Vision Quest

It started outside a waste disposal site.

Thirty minutes outside Nordegg Alberta along the David Thompson highway lies a sign for Cline's Waste Disposal site, but no trace of a more important, most gorgeous hiking trail. And so out of the way anyone would almost certainly miss it. Seems to be an intentionally well-kept secret.

Just beyond the turn off and around the bend the trailhead lies hidden. Surrounded by an infinite supply of trees and mountains, next to the gates to the site and up an insignificant looking small gravel rise, for every eager hiker, Vision Quest hiking trail awaits.

The trail is just under 4 miles in length, and an altitude of about 2, 600 feet. The steepness of this scramble and all its slippery loose rock and shale most of the way, makes the difficulty level quite high. But with beautiful wild flowers on the way up, followed by an outstanding view of Lake Abraham, the main draw, there is no denying it is worth the three hours of scrambling it takes to get up there. At least we thought so. In my ugliest of tights if I do say so.

Abraham Lake in all its magnificent glory never looks so beautiful as it does after the hike has been conquered. Between the Saskatchewan River Crossing and Nordegg, this man-made lake was created by what is now called TransAlta. The view from the top is so magnificent it gave me shivers. The lake lines the David Thompson highway along the Canadian Rockies and is Alberta's largest reservoir. At just over 30km in length, its blue color is caused by the silt, or small rock particles also known as rock flour, from glacial erosion which grinds the mountain bedrock down to small blue particles.

In February of 1972 the Alberta government sponsored a contest which asked students to submit names for the lake, taking into account its geography, topography and all historic people or those of great significance. Turns out it was named after a Nakoda Indian who lived along the Saskatchewan River valley and Kootenay Plains in the 1800's. His name was Silas Abraham. In 1906 and 1907 he was employed as the guide to Mary Shaeffer in her exploration of the Canadian Rockies. Abraham was also the guide to Martin Nordegg, from whom the community of Nordegg was named in 1914.

Sat along the eastern shores of the front view from the top is Mount Michener, Mount Ernest to the South and Abraham Mountain to the North. Although there is a lack of much in the way of flat parts and most of the way up is on a steep incline, there is not a lot of dense forrest or bush either, leaving an almost perfect view of the Lake for much of the way up.The best time of year to do the hike is between May and October as this is when the weather is most forgiving.

The hike down can be hard on the knees, so it's best to take it slow. But with those beautiful wildflowers, stunning mountains and trees as far as the eye can see, one hardly notices the loose rock and shale threatening a loss of footing with every step. All those who have gone before claim it's worth it!

Well, so long for now and until next time, Vision Quest.

Bailey Sue