Hike To Nigel Creek Valley

It was a sunny morning in late summer when I picked up my friend in Calgary AB and we headed in the general direction of Banff National Park. As we were leaving the rolling hills of Calgary and approaching the foothills of the great Rocky Mountains we witnessed a phenomena I have never seen before. There was a fog or mist hugging the contours of the mountains, I had to stop and take a few pictures as I have never seen such a sight before.

The drive to the trail head is quite a long one as once you are in the National Park you have to take the Icefeilds Parkway exit off of Hwy 1. The scenery is nothing short of spectacular as the road follows the twists and turn of the steep walled valley with huge Rocky Mountains on both sides. Before long Bow Lake is showing up like a green jewel set in Hematite.

One should never try and travel this road way while in a hurry as there is so much to see and there can be a traffic slow downs at any time as wildlife can be anywhere, so you have to expect them be on the road at anytime. As you navigate the twists and turns soon there will be a huge opening with a large switchback as you exit the Bow Valley and start to ascend a long steep hill. Once you are on the summit there will be a brown sign that reads “Nigel Creek Trailhead” if you bear right you will find a small parking lot with an information kiosk. It is always good to read postings on the kiosk as it will warn of trail conditions or wildlife advisories.

We donned our packs and tightened our hiking boots for the trek ahead. The trail is moderate with some narrow sections but for the most part it is a slow climb through boreal forest that frequently breaks open to wide alpine meadows. Not long into the hike we crossed the boundary from Banff National Park into Jasper National Park. There is no shortage of great mountain views and the wonder of nature, as the grand trees yield to willows and scrub brush. The power of water is demonstrated by some of the frequently washed boulder moraine.

We were nearly to our planned destination, Boulder Creek campsite when I could see not far in the distance a late summer squall was heading our way from up the steep valley. I suggested to my friend that we seek some cover as we were in for an early snow storm. We were in an open saddle between two peaks and the wind was tearing at our clothes as the hard snow/hail pelted us. We sought shelter behind a large boulder until the storm blew its self out. We were pinned down for a little less than an hour, but it cased us to have to turn around and head back to the car as the walk we were on had been over 2 hours and we would be running out of daylight before long.