Uncharted Thoughts.

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Bow Falls is a magical hike. One that I will be returning to, time after time. My Fiancé, and I are looking to a location for our wedding, and this was our first stop along this journey.

Some three or four weeks ago, she came up with the idea of getting married outdoors, on a mountain. I was unaware this was something we could do and playfully agreed. Three weeks later, we are exploring options.

Bow Falls is something out of a dream. The walk starts with a crystal blue lake, and ends at the foot of a glacier waterfall, its icy spray showering your hot, sweaty skin.

THE HIKE:

There is an argument amongst Canadian hikers, and those lucky enough to travel here on which side of the Rockies hosts the best treks, British Columbia or Alberta? The truth is, they both share one of the most remarkable trekking landscapes in the world.

Bow Falls is an example of this incredible landscape, and how accessible the hikes can be.

Located along the Icefields parkway, on the left side of 93, driving West. A large Red Roofed lodge marks the beginning of the trek. A cafe with merchandise and art collection sits within. As usual, car parking is available, as are public toilets.

Remember, litter is NOT an acceptable thing here. If you litter, Uncharted Thoughts will publicly shame you, as will Canadians. DON’T BE A DICK.

The hike starts at ‘The Lodge at Bow Lake’, and continues by skirting the crystal blue waters of Bow Lake, a glacier fed lake that pours ice cold water into its bowls. Above the lake, stand the tall mountains of the Rocky Mountains. Proud, beautiful and at times deadly, as all mountains should be.

Stood at the bottom of the Lake, just as you come onto the path, you can cast your imagination back 400, maybe 500 years and see the glacier and it high frozen walls meandering down the valley. Now though, the Glacier is not visible until further down the rugged pathway.

You’ll follow the lake South for the best part of a kilometer. Mount Jimmy Simpson will be at your back, and in front the valley created by the Bow glacier river.

After the lake, and you are welcomed with the stone flat of the riverbed. Follow the path towards the valley gap. Pine forests teeming with life, flank both sides of the river, the pungent scent of their leaves fill your nostrils with that unique, melancholic scent.

The river is followed, from now until your return from the lake. Although it is almost impossible to get lost on this path, if you were to stray from it, find the river, find the path.

After following the riverbank, the path comes to a narrow gorge. Large, uneven and tall steps, continue on the right hand side, these are not easy to climb, but the journey is short and worth the effort. They pull you further away from the river, although the roar of its crashing waters can still be heard from the path, and pull you into the forest.

It is not long before you are reunited with the waters. This time, it is pushed into a narrow gorge corridor, some fifteen or so meters down. The white waters are rapid, with a blueish tint to its purity.

Between the narrow gorge, a large stone bolder has managed to lodge itself in the crevasse. A large natural bridge that allows hikers to pose for a fun, dangerous looking pose.

To get to the stone, simply keep and eye on the gorge as you push through the forest. Before long an opening appears and the bolder becomes visible. A steep, goats path will lead you down to it. Be careful, a slip here can result in a wet, deadly fall.

After the steps, the gorge and the bolder, a sudden welcoming sight comes into view. While there are more beautiful hikes in the world, few have quiet the epic impact of the Bow Falls reveal.

As you climb the steps, and look from the lake, you are able to find small, beautiful glimpses of the falls. A magical backdrop, to a spectacular foreground. At some points in the hike, it is hard to imagine a more perfect scene. The Lake, the mountains, the forest, and then, in-between, a slighter of the great Bow Falls peaking through.

After twenty or so minuets surrounded by forest, and gorges, it is easy to forget what is about to come, and it reveals itself spectacularly.

Out from the tree’s you walk, and into a crater of rock and stone. A huge space of emptiness, and air. At the end, some kilometer South, a white waterfall plunges into a rapid river. Above it, clinging to the rocky mountain ridge, a blue, white glaciers hangs.

I’ve probably completed, a minimum of 300 trails in my life (complete guess), and no hike has quiet been as picturesque as Bow Falls. It’s not that I haven’t seen more beautiful hikes, or more epic scenes, but I’ve never seen a hike with such a majestic backdrop, middle ground and foreground as this. It is the Bob Ross painting we can’t find in the real world.

If, I manage to start a guiding business here in Canada. Bow Falls is without a doubt, going to be a reoccurring hike available to my customers. I’d advertise the hike as a beginner hike, but with the blessings and view of a wilderness trek.

The only downfall I have to this hike, is how busy it can get. Being so accessible and being as short and beautiful it is, crowds can often pack the trail and make it less immersive.

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Big Love. From Red Deer Alberta.