Picklejar Lakes

Elevation: 2168 m (high point)
Elevation Gain: 570 m (cumulative)
The Picklejar Lakes are a series of four paternoster lakes which occupy the rocky cirque between Lineham Ridge and Highwood Peak in Kananaskis Country, AB. These alpine lakes are popular with hikers and anglers alike. In fact, their unusual, but official, name is a reference to the assertion that fishing here is as easy as “catching fish in a pickejar.”
My Ascents:
July 3 2023
Trailhead: Lantern Creek Day Use Area
GPS Track: Picklejar Lakes

After spending the past couple of months racking up Aeroplan miles ✈️, I finally found myself back home (and exhausted) in time for the Canada Day long weekend. With little desire to venture far, I enjoyed some family time at the Lake on Saturday and a relaxed bike ride in Fish Creek Park on Sunday. After so many international trips, it was good to finally be home, enjoying the awesome summer weather in Calgary! 🌞

Of course, by the time that holiday Monday arrived, I’d tired of suburban activities and my desire to venture out had returned somewhat (provided that said venture did not require air travel). Fortunately, there are hundreds of lovely hikes within driving distance of home. Since I was still too tired to explore a new trail, I decided to fall back to an old family favorite: Picklejar Lakes. As a child, my parents must have taken me up and down that trail at least a dozen times yet, somehow, I’d not dragged my own family yet. Seeking to remedy this “pickle” 🥒 with a lazy, local hike, we ventured out to make some new family memories on an old, familiar trail.

One would, understandably, think that the Picklejar Lakes trail follows Picklejar Creek but it actually doesn’t. Instead, the trail follows the north bank of Lantern Creek (which can be found across the highway from the Lantern Creek day use area). Despite how easy the path is to spot, Mera and Penny almost missed it because they were so preoccupied foraging for paintbrushes 🌹 (whose petals, they are obsessed with munching on)…

LEFT: Shortly after leaving the highway, Brianne discovered (and Grandma was reminded) that the trail wastes little time gaining elevation through the lovely, mixed aspen and pine forest.
RIGHT: A new way of doing things… After months of hiking with a front-facing baby carrier, Brianne decided to debut the “big girl” hiking backpack that 9-month-old Lillian will enjoy for the next couple of years.

LEFT and RIGHT: Looks like Lillian’s already enjoying her new perch, higher up on Mom’s back. 😁

LEFT and RIGHT: The steep slopes alongside the trail were delightfully colorful thanks to abundant arnica and widespread wild roses.

LEFT: 5-year-old Penny expertly follows the side-hilling trail towards a pass, which sits (unseen for now) at the left-hand base of Lineham Ridge (center). Our destination lakes occupy the cirque on the far side of this ridge and pass.
RIGHT: Brianne carefully negotiates the trail, which slashes straight across a slope that drops precipitously to Lantern Creek.

Briefly mellower meanderings as the pass grows closer…

LEFT and RIGHT: The final ascent to the pass is a bit of a grind but it has been made much easier, thanks to the introduction of switchbacks (which replaced the original straight-the-f-up trail that existed prior to 2013’s devastating floods).

Fine views south and west towards the High Rock Range were our reward for making it up to the pass. Those impressive peaks of the Great Divide include (from left to right): Beehive Mountain, Mount Armstrong, Mount Maclaren, Mount Strachan, Mount Muir, Mount Mcphail and Mount Bishop.

7-year-old Mera was excited to be done with the “up” (for now).

As we crossed the pass, the views shifted towards the verdant rolling hills and ridges at the base of nearby Mist Mountain (center left).

LEFT: Mera tackles a small, scrambly bit (while Grandma, Brianne and Grandpa ready themselves to do likewise) as the trail descends from the pass to the lakes.
RIGHT: Below the scrambly bit, Mera and Penny cruised across the well-trodden rubble field that leads to the first Picklejar Lake.

Almost there! (What’s for lunch? Pickles 🥒 or fish 🎣?)

LEFT: Near the lake, the path transitioned from hardpack dirt and rubble to pleasant alpine meadows. Rather than take the easy way, however, Mera and Penny challenged themselves to a fossil hunt in the boulders.
RIGHT: Passing the first Picklejar Lake’s pretty outlet stream.

A perfectly pickled panorama at the first lake (and a great place to enjoy a sandwich, go fishing or take a nap). Click to see larger.

LEFT: From the above options, Grandma promptly selected “nap.” 😴
RIGHT: Lillian, on the other hand, was excited to explore her alpine surroundings, free (at last) from her hiking backpack!

Just like she does at home, Lilly promptly decided that there would be no sleep for those around her. 😂 Sorry Grandma!

LEFT: Someone is rather pleased to have woken her slumbering grandmother… 😏
RIGHT: Brianne wrangles her free range “turkey” for a lakeside photo (and allows Grandma to catch another couple of winks).

A scenic outlier of Highwood Peak makes a fine backdrop for the day’s lunching, napping and angling at the first Picklejar Lake. The other Picklejar Lakes remain just out of sight, up-valley on the right side of this photo. On this day, we elected not to visit them (since some in our party were obviously tired already 😝) but previous trips have proven that they are worth the short 1.2-km addition to this hike.

A three-generation family photo at Picklejar Lakes (thanks to a kind passerby).

LEFT: Once everyone had their fill of lunch (and started to get chilled), it was time to wake Grandma up and beat a hasty retreat back UP the pass.
RIGHT: My girls warm up with a little cardio after much lollygagging on the lakeshore.

LEFT: Brianne, Lillian and Mera, happy to be back at the pass (because that meant that it was all downhill from here)! 😂
RIGHT: In fact, Mera was so happy that she elected to skip down the, now, switch-backed trail.

Final views south before the trail plunged back into the forest. Inspired by the beauty of our own backyard 😍 (and a little thirsty after the day’s efforts), we enjoyed a brief pit stop at the Hard Knox Brewery on our way home, where we reminisced about Picklejar Lakes (and some of us got just a little bit “pickled”)! 🥒🙃