Rae Glacier is one of the easternmost glaciers in the Canadian Rockies. It’s a small alpine glacier in Kananaskis Country. The glacier sits above Elbow Lake, near the headwaters of the Elbow River.
A cool fact: the water from this area eventually flows through the Elbow River into the homes of Calgary residents.
Mount Rae is named after Dr. John Rae, a famous Scottish doctor and explorer. He came to Canada in the 1880s and worked at the Hudson’s Bay Company. Mostly he is known for discovering the missing piece of the sea route through the Arctic ocean so ships could sail through to the Northwest Passage.
With its relatively easy access and fascinating history, Rae Glacier seemed like an ideal choice for a group hike.
Rae Glacier trailhead
The trail to the glacier starts at the Elbow Pass Day Use Area on Highway 40. There’s a huge parking lot that definitely fills up on weekends.
It’s a pretty straightforward hike, one of the most accessible glaciers because there is not a lot of elevation gain (roughly 440 metres).You first hike to Elbow Lake (just over a kilometre) before continuing past the campground to follow the trail toward Mount Rae and the glacier.
Choosing a hike everyone could enjoy
When I offered to take my coworkers out for a hike, I immediately thought of some local favourite peaks. Then after thinking it through, though, I realized I needed a trail that was accessible, achievable and not too demanding. When I take groups out, I usually have a pretty good sense of their abilities. This group was different. I didn’t know everyone’s experience level, so I wanted something that landed in the middle.
Our objective was to have fun, enjoy each other’s company and take in the beauty of the mountains. My friend Barb suggested Rae Glacier. I had never been there before, but after reading trail reports and looking at photos, it seemed the perfect choice. A few people in the group had hiked it before, and agreed with my choice.
On the trail to Rae Glacier
On this chilly Sunday morning, we had two options when we reached the lake – turn left toward Edworthy Falls or head right to Rae Glacier. I was secretly hoping the group would choose the glacier. Most glaciers in the Canadian Rockies are shrinking, and I wanted to see this one while there it still existed. I couldn’t find a reliable source on the actual retreat rate in the last 20 years, for example. But I have read descriptions that confirm the glacier is quickly receding.
Hoorah the glacier was the clear winner.
Once we left the lake, we hiked through the campground, and continued along the creek bed. There was some pink flagging tape but they were hard to spot because there was a lot of downed trees and washed out trails. We climbed through the trees and emerging onto an open slope, where we took in our first clear views of the cirque and Mount Rae.
The trail dropped down again and we followed it along the rocky creek, where the views really began to open up including the glacier in the distance.
Reaching the glacier
Rocks were slippery and we had to cross water a few times. There wasn’t one clearly marked trail so we took a route that took us to the foot of the glacier. One woman in our group spotted a fossil so that was pretty cool. We stopped at the foot to have a rest and eat an early lunch. After reaching the glacier in about two hours, we were pleasantly surprised to have the whole mountain to ourselves.
A worthwhile detour
What a perfect day! I was happy to see that the group stick together and encourage one another. It was rewarding to watch a few people push themselves to reach the glacier. (I love to tell people they are much stronger than they think they are.)
After taking our time descending, we arrived back at the lake, heading the same way we came. We decided to continue to Edworthy Falls. While the pass leading to the waterfalls was stunning, the waterfalls were a little underwhelming.
Rae Glacier was the highlight of the day, and I was glad we chose it as our destination.
What would you rather see waterfalls or a glacier? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.