Sunrise at Ha Ling Peak
Ha Ling Peak is a summit hike located in Canmore, Alberta. It sits directly south of the town and is directly connected to Mt. Lawrence Grassi as well as neighboring Mt. Rundle. This peak is a short 8km round trip that crams 780m elevation gain within the 2-2.5 hours it takes you to get to the top. Don’t fret because the trails were renovated in 2018 for easy access, handrails, stone slab steps, and multiple wooden staircases. It is a very safe hike that does not require scrambling as long as you stay on the trail and hike during good favorable conditions.
Fun fact: Ha Ling peak was previously named “Chinaman’s Peak” but changed to Ha Ling due to the outdated/offensive connotation, and named after the gentleman who first ascended the peak in 1896. This hike celebrates it’s 125th birthday this year!
Trip Date: Sept 5, 2020
Time: 5:00 am
Distance: 8.7km
Elevation: 2407m
Elevation Gain: 780m
Hiking Difficulty (Shenandoah's formula): Moderately Strenuous - Strenuous (166)
Technical Rating (Yosemite Decimal System): Class 1, steep sections but the scrambling areas are now replaced with stone steps, stairs, and hand railing.
Best time to go: Year-round. April - November.
Toilets: Outhouse located in the parking lot.
Food and H20: I packed 3L and drank 1.5 - 2L, Didn’t eat much since it was still early in the day, Felt weird having a big breakfast at 3 am but I had oatmeal in the morning and 2 Lara Bars during the hike.
Footwear: Hiking boots, Hiking shoes recommended. You can get away with using running shoes as long as the weather is favorable and dry.
Equipment: A headlamp with full batteries is a must-have. Helmet not necessary, Hiking poles would be great for this trail but not necessary, spikes recommended during November-May assuming there is still snow/ice and bear spray is always recommended.
Trail Popularity: High
Trailhead/Parking: Goat Creek day-use area: Map Link
The goal is to get you to the top and make sure you have enough time to see the sunrise.
Here are 7 steps that you need to do so that you are prepared before you head out.
1. Find what time the Sunrise is in Canmore and plan for the weather.
Sunrise: Link
Weather: Link
2. Calculate the driving time. Go on google maps and enter your home address and see how long the ETA would take to get to this parking location.
Once you determine how long it will take add another 15 - 20 minutes because you will be slowing down on the gravel road in pitch-black darkness with sharp corners and insane amounts of potholes.
3. Set your alarm. Now that you have the driving time figured out, determine what time you will wake up and how long it will take for you to get ready. I recommend having your gear packed and ready to go the evening before.
4. Buy a headlamp. Get a headlamp that is at least 250 lumens and have some extra batteries handy. The more watts and lumens your bulb has the more visible distance you can illuminate, My headlamp was 400 lumens and I could easily see 20 meters/20 yards in front of me which is more than enough to see the trail. I was also fortunate to have clear skies and moonlight to help out as well. I was just barely able to make out the shape of each mountain in the distance, you might not be as lucky in that regard.
5. Pack items that will keep you warm. Warm clothes, gloves, and proper headwear (tuques, scarfs, ear warmers, etc). You are starting your hike in the night and temperatures do not reflect the “highs” of the day. Its always better to pack extra warmth because you can always shed a layer rather than not having enough.
Consider bringing a nice coffee or tea to enjoy at the top, a blanket to snuggle in while you’re waiting for the sunrise, and maybe hand/toe warmers as well.
6. Pack all of your camera equipment. Hopefully, this serves as a reminder for you to bring your tripod and filters, you will be shooting some photos that might require some long exposure shots in the dark or shots pointed directly at the sun. The tripod would also be great if you decide to do a time-lapse video as well.
7. Last but not least, Prepare your body. I do not recommend pulling an all-nighter and then hike in the middle of the night, the worst thing to do is to be so fatigued that you are making poor decisions on top of the mountain. We all know that we should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep, so I recommend that you allow yourself to have a couple of hours before you go to bed and allocate some downtime so you can sleep early.
Here’s what my schedule looked like before the hike.
Friday 5:00 pm: I had dinner, packed my bag, my boots and my jacket and Placed it in front of the door ready to go. Researched and double-checked sunrise time as well as the weather.
Friday 8:00 pm: got ready for bed and started playing some relaxation music.
Friday 9:00 pm: did some meditation while I was laying down in bed and fell asleep by 9:30 pm.
Saturday 3:00 am: Woke up to my alarm that I placed on the opposite side of the room so that I can force myself to physically get up. The alarm was placed on top of my hiking clothes so I could change right away, I Like to do this because I find it uncomfortable to lie back down in bed to sleep-in with outside clothes. Made a quick bowl of oatmeal, brewed coffee, chugged a protein shake, ate a banana, and brush my teeth + washed my face in cold water.
Saturday 3:30 am: I was out of the house and was on my way. I also wasted some time to fill up at the gas station as well.
Saturday 5:00 am: I arrived to see a PACKED parking lot, so be warned.
Saturday 6:45 am: I was 90% of the way up when the sky started to brighten up and made it just in time for the 6:50 am sunrise.
Conclusion: I hauled my ass to get to the top... If I could change anything it would be to leave the house 45-60 minutes earlier than leaving at 3:30 am. I would’ve had more time to navigate the dark roads, had time to use the bathroom, find parking, give my self some more breaks and rest on the trail and have some time to settle in at the top and wait for the sunrise. Instead of giving yourself 2 hours before sunrise to hike Ha Ling (like i did), I recommend giving yourself at least 3 hours to reach the summit.
The formula: Sleep time + Time to get ready + Driving time recommended by google maps (add another 15-20 minutes for driving conditions) + hiking time = time you need before the official sunrise.
The parking lot at 8:00 am, I didn’t take any photos at the beginning because it was too dark. It was actually this full when I arrived at 5:00 am…
From the parking lot, you will need to cross the Smith Dorien trail and make your way to the trailhead. You will locate the Ha Ling Peak trail sign as it is located across the road and it will lead you to a bridge.
Once you make it past the bridge you will see these powerlines, the trailhead is just to the left, there will be a reflective sign here that you won’t miss. After this point, your 4km to the top begins here. You will make a couple of sharp zig-zag turns (approximately 5) in the dense forest, the trail is very straight forward and will be difficult to get lost.
Stone steps and stairs were built on the steep sections of the trail to make your hike a bit easier. You’ll see these throughout the hike.
You’ll know you’re close to the summit when the treeline breaks and there are a series of these steps taking you up to the first ridge.
The terrain leading up to the summit. Stay close to the ridge on the right, but not too close, you will see some populated trails on the loose rock next to the trail signs.
The sun is finally peaking! Official sunrise from the first ridge, I quickly made my way up to finish the summit soon after this photo.
Views from the official summit.
Canmore looks so small from above!
Mt. Lawrence Grassi.
Mt. Rundle.
And that’s it! Thanks for joining me today you guys, I hope you have an amazing sunrise hike. Let me know how the hike went and comment on what you think below!