STUNNING VISTAS BECKON IN BOB CREEK WILDLAND
Shortly before noon — after trudging through the pines for four hours — I crested a hill and broke free of the forest. I set my 20-kilogram pack on a rock, chugged some water, and soaked in the splendour. To the west, the ice-scoured peaks of the Livingstone Range sliced into a silky sky smeared with saucer-shaped clouds. To the east, rolling cattleflecked plains melted into the horizon. And to the south (where my car and civilization called), the Oldman River and a series of ridgelines, capped with beautiful wildflowers and ancient limber pines, flowed out of the wilderness.
I had a choice to make. Do I follow the beaten path and descend back into the forest, along the shady banks of Camp Creek, and get back to my car as quickly as possible? Or do I trudge even higher, attain a wind-blasted ridge, and take the road less travelled?
My decision needed to take into account a few key factors. For starters, I was tired. I had been trekking through the Bob Creek Wildland for two days (I didn’t encounter another soul the entire time), and my food and water supply was low. According to my map, I had another 12 kilometres to get back to my vehicle; not an insignificant distance. And the ridge would require plenty of additional energy. I lay down on the grass, watched an eagle floating high on a thermal, and pondered my plan.
Of course, the gorgeous, glacier-carved ridgelines are what make this region — widely known as “The Whaleback” — so noteworthy. Peppered with ancient limber pine — the dead ones Gothic-looking beasts with gnarled roots and twisted branches blown smooth by a million Chinook winds — these ridges afford a one-of-a-kind hiking experience. Throw in the panoramic views, the Douglas fir, the wildflowers and other unique vegetation that’s only found in this under-protected montane ecosystem, and my decision wasn’t difficult. After a short rest, a granola bar lunch, and an obligatory “selfie,” I threw on my pack and set course for a ragged, solitary pine that was probably alive when Genghis Khan was wreaking havoc 800 years ago.
Located just two hours south of Calgary, the Bob Creek Wildland Provincial Park is an under-theradar hiking destination that, together with the neighbouring Black Creek Heritage Rangeland, is home to the largest intact parcel of montane landscape in Alberta. Although this area also protects alpine and sub-alpine landscapes, this large swath of montane — defined as “cool, moist, upland slopes below timberline” — is the real prize. At 21,340 hectares, it’s a massive area to explore.
However, like basically all of Alberta’s Wildland Parks (there are 33 of them in total), there are no services, no facilities, and no designated campsites. Bob Creek is backcountry adventuring at its best. Although there are designated hiking and OHV trails that are somewhat marked, things are primitive at best. Those who venture into Bob Creek need to be prepared for wilderness survival.
Most people who explore the Bob Creek Wildland (the park is especially popular for horseback riding) start at the southern access point, which is located 13 kilometres west of Highway 22 via a gravel road. The turnoff is located just north of the Oldman River bridge, approximately 200 kilometres south of Calgary. While backcountry camping is allowed in Bob Creek Wildland, overnight camping and fires are not permitted in the neighbouring Black Creek Heritage Rangeland.
There is another seldom-used access point approximately five kilometres west of the Bob Creek staging area at Camp Creek. The jeep trail to access this access point is rough and ragged and should not be attempted with anything less than a 4x4 vehicle. Due to numerous rocks, holes, and deep ruts, I took my time but made it relatively easily with my battle-scarred RAV 4.
Not surprisingly, rough trails — which included numerous creek crossings, fallen trees, and overgrown sections — were par for the course on my solo adventure. After trekking deep into Bob Creek on my first day (I packed lightweight tenting gear and set up an overnight camp along the creek) I got up early the following morning, enjoyed a hot oatmeal breakfast, and kept moving higher and higher into the wilderness. All morning I maintained a fairly steady pace along a partially overgrown hiking trail in the forest that offered little in the way of scenic views. However, near noon the scenery took a dramatic turn to the good.
As I approached the summit of the trail and said goodbye to the thick forests on the north-facing slopes, I had a feeling that the open grasslands, the rich biological diversity, and the panoramic vistas of Bob Creek were in my immediate future. And sauntering those final 12 kilometres along the unrelenting ridgeline proved to be the overwhelming highlight of my adventure.
Bob Creek is backcountry adventuring at its best...Those who venture (there) need to be prepared for wilderness survival.