Introduction
Beware the Grizzlies! Welcome to Larch Valley/Sentinel Pass.
Around 45 minutes out of Banff, we discovered a great hike in the Banff National Park, Alberta – Larch Valley/Sentinel Pass.
Grizzly Bears
We were all set to go, when we came upon the sign on the National Park’s Notice Board – ‘warning, there have been sightings of a mother Grizzly and her cub in the area. Strongly recommend hiking in groups of four or more people.’
Lucky for us, it was the Memorial Day holiday long weekend so teaming up with extra hikers was not a problem. Plus we carried bear spray – all reassuring of course in the event of encountering said Grizzly. Either that, or I would just proffer up a friendly ‘G’day’ and see where that led.
The hike
The hike up from the trail head of Moraine Lake is a steady up.
There’s a nice clearing at the top of the pass, which permits views of the peaks around you (the Valley of the 10 Peaks).
The trail dips back into the larches for a bit then clears the treeline at the base of Sentinel Pass. We did the hike in early September so the larches hadn’t turned yellow as yet, but have been reassured that when they do turn in late September, it’s an awesome sight.
In the flats before Sentinel Pass there are a couple of pretty reflective pools (called Minestimma Lakes). The switchbacks to Sentinel Pass rise around 150m (500 ft) above the lakes, with Mt. Temple rising above.
Onwards and upwards!
Trevor
Insights
- To avoid the crowds in summer/early Autumn, weekends or public holidays, ensure you get to the Moraine Lake car park by 8.30am. After this time, parking can be a ‘lottery’ as all available spots tend to fill up quickly.
- The hike up to Sentinel Pass is around 12km return from the car park, 730m (2,400 ft) gain – allow between 4.5 – 6 hours return, depending on your fitness.
- From the bottom of the flats or reflective pools (called Minestimma Lakes), it’s another 150m up to the top of Sentinel Pass along a series of switchbacks – allow around 45 minutes for this section. Stunning views of the Valley of the 10 Peaks and Mt. Temple from the top are awesome on a clear day.
- Look out for notices on the National Parks board for sightings of Grizzly bears and follow their recommendations for safety.
- And don’t forget the bear spray – using it is another whole discussion topic.
- for more Canadian hiking adventures read our posts on the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Mountains and the High Note Trail, Whistler
