Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• Elevation gain: 50 meters/165 feet
• Rating: easy
• Trailhead: Follow the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail 40 kilometers (25 miles) south from
Canmore, then head 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) west to the Mount Shark staging area.
Most of the hiking in Spray Valley Provincial Park requires some route finding; Watridge
Lake is the exception and is open to mountain bikes. The trail begins from behind the in-
formation board at the entrance to the main parking lot, skirting a maze of cross-country
ski trails and quickly reaching the muddy shoreline of the lake, which is known for excel-
lent cutthroat trout fishing. Dedicated anglers stop here; most other hikers cross the lake's
outlet and continue 900 meters/0.6 mile (allow 20 minutes one-way) to a delightful spring
that bursts from the forested slopes of Mount Shark and flows along a riverbed carpeted in
moss.
Jakeroy Glacier
• Length: 4 kilometers/2.5 miles (1.5-2 hours) one-way
• Elevation gain: 600 meters/1,970 feet
• Rating: moderate/difficult
• Trailhead: Spray Lake West Campground
This small, hidden glacier is nestled in the shadow of the Goat Range. Reaching it entails
some route finding, but the rewards are ample. To get to the trailhead, follow the camp-
ground access road for 1.5 kilometers (0.9 mile) beyond the end of the dam wall and park
where it crosses a small creek (opposite Site 17). At the No Camping sign on the upstream
side of the road, search out the trail that disappears into a forest of lodgepole pine. The trail
parallels the creek for much of the way, making a minimal elevation gain through a moss-
carpeted valley, until emerging in an open area where the creek flows through a willow-
choked meadow. The headwall and hanging valley are now in clear view straight ahead.
Continue a little farther, crossing the creek below a waterfall. From this point onward, the
trail becomes indistinct, climbing steeply up the scree slope between the cliff face and the
tree line. Most of the elevation gain is made in this last one kilometer (0.6 mile). The final
steep pitch is through a forest of Engelmann spruce and larch into a hanging valley. A mo-
raine running along the left side of the valley affords the best views of the glacier.
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