Home»All Photographs»2018 Hikes»Horseshoe Basin 11-03-18

I would place Horseshoe Basin in the top three hikes of 2018 in terms of my enjoyment. David and Clayton joined me on this wonderfully scenic outing. Each valley and ridge that we hiked through had its own distinct 'feel' and scenery. The entire trip was a loop as well, which is always a treat - no repetition.
We started with the long drive south to Waterton Lakes National Park, and got an amazing sunrise with the windmills near the town of Pincher Creek.
Once at the trailhead, we geared up for the windy weather (a constant in this area).
We soon ascended a ridge westward into Horseshoe Basin, and hiked through an eerie forest of burned trees - a reminder of the severe wildfires that swept through this park in 2017.
The trail swung north across Galwey Brook and then began a series of steep switchbacks toward a high pass.
At the pass, we scrambled easily up the west side of Lakeview Ridge. The wind was at our back at this point, but I knew that after summiting, we would be taking the brunt of the force head-on. Descending back to the pass provided challenging conditions - it was tough to keep our balance and the wind was so strong that it went up our nostrils and reversed the direction of air while breathing - an odd and uncomfortable feeling.
After descending from the pass into Oil Basin, we left the worst of the wind behind and settled into a nice lunch spot in the charred forest. Here too, the tress took the appearance of a 'haunted forest' (see picture 18).
Further down valley, the trail abrubtly flattened out and seemed as if we were hiking in the prairies. This section then connected to a fenceline trail along the north boundary of the park, before turning 90 degrees south along the east boundary. We crossed Galwey Brook once more and soon were within eyesight of our vehicle.