The Three Sisters are synonymous with Canmore. Many believe that George Stewart (the first superintendent of the Rocky Mountains National Park) named the trio of peaks after his three daughters, Frances, Olive, and Grace. To the Stoney Nakoda, the Three Sisters refer to the story of Ĩ-ktomnĩ, an old man who would promise his three sisters in marriage whenever he got into trouble. Although locals often refer to them as Faith, Hope, and Charity, they are better known today as Big Sister, Middle Sister, and Little Sister.
Three Sisters from our balcony, 7am, August 26, 2019.
Dave and I have been coming to this magical little town for over 20 years. In the past, we have always admired the Three Sisters from the safe confines of our balcony. This year we decided to visit the peaks close up. Not climb them, mind you—just make it to the pass.
A view of the pass from behind our townhome.
So last week, we got up early, headed towards Spray Lake and parked off the gravel road just past Goat Pond. It was just us and the pass—the entire day. What does that tell you?
View of Spray Lake Road and beyond, from the trail’s beginning
The hike was a test of patience, good choices, and skill. The first part of our journey was spent maneuvering over a massive gorge formed from raging waters of past floods. We followed numerous cairns and orange ribbons that dotted the landscape along the way, attempting to stay on course.
The dry gorge eventually evolved into large slabs of vertical rock, with flowing water and mini basins to scramble around. At this time of day, the boulders and logs were still slick, making the journey a bit scary. It was slow going. At one point, we ditched the trekking poles and opted to use our hands. The thrill of not knowing what was coming next was a bit of an adrenaline rush—which kept it from becoming tedious.
This was not a lot of fun.
The vertical walls turned into rockslides. Dave and I did the steep climb to the center of the gorge and then turned left into a small band of trees, just below the pass. We took a breather after each section, anticipating the first glimpse above the treeline.
The narrow gorge.
Thankfully our trail took us to the left into the trees.
Making our way through the trees.
The pass itself was a big reveal. Dave popped out before I did, to an overwhelming view. When I reached the pass, he was near tears. He turned to me and said, “I’m not sure what I am feeling right now is due to the view, sheer exhaustion or the fact that we finally made it.”
Popping out on the pass, with Canmore below.
The Middle and Little Sis looked daunting up close.
Dave, we made it!
A magnificent view from the base of the Big Sister.