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![\"\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/TrystLake01.jpg?itok=8v2nMC_X\")
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Following are ten great hikes\u00a0accessed from\u00a0Smith-Dorrien\/Spray Trail (Hwy 742) south from Canmore and\u00a0<\/strong>west\u00a0<\/strong>of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.<\/p>\n It is always\u00a0a good idea\u00a0to\u00a0check with\u00a0a Visitor Centre for current\u00a0trail conditions and the weather forecast.\u00a0 Conditions at altitude can change quickly\u00a0and dramatically.\u00a0 Current information can be very important.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Smith-Dorrien\/Spray Lakes Trail is a\u00a0gravel road,\u00a0mainly wide,\u00a0which is generally well-maintained but vulnerable to fickle and dynamic mountain weather.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Click on the\u00a0following red\u00a0links\u00a0for more detailed information about the hike.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 South Buller Pass<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n South Buller Pass is an outstanding hike through a wide variety of vistas and terrain\u00a0 culminating in an excellent view across the bowl containing Ribbon Lake beneath massive Mount Kidd.\u00a0 Guinn’s Pass is on the far side of the bowl and on a clear day there is an excellent view of Mount Assiniboine.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Mist Creek<\/strong><\/a> and Mist Ridge<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A beautiful forest walk beside creeks, and through wetlands, beneath massive Mist Mountain leads\u00a0up the switchbacks to Rickert’s Pass above Burns Mine in the Sheep River Valley beyond.<\/p>\n The return to the trailhead on Kananaskis Trail can be achieved by hiking the top of Mist Ridge for hours of breathtaking views of impressive, surrounding mountains and magnificent valleys.\u00a0 Long day but the\u00a0incredible vistas\u00a0make\u00a0the effort\u00a0seem shorter.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Old Goat Glacier<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Old Goat Glacier’s elusive trail-head leads through forest and along magical creek flow to a beautiful\u00a0waterfall which is\u00a0runoff from the glacier.\u00a0 A rocky climb on obvious trail to the lateral moraine allows hiking along the top of the glacier’s moraine.<\/p>\n It is a fascinating day where marmots will watch your progress.\u00a0 The potentially short day can be extended with quiet reflection in the surrounding\u00a0splendor or by further exploring the unique terrain.\u00a0 One of my all-time favorite hikes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Read’s Ridge<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This hike has a pleasant beginning on the far side of the Smith-Dorrien Trail from Sparrowhawk parking but is rudely interrupted by a stiff climb on rocky trail to the top of the ridge for spectacular views of the Spray Lakes and surrounding mountains.<\/p>\n The hike can be extended to Read’s Tower, (final approach requires\u00a0caution), clearly visible in the distance\u00a0on good trail beneath Mount Sparrowhawk, a popular, year-round hiking or rock and ice climbing destination.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 5.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Burstall Pass<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The hike to Burstall Pass is a classic hike past Burstall Lakes, the alluvial\u00a0fan created by Robertson Glacier,\u00a0and through\u00a0forest, meadow and glacier-carved rock walls culminated by incredible mountain-top views in all directions.<\/p>\n The trail continues on\u00a0but Burstall Pass is an excellent full day objective.\u00a0\u00a0Perpetually memorable, the diverse beauty leaves an indelible impression of sweeping vistas.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 6.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 French Glacier<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0hike to French Glacier is substantially more rustic than the trail to\u00a0Burstall Pass.\u00a0 Trail to French Glacier is frequently interrupted with dead fall and detours, but the\u00a0effort discloses wilderness gems and a glacier-created valley with perpetual running water.<\/p>\n The glacier can be negotiated in later season with crampons\u00a0by experienced and well equipped mountaineers.\u00a0 Unfolding vistas are mesmerizing.\u00a0 Make a mental note of the location where you hike out of the treeline so you can find the way back onto the trail\u00a0after\u00a0time\u00a0spent near\u00a0the glacier.<\/p>\n Many wide-eyed WOW! moments on this one.\u00a0 Long,\u00a0rugged\u00a0day for the average day hiker.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 7.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Karst Spring<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You will likely hear it before you get to the viewing and interpretive platform over Karst Spring.\u00a0 Complex trail systems at the Mount Shark Ski Area make\u00a0planning for the hike\u00a0important\u00a0as well as\u00a0careful attention to signage\u00a0and trail junctions in the popular Shark Lake area.\u00a0 This is an excellent hike with unique features.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 8.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Tryst Lake<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tryst Lake\u00a0is a short, steep and potentially wet hike up the creek to pristine, isolated and incredibly beautiful\u00a0Tryst Lake.\u00a0 There is an opportunity to gain the ridge and hike to the Fist which looms over the tiny lake.\u00a0 It is an ideal location for a day of peaceful meditation where you can enjoy your lunch in the presence of wildflowers, Richardson’s Ground Squirrels and Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels who will become your instant friends.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 9.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Chester Lake<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Like Burstall Pass, Chester Lake is a year-round, classic hike, snowshoe or ski\u00a0whose trailhead is across Smith-Dorrien Trail from parking for the\u00a0Burstall Pass hike.\u00a0 Progress on modest, well graded\u00a0ascent through forest opens into a mountain surrounded valley.\u00a0 A quiet, relaxing day at Chester Lake is a noble goal, however, there is an option to hike further past Elephant Rocks for talus hiking to the scree col access at Fortress Mountain.\u00a0 It can be as long a day as you choose to make it.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 10.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Rummel Lake<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Rummel Lake is a pristine lake at the base of Mount Galatea.