Haffner Creek

Elevation: 1480 m
Elevation Gain: Nil
Haffner Creek is a tributary of Kootenay National Park’s Vermilion River whose headwaters reside in the high alpine cirque east of its namesake peak. Both the Mountain and Creek were named for Lieutenant Henry John Haffner who was the chief engineer responsible for the construction of the Banff – Windermere road (Highway 93 South). Following his work on the highway, Lieutenant Haffner served with the Eighth Field Company of Engineers during the First World War. It was during this service, that he met an unfortunate end at the hands of an enemy sniper.
My Ascents:
July 24 2022
Trailhead: Marble Canyon Campground

After a couple of nights at busy Banff’s Village II "campground", we retreated deeper into the Rockies to Kootenay’s much quieter Marble Canyon Campground for three days and nights away from the hustle and bustle of Banff. As we enjoyed a serene supper, I regaled my daughters with the tale of my ascent of Mount Ball (surprisingly at their request)! Anyone with knowledge of Ball knows that its ascent involves a formidable bushwhack up nearby Haffner Creek. Excited at the prospect of bushwhacking 🤯, 4-year-old Penny and 6-year-old Mera asked if I’d teach them to thrash through the brush after dinner and, feeling nostalgic, I humored them by showing them the way that we’d “hiked” from the Marble Canyon Campground to Haffner Creek some 9 years earlier during my epic on Ball.

LEFT: After a pleasant stroll through the campground, we followed a maintained road near Loop J to the infamous water tower that marked the beginning of our approach to Ball in 2013.
RIGHT: Mera and Penny try on bushwhacking for size (in their PJs, no less 😂)!

LEFT: The saplings that choked the route down to the creek in 2013 are now a veritable thicket. Growth appears to be prolific in this valley (when it’s not on fire 🔥)!
RIGHT: After a very steep descent down a bank, we reached the creek’s, briefly, open environs and enjoyed serene sunset lighting towards Ochre Spring Peak.

LEFT: After enjoying half an hour creekside, we spotted an old road which granted much easier access back to the campground, prompting me to wonder why many of those who scramble up Ball seem to start from the water tower? Note to future scramblers: save yourself a smidge of bushwhacking on this route and start from the overgrown road next to the maintained road which leads to the water tower!
RIGHT: Back at camp, Brianne benefited from a Mera cuddle (while Mera regaled her with the tale of her and Penny’s recent bushwhack). In fact, the whole thing sounded so fun that…

… We decided to return to the creek the next night (this time with Brianne and without bushwhacking 😀). Thanks to the old, unmaintained road, we reached the creek only 10 minutes after leaving our campsite (much faster than we’d managed through the brush the night prior). Indeed, Haffner Creek proved to be a wonderful spot to while away our evenings at Marble Canyon and I’d highly recommend it as a brief side-trip for any one staying at this quaint campground. Just make sure you don’t get to it via the water tower (unless bushwhacking is your thing 🙃)!

LEFT: My Goat 🐐 and my Bear 🐻 dip their hooves and paws, respectively, in Haffner Creek’s icy waters.
RIGHT: We may call her “Bear” but she’s actually a ham…

Beautiful Haffner Creek roars down the valley between an outlier of Stanley Peak (left) and Vermilion Peak (right). Mount Haffner itself remains hidden behind Vermilion from here but those who wish to bushwhack for 5 – 8 hours up-valley will definitely get to see it! Click to see larger.

LEFT and RIGHT: My girls find a calmer side-pool to cool off in on a hot summer night ☀️.

Come to think of it, that looks like a good idea! For the record, it was almost unbearably COLD 🥶.

LEFT and RIGHT: After another lovely evening alongside Haffner Creek, we retraced our steps, making it back to our campsite in time for a spectacular Kootenay sunset. As the sky grew pink, our eyelids grew heavy and thoughts turned towards the next days’ mountain adventures...