TUESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2026
(Canmore, AB)
Slept better, not great, but better. I’ll have got the hang of this time zone by the day we’re due to return. The weather forecast was for clear skies, so I was optimistic about sunrise. I got up at half seven, made a pot of coffee and put on warm clothes. A couple of the apps said it was -6C, others ‘only’ -3C. Either way, it felt cold. At first it just got light, and it almost seemed too light to get the sunrise colours on the mountains. I drank the coffee. Came back in. Poured another coffee and kept an eye on the mountain from our room. It started to turn pink. I put my big coat back on and headed out. Sunrise did not disappoint. There’s something magical about watching the sun rise when it’s also cold, and it’s even better when it doesn’t require getting up early!
We decide to browse the town centre for a breakfast cafe, and happened upon Graze. This turned out to be a very good choice. It was standard breakfast fare, but made and presented in a slightly more upmarket style. More importantly, it was very tasty. So much so, we’ve already decided to return tomorrow.
Back at our room we got ready for today’s main feature hike. After yesterday’s acclimatisation hike, which was generally on a level with only minor inclines, today would be more up. Grassi Lakes is one of the ‘must do’ walks, a bit like Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. A walk that you want to do, despite the fact that you know it is likely to be busier than we like. When I was planning the trip I put it on the list, only for a rockslide to close the road to it a couple of months ago. Luckily for us, they managed to reopen the road, and I spotted it just a few weeks ago. After all that, I was hoping that it wasn’t over-hyped.
We got parked easily enough in the main car park and we set off up the path. Fairly soon, the path splits into the interpretive trail and the upper trail. We took the first of these, which I knew to be more difficult, but which also had better views and a waterfall. The first part was pleasant, walking through the pine forest in a gently climbing route. Occasionally there were views of Canmore, with Rundle Forebay, a reservoir, in the foreground and mountains in the background.
After that water started pouring onto the trail, and from then on, we were in effect walking up a stream. Luckily the temperature was now in (low) positive numbers, so it was wet not icy. After a while, we reached an overlook of a waterfall, which I haven’t yet found the name of (if it has one).
From there the path got very steep, first up some stone steps and then just up chunks of rock, gravel, tree routes…whatever was holding the ground together. The water continued to flow down the path, just for added difficulty. I was glad I had chosen to go up this route and not down it. We reached a small pond, which crossed the top of the stream, where water started bubbling and falling.
Shortly after that we reached the first of the two main lakes that make up Grassi lakes. (By the way, they are named after a pioneer who built the trails, a cabin and various other things and lived to be 90 years old). It was busy with people, but still very calming and beautiful. We walked around it and climbed up to the upper lake, where we watched a climber on the opposite wall, before returning to complete the lap of the lower lake.
After that it was down. The path was a constant gradient down a wide dirt road. I calculated the average gradient of the return trip as 1 in 9.6, and by the time we reached the bottom, 1.9km later, the calves and knees were definitely feeling it.
We went back to our room, and popped out to the Harvest cafe for coffees and muffins to have for lunch. After relaxing for a while, we went for another walk, this time around Canmore. Our route took us along a further railway line which originally led to coal mines, and past the Engine Bridge, which is where the line crossed the Bow River. From there we walked along the riverside, before turning back through town (interesting poetry embedded into the footway) and up to the Policeman’s Creek, for a look at the Canmore Big Head. The name Canmore comes from a Scottish town, and means ‘big head’ or ‘chief’ in Gaelic.
Then it was back for showers and a drink before going to Rocky Mountain pizza restaurant for dinner. Yes. Again. But it is our last night here, and I did warn you that it might become our Zion Pizza and Noodle replacement. Tomorrow we’re moving on to Jasper, boys the very scenic Icefields Parkway.
[Editor’s note: a video of today’s hike can be found here https://vimeo.com/1237845141. Previous videos still in production!]
