease into your vacay on the Hogarth Lakes Trail, less than 10 minutes down the road. A family-friendly and mostly flat forest walk around a string of fishing lakes, this four-kilometre loop is always busy with Canada jays looking to cadge a handful of nuts or dried fruit. Once you’ve got your snow legs, head a few more kilometres down the road to the Chester Lake Trail, a gorgeous eight-kilometre out-and-back that starts in spruce forest and ends at the lake, surrounded by snow-covered peaks. Luckily, the lodge provides a packed lunch to keep you fuelled.
FIRESIDE CHARCUTERIE AND STRUDEL | 4 p.m. Après-snowshoe, sink into an oversized leather chair and put your feet up by the fireside. Dig into a generous charcuterie plate and try a local craft brew as you recover from the first day’s adventures. Insider tip: The recipe for the delectable strudel, served every afternoon with the charcuterie, is jotted down on the last page of the lodge binder in the lobby.
DAY 2 CHAT AND CLIMB | 10 a.m. “We always give before we take,” says Heather Black, the entrepreneur behind Buffalo Stone Woman, as she guides us in offering tobacco to the land ahead of a hike to the aquamarine waters of the Grassi Lakes, just minutes from Canmore. Black, who hails from the Blood Tribe Nation, runs tours on many area trails, sharing
WHERE TO STAY
Mount Engadine Lodge (where shoes are a no-no and socks and slippers are de rigueur) is an all-inclusive backcountry nature retreat nestled in the mountains of Spray Valley Provincial Park. Here, fine food, fine views and cozy fireplaces compete with the urge to get out and immerse yourself in the epic scenery of the Kananaskis Range. The lodge also manages a few private cabins and luxury yurts.
knowledge as she goes. The experience she offers is a true conversation, communicated with generosity and openness.
STROLL, SHOP AND SWIG | 1 p.m. Make like the locals (so many Patagonia jacket-clad dog walkers and stroller parents) and spend an hour or two exploring Canmore’s extensive trail system, the two most popular of which are the Bow River Loop and Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk Trail. Then stroll the downtown, which brims with galleries, cafés, craft breweries and gift stores. Head home before dark: up, down and winding, Highway 742 is not for the faint of heart.
DAY 3 A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB | 10 a.m. No driving needed. The Rummel Lake Trail starts right outside the lodge entrance. It’s a spectacular 10-kilometre out-and-back hike that wends its way slowly upward through mixed conifers, offering up ever more spectacular views. When I visit, two sets of intrepid campers have built igloos in which to spend the night at the backcountry campground by the lake. We laugh, turn around and head home to leather chairs and a warm hearth.
REACH FOR THE STARS | 7 p.m. Splurge on a night sky hike with Canadian Rockies Experience (top). They bring the hot drinks, headlamps, snowshoes and enthusiasm; you’re just along for the ride (in a luxury SUV). Snowshoeing in the dark is a unique way to experience the Rockies. On a clear night, stop, turn off the headlamp and behold the sparkling universe above.