KINDERSLEY SINCLAIR COL

The Kindersley Sinclair Col is located near the southern end of Kootenay National Park, just a few kilometers north of Radium Hot Springs. This is the premier alpine walk in the lower valley of Kootenay Park. We did this walk in August 1998 while camping at the Redstreak Campground at Radium Hot Springs.

View toward Kindersley Sinclair Col [255 Kb]

We were up at 6 am for this hike (incredible for my family...) to beat the afternoon heat. After a quick breakfast and the short drive from the the campground to the trail head, elevation 1340 meters, we started up the Kindersley Creek trail through dense forest. According to the topo maps, Kindersley Creek is actually the name of the creek that drains to the far side (north) of Kindersley Pass, so it is unclear what is the name of the creek that the Kindersley Creek trail parallels. The trail remains in the forest most of the way as it climbs toward Kindersley Pass, finally breaking into an alpine basin just below the pass. Once on Kindersley Pass, elevation 2210 meters and 8.4 kilometers from the trail head, the trail veers to the east, still climbing but remaining below the ridge crest as it continues toward the Kindersley Sinclair Col, 1.4 kilometers from the pass.

Kindersley Sinclair Col [348 Kb]

At the col, elevation 2395 meters, we relaxed for about an hour enjoying the scenery and watching a few mountain sheep grazing nearby. Mount Assiniboine is supposedly visible from either of the two easy summits to northwest or southeast from the col, but we were content with the views from the col itself. The route from the col down to the upper Sinclair basin is not described as a proper trail, but we found no difficulties with it. From the col it is a 6.4 kilometers descent down the Sinclair valley to the Sinclair Creek trailhead, about one kilometer above the Kindersley trailhead where we started. The trail passes through some beautiful meadows in the upper Sinclair basin before descending into the forest again.

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