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| English: Canmore, Alberta, Canada, seen from the Ha Ling peak (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| mount egmont's summit viewed from the sharks tooth (Photo credit: dcysurfer / Dave Young) |
Our hike today - another fantastic day in the Rockies. It was a beautiful summer day. After the hike, we drove back to Canmore for some poutine at La Belle Potate.
Karst Spring Hiking Trail
Difficulty Rating: Light
Distance: 9.5 km return. Elevation gain: 200 metres. Time: 3 1/2 hours return.
Location: From Canmore, drive 39 km south on the Smith-Dorrien / Spray Trail (Highway 742 - gravel road) which begins just past the Canmore Nordic Gentre.
Turn right 5 km. to the Mount Shark parking lot, where you will find the trailhead.
Description: This trail leads to Karst Spring where boulders and driftwood are covered with bright green moss. The gentle elevation gain makes this hike a favorite with families, and the cool air near Karst Spring is appreciated hot summer days. The first 3.6 km. are open to bicycles. Walking on the road leads you through the Mount Shark Trail System into the forest above Watridge Lake where a short descent puts you at the shore of this lake known for it's trout fishing (don't forget your licence). Then follow the boardwalk and climb the trail along the creek to where Karst Spring bursts out of a rock face. The spring drains from passageways between limestone layers of Shark Ridge creating a karst formation. Snow and rain water seep into cracks and dissolve the rock, creating tunnels from which streams begin.
Distance: 9.5 km return. Elevation gain: 200 metres. Time: 3 1/2 hours return.
Location: From Canmore, drive 39 km south on the Smith-Dorrien / Spray Trail (Highway 742 - gravel road) which begins just past the Canmore Nordic Gentre.
Turn right 5 km. to the Mount Shark parking lot, where you will find the trailhead.
Description: This trail leads to Karst Spring where boulders and driftwood are covered with bright green moss. The gentle elevation gain makes this hike a favorite with families, and the cool air near Karst Spring is appreciated hot summer days. The first 3.6 km. are open to bicycles. Walking on the road leads you through the Mount Shark Trail System into the forest above Watridge Lake where a short descent puts you at the shore of this lake known for it's trout fishing (don't forget your licence). Then follow the boardwalk and climb the trail along the creek to where Karst Spring bursts out of a rock face. The spring drains from passageways between limestone layers of Shark Ridge creating a karst formation. Snow and rain water seep into cracks and dissolve the rock, creating tunnels from which streams begin.
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From Hiking With Barry:
"This short and beautiful day hike is about 9 KM round trip with gentle elevation. In winter it is a snowshoe trip on decent, narrow trail through predominantly aromatic, evergreen forest. From Calgary, the drive is west on the TransCanada, south on Kananaskis Trail (Hwy 40), to the gated end, then briefly west for a right turn north onto Smith-Dorrien and the left hand exit past the historic and rustic Mount Engadine Lodge. The trailhead is at the Mount Shark parking lot at the end of the drive up this road. This Mount Shark area contains a labyrinth of professionally groomed, cross-country ski trails. The site was developed and used for training and overflow events during the 1988 Winter Olympics hosted by Calgary. The primary cross-country ski venue was the Nordic Ski Centre in Canmore, Alberta. Both are well maintained world-class skiing opportunities."
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More info: http://hikealberta.com/hike/karst-spring-hiking-trail
