I am so fortunate to live so close to the mountains. Every time I take that turn onto the Trans Canada Highway, I feel a little giddy. I want to climb every mountain and receive the gift of nature with every single step.
This past Saturday, I hiked/ran the Cory Pass and Edith Pass Loop near Banff. I had been wanting to do this trail for weeks but I was a little anxious about the recent bear sightings. I don’t know the trails well in Banff so I waited until I had back up.
Starting at the Fireside Picnic area outside of Banff, the Cory Pass loop is a 13-km trek. Three of us began the hike in the recommended clockwise direction. After an easy jog for about 200 metres, we started to climb and climb. It didn’t take long before my heart rate was racing.
Remember the plan is always hike up, run down. We were were going at a pretty good pace but we made sure to stop for photos. Early on we passed one couple that actually pointed us in the right direction when were unsure at one spot.
The trail can be challenging if you are not used to the elevation. But I promise you, it is worth it. The elevation gain is about 900 metres over the 6 kilometres to Cory Pass. Other than the first kilometre or so, I didn’t even notice the steep climb. The fresh air. The views. It was spectacular. One can be so lucky to be so easily distracted.
We caught up with a group of hikers from New Jersey. I noticed they were drinking snow and water out of a creek. We quickly insisted that they take our extra water. Thankfully we had enough to spare.
The last bit before reaching Cory Pass is a narrow scree trail where the magnificent mountains clearly come into view. Honestly anywhere you looked on this trail, you would astounded.
Without a doubt, the mystical Gargoyle Valley between Mount Cory and Mount Edith was definitely my highlight. I loved the funky rock shapes.
We hung out for about half an hour or so before we completed the loop. The New Jersey tourists didn’t stay long. No doubt they were thirsty.
There is a little scree bit – not very long. It was there that we spotted a cellphone. I scooped it up and realized someone from the New Jersey group had dropped it. They were at least 40 minutes or so ahead of us. I pocketed the phone so I could return it.
I was worried that I wouldn’t catch them so when it was runnable I picked up the pace a bit. Thankfully I caught up with them about three kilometres from the parking lot. Funny thing is … they didn’t even know they had dropped it. Turns out the boyfriend had stuffed it in the side pocket of his backpack and when he went down the scree, it had fallen out.
Thankfully it all worked out. I would have felt awful if we hadn’t caught up with them. They were so happy. That’s me – doing my part for U.S.-Canadian relations.
Because we were so focused on finding the tourists, I didn’t take any pictures on the way back to the parking lot. There’s really not a lot to see as it is forested. Once you navigate across the rocks and up a short, steep climb into the trees, it’s mostly all downhill. There’s some nice running. Be sure to be light on your feet as there are lots of roots on the trail for the first couple of kilometres.
While to some this trail is considered challenging, there is no scrambling or death defying drops. Get your fitness in order. Then do this hike. You will love it.
Visit Trail Peaks to find out more about the Cory Pass and Edith Pass circuit.