Experience Ha Ling Peak
Photo Courtesy of Graeme Pole
Immortalized in Rock: Looming west of Canmore, Ha Ling Peak (2408 m) is the northernmost summit of Éhagé Nakoda Range. This translates to “the last Nakoda,” and recounts the legend of a warrior who was transformed into rock so that he could stay on Earth after all others left. When the lighting is just right on the cracks and crags of Ha Ling Peak, you may discern the outline of this man, the last Nakoda, looking north. It is only fitting that the other officially named peak of the Éhagé Nakoda Range, Mt Lawrence Grassi, commemorates yet another man of the Earth – a Canmore miner, an Italian immigrant, and railway worker, who built many trails in the Rockies in the 1920s and 1930s. A Sure Bet: Ha Ling was a cook who, in 1896, accepted a 50 dollar bet that he could not climb this mountain in less than ten hours and plant a flag on its summit. Ha Ling reportedly began his climb from town at 7:00am and was back for a late lunch. The flag was too small to be seen from town. Next day, Ha Ling led a party of skeptics to the summit where he planted a larger pennant beside its predecessor and collected on the bet – a fortune in that time.
A century later, the peak was swirling in controversy. Locals had long known the mountain as Chinaman’s Peak, and that became official in 1980. In 1989, Chinese Canadians began to voice offence. The issue simmered for eight years until the Alberta Historic Resources Board held two public meetings, one in Calgary, one in Canmore, to hear submissions. The overwhelming response was that the name, Chinaman’s Peak, was derogatory. The Board rescinded the name and a year later made the name Ha Ling Peak official. Trailhead: These days, for those who are fit mountain hikers, it is relatively straightforward to retrace Ha Ling’s route to the summit. Park at the Goat Creek Day Use area, 8.8 km from downtown Canmore, and 5.2 km past the Nordic Centre. The trail begins across the road. The trails to Ha Ling Peak are being rebuilt in 2019. In terms of hiking experience, about all that you can expect on a trail that gains 743 m in 3.9km is a solid workout. You certainly get that, as do the members of Canmore’s athletic crowd, for whom the outing is a training ground.
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