Galatea Creek Trail to Guinn’s Pass

I put out a call on Instagram – where should I go this weekend? One helpful instagrammer @chili_kale suggested that I try Galatea Lakes. A quick Google search later and I have my mind made up.

The Galatea Creek trail connects Ribbon Lake and Lillian Lake backcountry campgrounds. Starting at the Galatea Creek trail parking lot, I ventured up to Guinn’s Pass on Saturday. (Note: Next time I will be better prepared to hike/run up to Ribbon Lake.)

The parking lot was easy enough to find. Basically it’s a right turn off Hwy 40 after you pass the Kananaskis Golf Course. You will see a sign for Galatea Mountain and just around the corner, you take a sharp turn into the parking lot.

I was there early enough that I didn’t have to worry about fighting for a parking space. Hours later when I came down it was another story. Let’s just say people can find some creative ways to park when there’s a shortage of space.

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From the parking lot, you walk/run about 500 metres until you come across the sign. My plan was to check out Guinn’s Pass for an easy out and back.

I passed a foursome of Koreans who were going finishing at Lillian Lake. I was running/hiking and stopping to take photos so our paths crossed a lot for the first three kilometres.

Not long after passing the sign, I came across a suspension bridge and shortly after another bridge. In all there were right proper wooden bridges across the Galatea Creek.

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Generally the trail to Lillian Lake was runnable. There were a few rocky spots where you had to be careful. Since the trail runs parallel to the creek, there were sections that were met and slightly muddy. There’s some gradual elevation gain but nothing significant. No poles necessary.

I was happy to have the trail to myself as I heard it is a “popular hike” – aka busy. But I know that if you are out on trail before 9 a.m. you can beat most of the foot traffic. Other than the people who were fishing, I didn’t see anyone until I reached Lillian Lake.

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I enjoyed a mostly silent trek/run through the woods with the glimpse of the odd bird or rodent. Nothing beats the freshness in the air and the smell of the trees first thing in the morning. I don’t know about you but I always feel comforted by the sound of water.

Maybe it’s because I grew up near an ocean? I passed several small waterfalls and gushing creeks. Lovely.

A weathered sign along the creek had indicated that there was some major flood damage in 2013 that damaged the original Guinn’s Pass route. The original route was rerouted with its junction at the Lower Galatea Lake, after Lillian Lake.

I knew I was close to Lillian Lake when I could hear voices in the distance. Also I could see the opal lake peaking through the trees. It’s a lovely lake. There were a few people fishing but mostly people sitting and staring at the lake.

I walked pass the sign to Galatea Lakes/Guinn’s Pass before I got myself on the trail. Really there’s no where else to go other than the campground so it didn’t matter which way I left the lake.

Once I cleared the lake, I prepared for a little climbing. I passed a group of five (which I would pass at least twice again that day) while I hustled up the narrow trail.

The terrain was pretty much the same as below until I reached an exposed rocky section – where the views opened up. It was marvellous. Thankfully it was a lovely day and I didn’t have to worry (too much) about getting rained on. From there I passed another foursome with heavy packs as I made it to the the glorious Galatea Lakes.

I had the lakes all to myself so I sat down and ate my apple and took some photos. Really I thought to myself, you can’t beat this.

I checked the map again to see the distance to Guinn’s Pass. It had only taken me a couple of hours to get to Galatea so I had plenty of time to spend in the mountains.

The first bit was over scree and rocky trail. I was incredibly careful because I did not want to reinjure my right ankle.

Once I navigated across the short section of scree, I turned the corner to glorious panoramic and mountain views. I don’t know the name of the mountains so I can’t share them with you. Next time I will definitely learn the names so it is more meaningful to you.

My eyes feasted on the lush green valleys and blooming wildflowers. Once again I felt fortunate to have the place to myself for now. (Again another story when I tried to run down.)

At the pass, I missed the trail down to bowl so I did some “scree skiing” but mostly I slid down on my butt. I found the trail going back up easily.

Heading down was uneventful. I stopped along the switchbacks to take more photos. Once I reached Galatea Lakes, I ran into someone every other minute. Once again I thanked my lucky stars that I started early on Saturday.

Trail tip: Get on the trail early to avoid the late-afternoon rush. The Galatea Creek trail has an annual seasonal closure in place between April 1st and late June to allow the trail to dry and prevent damage.