(Really stinking windy) West Wind Pass

We wanted to hike up to Old Goat Glacier today, but when we got to the trailhead, we found a warning because a grizzly bear had been in the neighborhood since August 5th. We're just basically chickens, and in 27 years living in bear country, I've never seen a bear while hiking, and I'd prefer not to start now. I also note that every time there's a bear-human encounter, the bear always comes out on the losing side (whether through bad rep, needing relocation, or needing to be killed, the most tragic outcome of all). So we bailed. Karen took a quick look at the guidebook, and found us an alternative only 5 km away (but on the other side of the lake).

West Wind Pass isn't really a pass. It goes up to a valley between two mountians, but you would have to be a nutcase with a deathwish to cross the pass; the sheer drop at the top is suicide. The hike is right up our alley; trailhead less than 90 min from our front door, trail less than 90 min (4 km and 400 m height gain), views along the way and at the top spectacular. A little bit of a grunt at the end and in the middle, plus the trail is a little treacherous in spots are the downfalls. It's not as easy as Jumpingpound or even Powderface. And it's WINDY at the top.

Starting at Spray Lakes, the trail basically follows the upper left edge of a valley holding a dry streambed. The views start off good and get better.





When I say the trail hugs the edge of the valley, I'm not kidding. One wrong step and it's a long way down. The trail really is the gravel at the top of this slope.



Here's KC on the last pitch.



Get to the top and you realize where you are: overlooking the Wind Valley, Pigeon Mountain, Dead Man's Flats and the Bow River Corridor.



The views are stellar. Backwards towards Spray to the west you can see Mt. Sparrowhawk, Mt. Nestor & Goat Mtn, Tent Ridge, Mt. Shark & Mt. Smuts, and a a whole lot of water.



The other direction to the east, it's Wind Ridge, which I never knew was a grassy (and great bear habitat).



Then there's Pigeon. Look carefully, and you'll see a small building on the top (who knows what that is...)



Peeking over the Rimwall is the Little Sister of the Three Sisters.



Then there's Windtower itself. Apparently, there's a route up the backside that isn't hard and takes about an hour from where we were standing.



You can see Banff Gate Mountain Resort (formerly Alpine Haven Resort, formerly Pigeon Mountain Resort) from the pass, so on the way home we pulled into the parking lot and looked where we had been. The pass is the U-shaped valley in the middle of the photo, with Windtower on the left and Rimwall on the right.



The trail was busy; lots of folks, including a group of ten 20-somethings who were starting the hike at 4:30, just as we were finishing, with plans to get to the top of Windtower and back by sunset. I hope they made it. Otherwise, we only saw some nice birds (including a huge group of Clark's Nutcrackers, that we first thought were Gray Jays), and a chipmunk or ground squirrel (never got close enough to see him properly). Then, pulling up to Banff Gate resort, we found a white-tailed deer, and two fawns. Go figure.