Trail Cafe: Trip report - West Bragg Creek Mtn Rd-Moose Connector-Crystal Line-Sundog-Elbow-Iron Springs-Sundog

Summary:

Title: West Bragg Creek Mtn Rd-Moose Connector-Crystal Line-Sundog-Elbow-Iron Springs-Sundog
Trip type: skiing
Summary: A mixed batch of trails just west of Bragg creek. Today we ran through a parts of several sections to loop back to the south side of the trail set.The trails we are on today are a mix of active roads, cut-lines and I think old logging roads. Maybe eve purpose cleared trails.
Author: M. Tanton
Date of Trip: jan 3 2010
Country: Canada
Province: alberta
County/City/national park/etc: Kananaskis
Location Route: West Bragg Creek Mtn Rd-Moose Connector-Crystal Line-Sundog-Elbow-Iron Springs-Sundog
Distance: 13 km
Weather Conditions:Warm: +3 Degrees
Directions to Set in or Trail head: West from Calgary, South on Hwy 22 to Bragg Creek, West through town, Left at the end of the road, and follow out of town 9 km to the parking lot
Partners: Mike C.
Group experience level: mixed
Author's Experience level: Weak Intermediate (tracked)
Authors Trip Rating: good
Author's Email: myrlmungeattrailcafedotcom (remove 'munge', convert 'at' and 'dot' accordingly


Download Track, in GPX format (right click select "save as..." or 'download' as required)
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Map copyright Gvt of Alberta, 2010

Trail Description:

Conditions: grooming fair, snow fair to good. some ground material due to not much snow in a few spots, and iced in a few spots, but overall quite good.G

Today Mike and I heading out cross country skiing in Bragg Creek. Mikes first time out since High school (more than a small number of years ago), and my first outing for the year.

part of the parking lot part of the parking lot
Mike picks me up around 11:30, and coming from NW Calgary we arive at the parking lot around 12:30. The lot today is jam packed, it is a transitioning from cold to warm, and it seems like lots of folks are gettign out. Mike puts his skis on in the lot while I'm not looking. I hear the scuffle and grunt as he promptly lands on his ass. He he. I'm not sure if he noticed, but I walked my skis to the start of the track and put them on there. I did not want to suffer the same fate.

Mike is familiar with the area, from the hours he has logged on the mtn bike. The original plan is to run up and around Telephone Trail, which is to the north end of the trail section. That is a 14km or so long loop. However first Mike wants to get some semblance of form back, and want to run one of the smaller loops around. He says there is a small loop around a lake/pond of some type. Sounds good to me.

Mtn Road Trail, nearing Bridge over creek Mtn Road Trail, nearing Bridge over creek
We start off West down the Mountain Road trail (1.6km). It is, well a road that is closed. The tracks on it are groomed double track with enough room to skate ski in between. It runs along what looks like it could be a pond/bog down to the left. Lots of folks out walking, snow shoeing, and even skiing today. The bog is well trodden over. The road runs out over a bridge, and not long after comes to a fence.

There is a creek here, and we debate continuing on the road or turn right and follow the creek. We had not seen a map yet, missing the one at the start of the trails, but then we were not really looking. A chit chat with a skier coming back along the creek convinces us to continue a ways down the road.

End of the road End of the road
Here at the fence, maybe a km into the trail, the (recently) groomed tracks end.

The road runs up the first bit of hill for a little ways and then we see our first sign. Note that there are no trails marked for continuing down the road. We are told it is not worth going that way. The options are turn left or right. Right for Telephone trail, and left for several interconnecting trails. We decide against Telephone and head for the other trails.

Moose Connector Trail Moose Connector Trail
The first bit of trail is the Moose Connector (0.9km), This is still two tracks but much narrower, perhaps a trail cut just for Skiing (and/or cycling in the summer). The First sign post we come to we go right (South), and join the Crystal Line (1.3km) trail. After an s-bend the trail becomes a strait track, as in cut line strait. There are several options and branches in the trail system here. There is one trail that goes to the right after about half a km. This trail is not shown on the signs on the trail, but is on the map at the trail start. Next time I think I'll try this run, it looks like an semi-informal trail, the kind I like. It is the Loggers Loop Trail on the map.

Crystal Line Crystal Line
We stop for lunch on the Crystal Line trail. This section has a few hills, and I'd say it is a 'novice' run. However that is not to say completely novice, it does have some hills. While eating lunch a couple goes by one way, and a few minutes later come back from the way they came. Finally the take one of the short cuts back to the parking lot... there was a bit of low key screaming coming from the lady as she went down the hill.

On this section of trail it becomes apparent that equipment, or at least having equipment matched to your weight, makes a difference. Mike's glide is much better than mine, on the down hills I have to keep moving or get run over... or cause Mike to crash in an effort not to cream me from behind.

