Heart Creek Caves and Creek Trails

Where:

• Heart Creek Caves and Creek Trails

 

When:

• December 29, 2018

 

Who:

• Ed, Jace, Stephanie M, Craig, Janet, Oak, Jane, Ceili, Luna, Peter, Lisa, Oggie, Stephanie B, Sasha, Feiko

 

Trailhead:

• we started at the Heart Creek parking lot on the east side of Lac Des Arcs off Highway 1
• one of the closest trails to Calgary and right off the highway so very easy access
• we took the Trans Rockies trail out of the west end of the parking lot
• you will approach two different forks in the road about 2 km down the trail, and you need to veer left on both of them to work your way up the mountain to the cave entrance
• when we returned from the cave to the parking lot, we headed east out of the parking lot towards Heart Creek
• once you reach the creek take the trail to the right to head up the creek away from the highway

 

Degree of difficulty:

• 50 meters elevation on each of these trails so virtually no climbing
• each of the two segments is about 5 km in total out and back
• they both take about an hour out and back
• there are a few very minor dips and climbs in each of the trails but nothing significant
• there was virtually no snow, but there were a few slippery areas as Jane found out when Luna her for a toboggan ride on her backpack after lunch

 

Interesting notes:

• both of these trails are easy hikes and hence very suitable for young kids, beginner hikers, or the elderly
• not many people have been to the cave or know the history which is very interesting

• the caves were partially developed in the early ’60s in preparation for potentially storing government documents as a precaution during the Cuban missile crisis
• to properly explore the caves you need a flashlight, headlamp or flashlight on your phone
• the Heart Creek trail is an easy jaunt that crosses some bridges and has a climbing/bouldering area that is fun to stop and watch people scale the cliff