Troll Falls and Marmot Falls in Kananaskis Country
The bonus of taking the side trail
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Last March my friend Dayna flew out from Ottawa for a visit. She had two wishes for her visit - to see some friends in Calgary and to see the mountains. So as her Fairy-Albertan, I worked a little magic and we did both.
We went to Calgary and stayed with friends and took a day-trip out to the mountains. As winter creates some hazards in mountainous terrain for hiking/snowshoeing and we were not trained for dealing with things like avalanches, we decided to stick with a lower elevation hike that posed little to no risk of avalanche. One of Dayna’s students recommended the Troll Falls hike (they had hiked and told Dayna it was “the best”) and it was within our ability and comfort level, so we made a plan to go see it.
Trolls falls starts with a meadow or woodland hike that is pretty level with a few different routes to choose from. We started at the parking lot and headed straight towards the falls, taking the woodland route. This is a well travelled hike with lots of young families making their way with sleds and toddlers on the walk. It increases elevation very gradually until closer to the first falls so is very accessible and family friendly.
Along the trail we found some delightful surprises, including a few forts like the one pictured above. It was a beautiful sunny March day and we were very glad we had made an early start as the trail got slick once the sun had melted the top layer of snow. We had snow cleats with us incase we needed extra grip, though in icier conditions and in a couple spots on the trail that day, ice cleats would have been a better choice.
Whenever I am hiking or snowshoeing I make sure to wear layers so that I can take off layers as I heat up or put them back on as I cool down. This fort was not too far along the trail and we were already unzipping and taking off our mitts that day as the sun was warming the air temperature.
Dayna and I have done a lot of trips together, including backcountry canoe trips, so we fell into a comfortable groove being back in the woods. We got to the lower falls in good time and saw a couple of families snacking, taking photos and playing in the area. It has a nice bridge and is scenic, though it was not the falls we were looking for, the one you can walk behind, as described by her 8 year-old student.
Onward we trekked, putting on our snow cleats as the packed trail had gotten slippery in spots, making our way up to the Upper Falls. (Note: the Marmot and Upper Falls trail is sometimes closed when it get too icy) We got to the Upper Falls and discovered they were amazing too but there was definitely no way behind them. We were a little disappointed but after a snack and some time to adjust our expectations, we headed back down the trail.
As we were heading down one set of stairs that were pretty icy, I decided to sit to go down. My snow cleats were not gripping the icy surface and the wooden rail was too smooth to help keep me on my feet. I was in the process of sitting when my feet slipped out from under me and I slid all the way down the stairs on my butt, completely without grace. There were two women at the bottom waiting for us to come down as the stairs were narrow, who looked shocked and concerned at my awkward descent. Don’t worry, I was fine. A little sore and embarrassed but far less sore than if I had fallen while trying to stay upright walking down the stairs.
We laughed together and started chatting as I righted myself while Dayna made her way down the stairs. We were telling them about not finding the “coolest” falls that you can walk behind and how disappointing that was. Yes, I do realize that how crazy our disappointment sounds as we were in the mountains surrounded by beauty but we had expected to find a certain thing, and hadn’t. Fortunately for us our paths crossed with these two as they had just seen the cool-walk-behind falls and told us to take the Marmot Falls trail offshoot that we had passed on our way up and we would get to see our hoped-for destination. We thanked them and set off with renewed spring in our step.
The trail to Marmot Falls is rightly closed when it gets icy. It was open the day we went but we had a few interesting spots to navigate. I would recommend taking hiking poles and ice cleats for the top section to the Upper and Marmot Falls. It’s not a hard hike but having the poles and cleats for stability in certain narrow and slippery sections would have helped that day.
As we arrived at Marmot Falls, you would have thought Dayna and I were the 8 year-old who had told Dayna about the falls. We were laughing and squealing with our smiles wider than the valley below. It was magical and spectacular and absolutely worth trekking to see. You can walk right behind the falls, both winter and summer but in the winter the falls becomes an ice column. It still runs and you can hear the water within the column of ice but the outside is frozen. So it acts like a tube. We were giddy school girls that day!
Watch a video of the frozen falls
There is something about forts/caves/ice castles/hiding spots that spur our imaginations and the discovery or creation of them brings joy. And that is exactly what we experienced that day. It did not matter how many people had already “discovered” those falls nor that it would be seen by thousands more after us. When we walked behind the falls, it was a moment of pure discovery and excitement. It was as though we were the first to ever step foot there. We spent some time enjoying the space and taking photos before deciding it was time to head out. We both agreed that her student had given us some solid advice about the best hike in the mountains and Dayna would have to thank her when they were back at school.
We had a good hike down and walked a little way into the meadow on the way back to the car. In the meadow we met up with the women who helped up find Marmot Falls and ended up chatting again. They are the reason I started this newsletter. I gave them some ideas of snowshoeing spots near Edmonton and they suggested I start sharing the information I had to gained over the years. I am pretty glad I took their advice as this newsletter has been a much needed creative outlet and hopefully has been interesting and helpful to all of you who read it.
We thanked them again and headed back to the car. As per my tradition, we looked up the closest local coffee shop and drove off, still smiling. It was a good day!
Family Friendly: YES - we saw many young families along with all ages of other hikers on this trail - it has a number of different trail options and you can choose your challenge for it
Seasons: Lower Troll Falls is open all seasons, however the Upper Troll Falls and Marmot Falls are sometimes closed due to icy conditions. Watch for signage and respect any areas that are blocked or are stated as closed.
Nature: We didn’t see too much wildlife on this trail due to the amount of hiking traffic, however, there are interpretive signs along the meadow trail which talk about watching for raptors (birds of prey like hawks, eagles, etc) and if it were a quieter day or near dusk, you would probably see some larger animals - in the Mountains always carry bear spray and be bear aware when you are hiking in their habitat
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Until we meet on the trail,
kara