Molar South Pass

August 8, 2013 by Bill Rowe ·

Looking down from South Molar Pass

August 7th Wednesday

Molar Pass has many hiking options.The route we took was to the South Pass. The other option is to go on to the North Pass. As you will see from the photo’s the area above tree line is very open and many traverses or circuits could be incorporated. Mike Potters book Ridgewalks in the Canadian Rockies has three such descriptions.

The trail starts at the Mosquito Creek Camp ground on Hwy 93 115 km north of Canmore.The trail head is across the Hwy on the left hand side of the bridge,over the armco barrier.

Start of hike

Know where you are going sign

The trail follows the Mosquito Creek all the way up the valley. At the very beginning the trail rises away from the creek but soon drops back down and within a couple of Kms sides the creek . There are a series of log hewn bridges.

Trail following creek

After the bridges comes the camp site at 5 Kms. Molar Mountain is visible as you head up the creek.

Log bridges nice and wide

After the camp site it is another 2 Kms to the fork in the trail. Left fork is North Molar Right fork to South Molar our destination.

Another can’t get lost sign

Taking a water break at the fork

The trail now starts to get a bit messy. Hopping around muddy sections. The views of Mt Hector and the water cascading down from the glacier are on your right. Alpine flowers are now every where, layed out like a coloured carpet on all the avalanche slopes.

Mt Hector and waterfalls

Alpine Flowers

From the fork it is only another 3 Kms to the top of the pass.The trailis rising gradually the whole way but not until the last Km do you have to exert yourself.