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Northover Ridge |
| Elevation 2720m Height Gain Time to Reach Objective Degree of Difficulty Scenery Date of Most-recent Outing |
Glacier, lakes, and spectacular scenery
fill the senses in this hike. With an early start it is possible to do it all in a
single day. The loop is physically demanding, and along with the remoteness you
better make sure you're up to the 35km challenge. Even if you have legs of steel,
you still have to deal with mild scrambling and exposure in places, which differentiates
this from a routine hike. The hike can be done either counter-clockwise by heading
first to Three Isle Lake, or clockwise via Aster Lake. I'd advise the later as the
elevation gain is more gradual. If you're planning to make this a two-day exercise,
you can camp at Aster Lake, Three Isle Lake, and The Forks. From Highway 1 follow Kananaskis Trail south to the Kananaskis Lakes turnoff. Follow this road past numerous trailer parks to the Upper Lake junction. Turn left here and head down towards the lake via a gravel road (past the boat launch). At the junction turn left and park at the south end of the parking lot; up near the trees (GPS reference 50d36m39s N, 115d06m59s W). After admiring the morning light filling Upper Kananaskis Lake and Mt. Lyautey, your first objective is to make your way around the south shore to the Hidden Lake junction. From the trail head a brisk 15-20 minute walk along the good trail gets you to a bridge. Shortly after you arrive at the Rawson Lake junction (GPS reference 50d36m28s N, 115d07m55s W). Keep straight ahead. You should reach the Hidden Lake turnoff in another hour (GPS reference 50d36m54s N, 115d10m59s W). At this point there is a sign indicating the continuation of the Upper Lake trail, but you'll want to take the obvious trail going off to the left. The trail cuts hastily through open meadows and in 10-15 minutes you arrive at the north end of Hidden Lake (GPS reference 50d36m47s N, 115d11m04s W) amidst a pile of old driftwood. To get to the south extremity of the lake follow a distinct path on the left bank of the lake. Several hiking books say that early in the season high water levels will force you to bushwhack your way through dense forest higher up. I had a look just out of curiosity and trust me; you don't want to be in there. The suggestion is that you wait until late August or early fall to do this hike. Perhaps it was the low snowfall or recent high temperatures, but on the day of our outing the water line was a good 20-30 feet away from the trail. We didn't even have to get mud on our boots. Bonus! From the south end of the lake (GPS reference 50d36m08s N, 115d11m07s W) the trail gains elevation rapidly up a forested headwall. Soon you arrive at the huge rubble slope below the northwest end of Mt. Sarrail. As you make you way up the well-worn path angling up towards cliff-bands Warrior Mt. is in plain view. The interesting-looking arrowhead poking up above its right skyline ridge is Waka Nambé. Directly east is the southeast flank of Mt. Northover. The prominent waterfall to your right plunging into Foch Creek is Fossil Falls. As you near the cliff-band, cross rocky steps below a waterfall, then scramble up a short but steep section to flowery meadows. The trail drops back into trees and emerges at a seasonal tarn (only a small stagnant pool when we were there). Continuing on the trail high on the right bank, you soon come to a sign indicating that the ranger patrol station is nearby. Beyond here the path drops down towards a narrow flowing creek (GPS reference 50d34m53s N, 115d11m57s W). Cross this and turn right. The trail hugs the base of rocky slabs on your left. You can see fast-flowing Aster Creek in the distance. In a hundred meters or so look for a couple of cairns. Turn left and head up on steps to the top of the slabs. Once you're over the crest the roar of Aster Creek fills the air. Aster Lake is only a short distance away after you traverse down and up one final narrow gully. The first sign of this is a biffy perched at the edge of the camping area - not exactly the most-welcomed sight. Pause at the lake (GPS reference 50d 34m50s N, 115d12m23s W) to take in the scenery: You are surrounded by glacier-clad mountains here - Mt. Marlborough to the south, Warrior Mt. to the southwest, Mt. Northover to the northwest, and Mt. Lyautey to the north. For now Mt. Joffre stays hidden. Cross chilly Aster Creek at the narrowest point. The shallowest section is about half way up to your knees - did you remember to bring sandals? Follow the faint trail as it cuts through light vegetation near the lakeshore. At the east end you can peer up the narrow valley on your right where a bit of glacier remains nestled between the east face of Mt. Northover and the west side of Mt. Lyautey. Here you should have a broad view looking south of Mt. Joffre with its glacier drooping into a terminal moraine. Continue to circle the lake, angling upwards on grassy slopes (no trails here). Once you reach the last of the vegetated surroundings you should be in a broad gully. Turn right (uphill) and make your way to the Warrior-Northover col above. A clear trail re-appears as you near the top. You've just snuck around the southeast end of Mt. Northover, and the trail turns right along stable scree on the west side of Mt. Northover. As you come over the rise a small glacier lingers in the gap on your left. Over a hump you go, reaching the pass and a sign post (GPS reference 50d34m40s N, 115d13m56s W). Ahead on your right slabby Mt. Northover first rises gently and then dramatically vaults to its summit. Far below Northover's highpoint you can see the trail traverse scree slopes towards a broad gully and disappear below some snow patches. Once you reach this point it'll be obvious where you need to go - just head straight up to the saddle (GPS reference 50d35m22s N, 115d14m45s W) below Northover's summit. Make a left turn and within minutes you set foot on the south end (GPS reference 50d35m22s N, 115d14m55s W) of Northover ridge. What a view here - this is what you've come for. At 2700m elevation you have an airy ring-side seat to the Royal Group to the west: Mts. Princess Mary, King George, Prince George, Prince Albert, Prince Edward, Prince Henry, Prince John, and Queen Mary. To the south is a fresh view of Warrior Mt. and the Mangin Glacier spilling down from Mt. Joffre. From the south end the broad ridge wanders up and down trending in a northwest direction. A massive glacier (missing in topo maps!) hangs on the east side. Just before you reach the second-last highpoint the ridge narrows considerably. This semi-exposed section is perhaps only 10-15 meters long, but getting across will require extra concentration and care. At the final summit (GPS reference 50d35m53s N, 115d16m03s W) Three Isle Lake is evident far below you at the end of a valley trending north. In the foreground below the ridge are the twin towers of Onslow and Defender Mts. Drop to a saddle connecting to Defender Mt. before turning right down scree slopes. As you descend into the valley stay left and aim for the treed slopes. Faint trails lead you further down below rock bands and you emerge on open rocky slopes that eventually level into a dry basin. A brisk walk puts you on the south end of Three Isle Lake, where you join up with a lakeside trail that leads you to the campground (GPS reference 50d27m47s N, 115d16m03s W). The main trail out of Three Isle Lake campground is on the right of all campsites. A short stint of uphill puts you at the top of the headwall. The trail then descends rapidly for 200 vertical meters to a waterfall, from which point it's still a 3km slog to The Forks campsite. A further 5.4km and the trail broadens to fire road, which drops the last 2.6km to the North Interlakes parking area. Even though you're back in relatively civilized settings, you're still some distance away from your vehicle. The Upper Lake Trail starts just beyond the map shelter - it's another 3.8km from here to the Upper Lake parking area. If it's getting late you may choose to stay in brighter surroundings by walking the road back to Upper Lake parking area. The path is downhill all the way, and is actually slightly shorter. This later option may seem boring, but after the long day and with 30-plus kilometers of incredible hiking already under your belt, you may not really care.
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