Candy and Jim's Great Canadian Adventure: Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass Hike

We were supposed to hike Castle Mountain last weekend, but we were turned away from the trailhead due to a bike race through Johnston Canyon. Jim being the mountain man that he is quickly came up with plan B, and we headed to Lake Moraine to hike Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass. We were disappointed that we couldn't hike Castle Mountain since it's one of the iconic hikes in the Banff area. We may have to wait until next summer if we don't fit it in before winter (just around the corner).

The hike started at Moraine Lake and headed straight up a set of switch backs where we gained 350 m (1148 ft) in 2.6 km (1.6 miles). The trail continues to the Larch Valley and Minnestimma Lake another 8 km (5 miles). From here, there's an amazing view of eight of the 10 Wenkchemna peaks, as well as the Fay Glacier. Now this is where the going gets tough. We headed up a slippery talus and scree trail to Sentinel Pass another 6/10 of a mile (every 10th of a mile counts when you are climbing up hill!) The final elevation gain was 725 m (2379 feet). At 2611 m (8566 feet), Sentinel Pass is one of the highest maintained passes in the Canadian Rockies. The views are indescribable as you top over the crest and see Paradise Valley on the other side of the pass and the rock pinnacles just below. Some rock climbers with " mucho grande cojones" were scaling the pinnacles the day we were there. I hope you can make them out in the pictures. I'll let you be the judge, but you'll be hard pressed to find views any more spectacular than these!