- Sunshine Meadows
The Sunshine Meadows are an
ecologically sensitive natural garden set at at an altitude of approximately 2,300 metres (7,500 feet). Located within the peaks of theCanadian Rocky Mountains ofBanff National Park , this accessible area provides the visitor with a rare display of a fragile and beautiful alpine setting. [Robert W. Sandford, "Sunshine: Its Human and Natural Heritage" (1984)] . From the vantage point of Sunshine Meadows one has a clear view of Mount Assiniboine, the highest peak in the region at 3,618 metres (11,870 feet). Sunshine Meadows is located 18 km directly southwest ofBanff, Alberta (as the crow flies ), and spans along both sides of the Continental Divide (betweenAlberta andBritish Columbia ).Access
Their is no road access to Sunshine Meadows and thus it can only be reached by hiking several kilometres from the area of the
Sunshine Village ski resort, located near the resort town of Banff. Sunshine Village has established a system of well-graded, hardened trails to take the hiker out into the surroundingsub-alpine and abovetree line habitats. Visitors to the meadows are required to stay on these trails to protect the fragile alpinevegetation .The main
hiking trail travels past Rock Isle Lake, continuing west of the ski area, before finally descending back down to the Sunshine Village Day Lodge. This 5.8 km loop has an elevation gain of 170 metres. Other trails branch off from this main loop to other regions of the meadows.Scenery
It is the unique mountain scenery which makes Sunshine Meadows a notable habitat. Sunshine Meadows offers a colourful array of
wildflowers and other alpine tree line vegetation. The fragile alpine terrain has a growing season of just a few months, as the area is covered by snow October to mid-June. Situated at 2,300 metres, the temperatures drop below freezing in every month of the year. In July and August temperatures can range from 30 degreesCelsius above zero to freezing. [Robert W. Sandford, "Sunshine: Its Human and Natural Heritage" (1984), page 56] The field of fragile wildflowers andlichens blooms into colour in mid-June, and nature is in full bloom July through August. In September the scenery alters dramatically, with thelarches turning yellow and red in the season’s final burst of colour.External links
* [http://www.sunshinemeadowsbanff.com/ Sunshine Meadows Slideshow]
* [http://www.banffinfo.com/-pl-3-dest-ABBA-vendor-WMA___-_param-1-.htm Photographs]
* [http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19657 ClubTread Community Forums]References
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