\u00a0 The trail continues along the base of The Tower to an outstanding view into the valley beyond containing Lost Lake.\u00a0 It is possible, with two cars, for\u00a0experienced and energetic hikers\u00a0to hike through the mountain range onto Galatea Creek Trail leading to the Galatea Parking area\u00a0at Kananaskis Trail (Hwy 40).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Bonus hike # 11.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Warspite Lake and Black Prince Cirque<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The signed trail-head parking area accesses a creek crossing and a pleasant, sustained forest ascent to Warspite Lake bound by tall mountains and impressive rock walls.<\/p>\n Hiking further into the spectacular Black Prince Lakes can be compromised by avalanche risk for a significant portion of the year.<\/p>\n Access recently was discouraged by bear activity so it is best to check with the Peter Lougheed Visitor Information Centre on Kananaskis Lakes Road.\u00a0 Warspite Lake is an excellent snowshoe in winter months.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Prior to beginning\u00a0any hike, please,\u00a0carry a map, as well as consulting and carrying a good hiking guide.\u00a0 It is always wise to obtain current conditions from\u00a0a Visitor Centre.\u00a0\u00a0Tell someone where you are going and how long you expect to be there.\u00a0 On completion, call\u00a0to\u00a0let them know you have completed your\u00a0hike.<\/p>\n There is a huge assortment of hikes\u00a0along Smith-Dorrien Trail (Hwy. 742).\u00a0 Stay safe, carry layers and pack everything you may need to enjoy a great day.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Happy trails and stay safe.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 Spectacular\u00a0hikes along Smith-Dorrien Trail south of Canmore in Kananaskis Country west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. \u00a0 \u00a0 Following…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Barry","author_link":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/author\/barry\/"},"comment_info":16,"category_info":[{"term_id":9,"name":"Trails","slug":"trails","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":9,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":20,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":9,"category_count":20,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Trails","category_nicename":"trails","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":9,"label":"Trails"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14439"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14544,"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14439\/revisions\/14544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hikingwithbarry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"SouthBullerPass01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/SouthBullerPass01.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"SouthBullerPass02\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/SouthBullerPass02.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"SouthBullerPass03\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/SouthBullerPass03.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"MistCreek_15[1]\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/MistCreek_151.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"MistRidge_22[1]\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/MistRidge_221.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"MistRidge_28[1]\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/MistRidge_281.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"MistRidge_39[1]\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/MistRidge_391.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"MistRidge_52[1]\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/MistRidge_521.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"OldGoatGlacier01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/OldGoatGlacier01.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"OldGoatGlacier02\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/OldGoatGlacier02.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"OldGoatGlacier03\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/OldGoatGlacier03.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"ReadRidge02\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/ReadRidge02.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"ReadsRidge01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/ReadsRidge01.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"ReadsRidge03\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/ReadsRidge03.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Burstall](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Burstall-Pass03.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"BurstallPass01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/BurstallPass01.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"BurstallPass02\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/BurstallPass02.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"BurstallPass03\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/BurstallPass03.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"BurstallPass04\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/BurstallPass04.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"FrenchGlacier01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/FrenchGlacier01.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"FrenchGlacier02\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/FrenchGlacier02.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"KarstSpring01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/KarstSpring01.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"TrystLake01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/TrystLake01.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"TrystLake02\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/TrystLake02.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Chester1\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Chester1.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"Chester2\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Chester2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"RummelLake01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/RummelLake01.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Warspite01\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Warspite01.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"Warspite02\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Warspite02.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Warspite03\"](\"\/sites\/hikingwithbarry.com\/files\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Warspite03.jpg\")
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Tags:\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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