WATERTON AND CASTLE — THE PERFECT ROCKY MOUNTAIN COMBO
Some things have changed in Waterton Lakes National Park since the Kenow Fire and some things haven’t. When you stand on the hill behind the historic Prince of Wales Hotel, the wind still blows so hard you feel like you could take flight. The view from that spot is one of the most alluring sights in the Canadian Rockies and you should really savour it this year, because many of the other park viewpoints are closed. Even though the village is open for business, about 80 per cent of the hiking trails and roads inside the park are closed. For those who want to support the tiny mountain community, there is an appealing solution — combine a trip to Waterton with some hiking in nearby Castle Provincial Park or Castle Wildland Provincial Park.
Waterton is the smallest of the Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks and even though the September 2017 fire affected more than 190 square kilometres of land within the park, it is already recovering. Wildfire is a natural part of a forest ecosystem and scientists say it performs an important role in diversifying plant life. On a recent visit, my daughter and I saw plenty of fire damaged trees, but we also saw a lot of green foliage and many different kinds of wildflowers. We saw herds of bighorn sheep, mule deer and several species of birds. People told us they had seen a grizzly with three cubs near the village — a sure sign the mother bear was healthy last year despite the fire.
Waterton is still so beautiful it makes your heart ache. We walked along the lakefront, felt the mist of Cameron Falls, looked for birds in the Maskinonge wetlands, hiked a short way up Red Rock Canyon Parkway which is closed to vehicles, drove the Chief Mountain Highway and rode horses through the foothills. Alpine Stables was destroyed by the fire, but the Watson family, which owns it, was able to save the horses and has opened a temporary stable at the old location. Our interpretive ride included information on flora and fauna and close-up looks at the effects of the fire.
The iconic Waterton Crypt Lake hike was untouched by the fire and we would have hiked that trail, but parks staff said it was still icy at the top when we visited in May. I didn’t want to tackle one of the “World’s 20 Most Thrilling Trails” (National Geographic, 2014 and 2017) in snow and ice, so we made a plan to hike Table Mountain, about an hour’s drive northwest of Waterton.
The trail to Table Mountain begins in Castle Provincial Park, but the peak itself is in Castle Wildland Provincial Park. A marker on the trail tells you where the border between the two parks falls. Along the trail, we saw plenty of wildflowers and spotted some bighorn sheep and a moose.
Alberta’s newest provincial parks were established in February 2017 and encompass just over 1,000 square km of mountains and foothills. Their proximity to Waterton Lakes National Park means they protect many of the same species and it seems rather fortuitous that the parks were established before the fire wreaked its havoc.
Table Mountain is one of the signature hikes in the region and even though I struggled a bit on the steepest parts, it was worth it. The view from the top is every bit as good if not better than the Bear’s Hump hike in Waterton. Since we typically hike Bear’s Hump each time we go to Waterton, Table Mountain filled a gap for us.
My daughter and I sat at the top and enjoyed a picnic lunch while soaking in the incredible view. It’s true that some things have changed in Waterton, but change often leads to new discoveries. Staying in Waterton and hiking in Castle might become a new tradition for us.