Home»All Photographs»2016 Hikes»C-Level Cirque 08-06-16

When paired with Stewart Canyon, C-Level Cirque makes for a fine shorter day out. I was holding this hike up my sleeve as my "rainy day card". Today was a fine day to use it. My hike to C-Level Cirque was overcast, but dry. Only on the short drive to Stewart Canyon trailhead did the rain come. But this is a short trail with negligible elevation gain, so this was basically a walk in the woods with my rain coat on.
From 1903 to 1922, there was an anthracite coal mining operation here on the flanks of Cascade Mountain. It was owned by CP Railway and supplied their steam engines. "C-Level" refers to the highest elevation that the coal mining on this hillside operated.
I passed a foundation which lie beside the trail, along with several open mine shafts where the black coal seams can be readily seen. Once past the cultural relics, the natural scenery opened up.
At the cirque, there is a trail off to the right which ascends a narrow shoulder into the trees. This trail allows another 200-300 meters of elevation gain, and provides a better view down the Bow Valley. Above the trees, the trail comes to an abrupt end at a rock face. Here, you are on a narrow saddle connecting two major cirques - what better place to have lunch?
I then descended back to the vehichle, and drove a few km down the road to Stewart Canyon trailhead. It was rainy for this part of the hike, but the scenic attractions were all close up anyway.
Stewart Canyon trail is a lovely walk up an interesting river with an impressive trestle-style bridge. About a km later, the trail crosses a rough, boulder-strewn drainage at its north terminus.