bobspirko.ca | Home | Canada Trips | US Trips | Hiking | Snowshoeing | MAP | About
Wolverine Ridge
Skoki, Alberta
September 27, 2020
Distance: 14.3 km (8.9 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 778 m (2552 ft)
Skiers may be attracted to Wolverine Ridge when it's covered in snow in the winter, but it was the larches that enticed us to hike it in the fall. The trees, now yellow, not only line the slopes of the ridge; they also blanket the valley below.
Zora, Dinah and I got the idea to climb Wolverine when we did Unity Peak a couple of months ago. Like Unity, we started up Temple Lodge Road, but this time we had unexpected company. We were pleasantly surprised when a friend caught up to us. Marta Wojnarowska, whom Dinah and I know from socials and hiking, was climbing Lipalian Mountain, Purple Peak and Unity Peak.
Time passed quickly as the four of us chatted while trudging up the road. Soon after the road ends, and Boulder Pass trail takes over, Marta left us to start up Lipalian. Zora, Dinah and I continued on and took the side trail to Wolverine Valley. The valley trail didn't take us far up the mountain, so we soon left it and headed up the steep slope, threading easily through yellow larches.
After gaining the ridge, we realized we had reached a high point on the west end, but a high point on the east end offered competition. Sure enough, when we reached it, it was a few metres higher: the summit.
We weren't ready to turn around yet, not on a clear day when larches dazzled under the sun. So we continued east along the ridge and crossed the col that connects Wolverine Ridge to Purple Peak. We continued toward Purple before turning left and descending into Wolverine Valley. We followed the valley, down through larches to a bluff overlooking a meadow. It was a nice viewpoint, but it was a bit awkward to descend from. To reach the meadow, we had to get around the cliffs and bushwhack thick forest. But once we reached the meadow, we easily made our way back through larches to the trail we started up on. We still faced the long walk down Temple Lodge Road, but we decided never to return up this road again to Skoki – at least until next year!
Zora, Dinah and Marta walk up the road with Wolverine Ridge ahead
Marta will soon leave us to start up Lipalian Mountain
Hiking to Wolverine Valley
The trail grows faint after it enters the valley
Eventually we left the trail and headed up the slope
We quickly gained elevation on the steep slope
A rabbit remained still as we passed by
The grade steepens on the open slope. Unity Peak in the background.
On the west end of the ridge
Looking down at the valley
Looking at the east end of the ridge
Mount Temple dominates the foreground
After reaching the summit, we went to Wolverine-Purple Peak Col
It's a short drop to the col
After climbing up the other side of the col, we were a bit higher than Wolverine Ridge
Meanwhile, Marta was heading to Purple-Unity Col (mouse over for a close-up)
We dropped down to Wolverine Valley
Mount Redoubt in the centre
Larches were spread across the valley
We continued down the valley
From a bluff, we had a good view of Wolverine. Afterwards we dropped down to the boulder field below.
Looking back at the bluff
Looking up at the bluff after reaching the edge of the boulder field
Continuing down the valley to pick up the trail we came up on
Walking back down the road
82 N/8 Lake Louise
