Magical Larch Hikes in the Canadian Rockies
You can find gold in the treasure chest that is the Canadian Rocky Mountains! Each year, nestled amongst the green conifers, the larch trees turn brilliant shades of gold and yellow. This brief but stunning sight makes it a sublime experience for those who know where to find them.
What Makes Larch Trees Different?
High up, on the fringes of the alpine, where conditions are so cold year-round that only the hardiest of trees survive, you can find the alpine larch.
A distant cousin of the much more ubiquitous lodgepole pine, the larch shares a lot of similar features to its relation—bunches of needles attached to branches surrounding a tall, thin trunk, and during the summer an abundance of cones grow, carrying the tree’s seeds to start the next generation.
Why do Larch Trees loose their needles?
As temperatures begin to drop, instead of weathering the storm as true evergreens do, the larch opts for a different tactic. The tree must survive harsh climates at higher elevations, and the larch draws in nutrients from its nitrogen-rich needles to store in the main body of the tree. In the process, the needles transform from vibrant green to a golden yellow, before falling to the forest floor.
It’s the equivalent of stocking up on supplies from the grocery store just before an oncoming blizzard—full cupboards at home mean you don’t need to worry if the storm closes the roads. Likewise, the larch doesn’t need to worry about losing its needles to heavy snowfall or freezing winds if all the nutrients it needs are stored in the trunk.
Bathe in the Golden Glow of a Larch Valley Hike
All that glitters might not be gold in the mountains, but it could be the rare sight of larch trees in the fall! Surrounded by snowy mountain peaks, larch hikes allow you to experience the changing of the seasons under a breathtaking golden canopy.
Larch season is a short-lived window between the fading heat of summer and the plunge into winter’s frigid depths. Larch hikes provide an opportunity to take a moment to savour the splendour of larch season and its spectacular sights with Canadian Rockies Experience. Choose from the equally beautiful Larch Valley Hike or Chester Lake Larch Hiking Experience and see what all the excitement is about.
Author: andrew leighfield
Andrew is a professional IGA guide and works with Canadian Rockies Experience. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge of this place he calls home.