Sundog Trail: Mike checking out the drop down into the valley. Sundog Trail: Mike checking out the drop down into the valley.
After the 1.3km, we come to the Sundog loop trail, and we decide that we've not had nearly enough yet, and take this trail. I seem to recall that there was a sign indicating that his is a blue (IE intermediate) run(?) And I would agree that holds, with a general elevation gain and occasionally the steeper, but fairly short hills into and out of small gullies. Also there are Ice flow warnings, which I assume are an issue sometimes, as the trail suddenly becomes smooth ice or liquid water. It was not much trouble today. It has been cool enough since the last snow, that most of the ice is buried.

About 1km into Sundog trail, Loggers loop re-connects to it, and a few hundred meters into later comes the branch where you can continue the the loop back to the parking lot or go right and further south on Elbow trail. Still feeling good, we choose the latter adding an extra 5km to our day.

Jctn Sundog and Elbow Trail, Elbow branch Jctn Sundog and Elbow Trail, Elbow branch
Elbow trail (2km), continues the intermediate level, with as I recall more undulating hills but more up than down for the first half, and a general down hill for the second half. There are is at least one short branch where one side is 'blue' the other is 'black' (hard). We both opt for the blue. I spent much of this section trying to catch up to Mike. After about 2km, there is a fork in the trail, stay to the left to take the loop back. After the turn this becomes the Iron Springs Trail (3.4km)

The Iron Springs trail starts out with an opening to the left, as the trail bends around back towards the east. There is a pretty good down hill to Iron Creek, and the climb up the other side, with a fairly sharp corner at the bottom. After coming up the hill on the other side the trail opens up out of the trees a fair bit. With views down to the snow covered pond below. A good spot to stop for a rest or lunch. It is also exposed to the sun, and it is here that the trail iced up for several hundred meters. It suprising how hard it is to go up a slight incline in an iced up track.

Iron Springs Trail: bit of a slog going up. Iron Springs Trail: bit of a slog going up.
It was here after coming up the bit of a hill that we stopped for a bit of a chit chat with a mom with a young infant while they were having lunch. The little guy was maybe a year old, and she'd carried him/her in on a backpack style carrier. At the time I thought 'good for her', but thinking on it, I'm not so sure I'd approve. That is a long way for a baby to fall in a wipe out... especially if mom landed on top. During our chit chat it was clear she'd never been on this trail before, and it was an intermediate difficulty. I guess that explains her questions on the trail. As an aside, I recall distinctly the sickening sound of my own daughters head hitting the ground when she was a year old. While carrying her, I'd tripped over backwards over another child that got wrapped in my legs... so maybe I suffer from the once bit, twice shy syndrome. (she was fine by the way)

Itron springs Trail: Mostly down hill from here Itron springs Trail: Mostly down hill from here
Anyways, As promised by the young mom, the trail was a fairly steady climb back for about 1/2 of the 3.4 km distance back. I know I was tired, and Mike who after the first 15 minutes out today was really hit is stride, was starting to fall once in a while, without me being in his way at the bottom of the hills that is. I'm sure he was getting tired too. Once you come to the fence, the second half of the trail was mostly down hill. This trail is noticeably different from the other portions of the trails we did today. It is running through what look to be old logging cuts, so there are large patches of fairly young lodgepole pines.

There is the option of skiing one way between Allen Bill pond and the West Bragg creek parking lot. But the two main trails in the loop are different enough to make me wonder why anyone would go through the bother of the car shuttle.

Panormama of view seen on Sundog Panormama of view seen on Sundog

Sundog Trail: final decent Sundog Trail: final decent
On the way back you have the option of coming more or less strait into the parking lot, or taking an extra 2 km leg on the East side of Crystal Line. We had enough for the day and took the shorter Sundog trail. This section of the trail opens up enough to give a view of the foothills/mountains the only real long distance view I recall from the day. This trail ends with a semi steep hill down into the valley the road runs through. A final bit of excitement. After that the trail runs for a short bit along the road, back to the parking lot.

Mike was very impressed with trail system and condition of trail (including road conditions on the way out). Well worth the drive, especially if you live in the southern part of Calgary.



Gallery

part of the parking lot

Mtn Road Trail: looking back towards parking lot

Mtn Road Trail, nearing Bridge over creek

End of the road

Moose Connector Trail

Crystal Line

Sundog Trail: Mike checking out the drop down into the valley.

Sundog trail

Jctn Sundog and Elbow Trail, Elbow branch

Jctn Sundog and Elbow Trail, Sundog branch

Options. Black or Blue?

Elbow trail: bit of a view

Elbow Trail: around the bog

Elbow Trail: Mike waiting for a ice flow to get him? or for that slow guy he is with.

Iron Springs Trail: bit of a slog going up.

Itron springs Trail: Mostly down hill from here

Jcn Left Sundog, Right Crystal line.

Panormama of view seen on Sundog

Sundog Trail: final decent

He he, Yeah Mike you knew this one was going up.

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Content Copyright M. Tanton 2010


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