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The Grotto Canyon Dragonfly LbNA #63331

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Oct 14, 2012
Location:
City:Canmore
County:Alberta, CAN
State:Alberta, Canada
Boxes:1
Planted by:Serenity Now
Found by: MastroBarbone
Last found:Sep 16, 2022
Status:FFFFa
Last edited:Oct 14, 2012
The Grotto Canyon Dragonfly

For the first 20 minutes of this 4km-return hike, you will likely be wondering why on earth we brought you here. This short portion of the journey takes you past a noisy and decidedly un-scenic processing plant. Hang in there, though. What follows is a fun, kid-friendly hike up a great canyon and along a gurgling creek. The dragonfly waits for you at the small waterfall at the end of the hike (although you can keep going from this point if you choose).

*Note: Be sure to wear footwear that can get wet and that is suitable for scrambling over rocks. You cross over the creek several times on this journey (which is part of the fun, but could also mean wet feet!) Also be aware of water levels. Because this hike follows a creek bed in a canyon, it’s probably best to avoid it when there’s been a lot of rain or run-off (seems like it would be possible to get caught in a flash flood here).

Directions:

Take Highway 1A from Calgary, through Cochrane, and towards Canmore. About 12 km east of Canmore (just past Exshaw), look for a sign marked Grotto Pond. Turn here and park in the parking lot. From the parking lot, take the path marked Grotto Creek Trail. Stay to the left on this path (roughly underneath the power lines). At one point, you’ll go into a creek bed and then across to the other side where the path continues (again under those lovely power lines). You’ll soon get a view of the processing plant. Keep left on the path. You’ll cross a small parking lot and then continue on the marked hiking trail straight ahead. Continue heading up the wide, rocky trail. You will pass the processing plant (it will be on your left). Just past the plant, you’ll see a hiking trail sign with a small green arrow beneath it pointing right. Take this smaller path and stay on it until it winds down to the creek bed. This is where the plant noise drifts away and the hike becomes a lot of fun. Keep following the creek bed through the canyon until you reach a large, flat, rock “floor” and the waterfall.

Letterbox Clues:

From the flat, rock “floor”, look up towards the waterfall. You should see a tree that is growing at about a 60 degree angle to the ground and a log that has fallen beside it. Beside the angled tree (on the opposite side from the log) are two large boulders and a smaller third one. There is a crevice at the base of these three boulders. The crevice is filled with smaller rocks. The letterbox is under these rocks (near the centre of the crevice).

Please be sure to return the box to its original location and to check that it is hidden from view. Thanks and happy letterboxing!