Marmot Basin Kananaskis

Marmot Basin and  Mt Collembola

October 15th 2018

Marmot Basin trail starts at the Nakiska Ski Resort. Or ribbon Creek or Troll falls Parking. We started at Nakiska Ski Resort parking lot as it is the shortest distance. The trail uses the Skogan Ski trail. From the Lodge walk to the left passed a container hidden in the trees, under the ski lift. This becomes a road so follow it to the left to join the Skogan Pass trail on your right.  Turn left onto the upper Marmot Basin Road used for the Upper Lodge access.  Stay straight on the old road as it bends left to go to the ski hill upper lodge. Note this is where we went a bit wrong we turned off the old road on a track that parallels it and got to far left, had we stayed on the old road as we did on the way back we would have  come to the washed out bridge at the twin creeks. After the bridge the trail drops down to the right and then left to start the switch backs. Hours of snowshoe plodding and we reached the turn to Fisera Ridge . At this point we were knackerd so went passed the left turn to the ridge and came out into the treed valley of Marmot Basin. I will leave the Fisera Ridge for a summer s day and possible a trek up to Mt Collembolla. On the way down with the 1 meter plus of snow we chopped off the switchbacks to save distance and time. A lot of walking or snowshoeing in the trees make this a less interesting hike. I also forgot my camera so used my phone. Then some how managed to delete my track. So the track I show is the route we followed. Without which we would have been totally lost.

View of Marmot Basin from Hwy 40 under Mt Allen and Collembola

Shows which is the correct route

 

On the road back from the bridge to the turn to the upper ski lodge. Previous picture

Washed out bridge we crossed

Washed out bridge. Note our snowshoe tracks across the narrow part.

Common section of trail

Snow depth

Nakiska Ski Hill

Marmot Basin

This is a Route Map I lost the GPX track I took.

 

Distance return 15.0 km Time return 5 hrs ( inc 30 min lunch ) Elevation Accumulated gain 750 m Elevation to Summit 720m Summit height 2715 m

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