A reintroduction and some larch news
Late September is the most magical time of year to hike in Alberta
Rockbound Lake in Banff National Park, September 24, 2017
👋It’s been awhile! We hope you enjoyed some memorable adventures this summer.
Ours included many camping & oTENTik trips, some short hikes, some cargo bike rides with a newborn and toddler (for Cailynn), and a delightful recent trip to Elizabeth Parker Hut at Lake O’Hara with four babies, five “big” kids, a handful of grandparents, and a whack of parents willing to forgo sleep and embrace beautiful mountain adventures for a few days (more on that trip and our love for hut life at a future date).
We’ve welcomed many new subscribers over the summer, so a little re-introduction and what to expect, before we get to today’s news…which is all about larches.
We’re Annalise and Cailynn. We’re sisters who’ve been hiking, biking and skiing in Alberta since childhood (that’s us👇). We started this newsletter four years ago (this month…Happy Birthday to us!) as pandemic restrictions led more Albertans than ever before to explore their own backyards.
By day, Cailynn is a writer, editor and freelance journalist, while Annalise runs a communications firm. We’ve kept this little pandemic project going (on and off, through life’s ups and downs, as our dear readers who’ve been with us since Day 1 know) and today it serves as a way for us to share advice, stories, trip reports, interviews, reflections, tangible tips, opinions, photos, and just general outdoorsy goodness every couple weeks with our growing community of 2,500+.
We’re living in a time when our inboxes and social media feeds are jam-packed with content, content and more content. We truly strive to delight and inspire, and be a bright spot in your inbox. We aim to bring you quality over quantity.
We both continue to be happiest outside. Since we started this newsletter, we’ve each welcomed two new humans to our crews. Being able to introduce our little ones to the great outdoors is a true joy, but we also want to be clear that this isn’t a mom blog (no shade, just not our jam).
Our readers span the continent and range from people who are new to living near the mountains and just getting into hiking or skiing or biking, to families, to people who’ve been exploring and adventuring for more than 50 years. If you enjoy our work, please share it with a friend.
Ok, now time to talk Larches!
Paradise Valley in Banff National Park, September 19, 2020
It’s already that time of year again in Alberta’s Rockies. Our favourite time to hike! Alpine larches have soft needles that turn from green to golden every fall, making what are normally picturesque trails even more magical. Read on for some answers to common larch questions.
Q: What’s the big deal about larches, why do people care so much about yellow trees?
A: Simply put, larches are beautiful. There’s something about bright yellow trees (often popping against white-capped peaks) that’s just stunning. It’s a really special time of year to hike. That being said, our theory on the growing popularity of larch hiking is multi-faceted. The fact the golden needles only last for a few weeks adds a sense of urgency. The fact you don’t know when exactly they’ll start to change adds a sense of adventure. And, lastly, we’d be remiss not to mention the internet and social media.
Burstall Pass in Kananaskis, September 30, 2018
Q: When will the larches turn golden?
A: Good question! It depends. This colourful transformation typically happens from about mid-September to early October. But it depends. Last year, heat-stressed larches appeared to turn golden earlier than usual, but the season itself seemed to line up with previous years. We’ve included dates on all the photos in this post so you can see when we’ve successfully found larches in previous years.
Part of the adventure is discovering when and where the trees change colour. (We’ll be hunting this week!) Not every larch hike is successful. You may find fluorescent green needles at your destination, not the golden colour you had hoped for. Luckily, these are scenic trails to begin with — so even sans yellow larches, you’ll find stunning mountain views.
A larch tree just starting to change colour on the Oderay Grandview Trail in Yoho National Park on August 12, 2023.
Q: Where should I go to see Larches?
A: Some of our favourite mountain larch hikes include: Healy Pass, Burstall Pass, Rockbound Lake, Saddleback Trail, Taylor Lake, Arnica Lake, Chester Lake, Galatea Lake and Northover Ridge Loop (overnight backpack). We’ve been larch hiking for more than a decade and are still discovering new enjoyable trails every fall.
Banff National Park has a handy guide to larch trails. And, so does Friends of Kananaskis.
And, fun fact. You actually don’t even need to go to the mountains to see golden larches. There are options if you don’t want to leave Calgary.
Q: Where should I not go to see Larches?
A: Avoid the Highwood Pass area in Kananaskis this year (2024). There is ongoing construction = even more limited parking than usual, as well as intermittent closures. Roadside Parking is not permitted. (Trails in this area include Highwoods Meadow Interpretive Trail, Pocaterra Cirque and Ridge Routes, Arethusa Cirque and Ptarmigan Cirque.) And, here’s an old video of the area in 2022 if you’d like a taste of how busy larch season can be.
Larch Valley in Banff National Park is stunning and there’s good reason it’s the most well-known larch hike, but that also means it involves extra planning and logistics. (We left Calgary at 3:45 a.m. when we attempted this hike in 2020. Now that Moraine Lake is closed to vehicles, the logistics involve a public or private bus ride, or a 14 km bike.)
Northover Ride Loop in Kananaskis, September 21, 2019.
Q: How should I prepare for a larch hike?
A: We can’t stress this enough. You need a Plan B. And a Plan C. Larch season can be nutty busy in the Rockies, so do research and have a couple backup hikes if you can’t find parking at the one you want. And please only park in designated lots and obey all signs.
If possible, don’t go on the weekend. We frequently larch hike during the week and it tends to be less busy. You could also try heading out earlier in the morning.
Other than that, as always, prepare for changes in weather, varied conditions (including snow), take bear spray and ensure someone knows where you’ll be hiking.
Healy Pass in Banff National Park, September 24, 2016
As we’ve said, the golden goodness doesn’t last long. Happy larch hunting! Let us know what you find.
Hidden Lake on September 25, 2022
I am amused by the Larch mania. We've done a couple fall hikes that happened to be in larch season (Rowe Lakes in Waterton was spectactular) but never intentionally chased the changing larch.
Realised why driving the Crowsnest highway near Thanksgiving a couple years ago - there are sections of entire mountains covered in larches down there! Yes the experience is a bit different, but if folks miss the Alberta alpine larch experience, take a fall drive down through the Kootenays (all the way to Nelson).