BOU AVENUE
Stoney Loop
Hoping to take advantage of a recent fresh dump of snow, Zosia Zgolak and I did a rare ski tour of the northern section of Stoney Trail in Alberta's Bow Valley Provincial Park on 24 March 2024.  Kananaskis Country Trail Guide author Gillean Daffern has a nice description of this area which is presumably frequented mostly by guests of the nearby Rafter Six Ranch or YMCA Camp Chief Hector.  At first glance, the network of horse trails here would appear to make for some intriguing ski touring possibilities, but the reality is that snow conditions are likely marginal most winters due to frequent winds and warm temperatures.  As it turned out, the snow coverage was adequate enough for skiing on the flats this day, but there were still plenty of "sharks" which made any downhill section a bit of an adventure on skis.

Starting from a parking lot at the southern terminus of Highway 22X (51.0762, -115.0493), Zosia and I skied past a boulder barricade and followed the continuation of the highway which is essentially the start of Stoney Trail.  The trail initially goes southward before bending eastward and then dropping to the banks of Kananaskis River.  At some point, Stoney Trail turns away from the river at a junction marked by a wooden tag with the number "60", but we inadvertently continued on another similarly wide trail and ended up at a riverside picnic site replete with a corral and outhouse.  Not realizing that we had missed the Stoney Trail turnoff, we muddled along a narrower horse trail which hugs the river for a bit before climbing onto a ridge with some limited views to the south.  Ignoring a side trail which drops off the ridge, we eventually reconnected with Stoney Trail and followed it westward until we reached a T-junction near a power line right-of-way.  We turned left (downhill) here and, shortly after, made a hairpin turn to the right heading northwest under the power line.  At the next junction, Stoney Trail makes another hairpin turn to the south, but we continued straight on another narrow trail which ultimately drops down a steep slope to the edge of YMCA Camp Chief Hector.  The boundary of the camp is marked by a fence with numerous "No Trespassing" signs, and we were mindful of staying outside the property as we stopped to take a short break in the warm sun.

When we resumed skiing, Zosia and I followed the fence line to a large open meadow northeast of the camp.  Turning west, we again hugged the fence line until we spotted some disc golf baskets inside the property.  Wistful that we would probably never play the disc golf course here, we veered away from the fence and thrashed through a bit of bush to reach the eastern end of seldom-visited Chilver Lake.  From there, we backtracked through the bush and then skied northward through some closed group campsites before returning to our parked car to complete our loop.
There were lots of elk near the parking area. Zosia begins skiing at the northern terminus of Stoney Trail.
It's a good thing that they did not want to stand their ground! Two wapitis are surprised to see intruders on their territory.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
I thought it was an old corral! Zosia passes the remnants of a lodge built by indigenous people for a religious ceremony (ti-jurabi-chubi).  In the background is Yates Mountain (Barrier Lake Lookout).
The river was flowing fast and deep here.

Stoney Trail skirts along the western bank of Kananaskis River.
Would be kinda boring to walk this! Much of the northern section of Stoney Trail is forested.
There's even a convenient outhouse nearby! Zosia arrives at a picnic site along the river.
Mount Baldy looks like a Himalayan giant or the great Fujiyama! Zosia catches a glimpse of Mount Baldy in the distance as she climbs away from the river.
#@$%&*! Sonny has some trouble getting over a fallen log across the trail.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
The power line right-of-way could be an interesting AT ski with more snow... Stoney trail crosses under a power line here.
I think more elk use this trail than humans! Zosia follows a connector trail that eventually leads to YMCA Camp Chief Hector.
Lotsa sharks here too! Sonny is not too proud to pick up his skis and walk a lengthy downhill section that is too steep for his liking.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Lotsa "No Trespassing" signs along the fence! Zosia and Sonny stop for a break on a knoll just outside YMCA Camp Chief Hector.
Like wild animals, I'm always testing the boundaries... Zosia follows the boundary fence for YMCA Camp Chief Hector.  The top of Mount Yamnuska is barely visible through the clouds at distant right.
It's a shame that this course isn't open to the public. Zosia notices a red disc golf basket inside the boundary of YMCA Camp Chief Hector.

Might be worth coming back in the summer...

Chilver Lake is still mostly frozen and snow-covered.  Recognizable peaks in the distance include Biffy Peak (Engagement Mountain) at left and Door Jamb Mountain at right.

 

A rare opportunity to ski an area that seldom retains snow. Total Distance:  11.2 kilometres
Round-Trip Time:  5 hours 28 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain:  104 metres

GPX Data