Lake Minnewanka directions

[nadwidny]

I'm going to dive Minny tomorrow and want to do the dam and the bridge pilings. I thought the markers for the dam would still be there but alas they are gone. So I'm not quite sure where to park and enter to hit the dam.

Usually I enter at the plaque site and just scooter over but since I'm swimming tomorrow using the hit and miss method of navigation isn't going to work so well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[darron]

I dove the dam at the end of August and we parked on the causeway.

There was a buoy out in the water that we went down - from there it was pretty close to the blockhouse / dam.

Is that buoy not there anymore?

 

[nadwidny]

I dove the dam at the end of August and we parked on the causeway.

There was a buoy out in the water that we went down - from there it was pretty close to the blockhouse / dam.

Is that buoy not there anymore?

That buoy is not there, which is why my nav plans are kinda messed up. I know that I have the time necessary to find it if I'm off where I park but I'm diving with single tank folks and I want to give them maximum dam time and not waste a lot of gas looking for it. A buddy of mine suggested that I snorkel out to find it but that is not an option.

 

[DaleC]

I don't know any compass bearings etc... but here is a pic I took of the damsite marker (small bouy inside roped markers). If nothing else you can print it off and line up the point beyond the marker and the col between the two mountains to get a rough idea of where the damsite is.
Sorry, that's all I got.

 

[sschlesi]

If the weather is clear that picture should get you pretty dam close.

 

[Hawkwood]

I'm going to dive Minny tomorrow and want to do the dam and the bridge pilings. I thought the markers for the dam would still be there but alas they are gone. So I'm not quite sure where to park and enter to hit the dam.

Usually I enter at the plaque site and just scooter over but since I'm swimming tomorrow using the hit and miss method of navigation isn't going to work so well.

Thanks in advance.

Brian,

If you are parking by the dam on the causeway, look for the "path" in the rip rap that starts along the shoulder - it is pretty obvious up by the shoulder. There is a survey marker on the other side of the jersey barriers that is in the general vicinity of the "path". A bearing of about 30 degrees will get you out to the dam from there, it should put you on the "dry" side of the dam.

If you are trying to find the bridge pilings at the plaque site, then a bearing of 10 to 30 will put you to the right of the pilings. You will have to follow along the downslope side of the road at about 55ft until you come across the pilings. There is a log sitting on the bottom just before you get to the pilings. There is also a very large outcropping that is another clue.

I left Bill Hall's book at the shop, so I can't give more details. There is a run of line out to the bridge pilings and you can pick that up if you follow along the top of the road and can see it.

 

[nadwidny]

Thanks everybody!

 

[Hawkwood]

So.....how'd things go?

 

[nadwidny]

So.....how'd things go?

Hit them both with help from your directions. Thanks!

Large groups at both sites considering the time of year. Outlaws were diving the dam and (I think) Aquasports was doing some classes at the plaque.

 

[naclydogg]

Parks Canada - Banff National Park - Diving Lake Minnewanka: Submerged Cultural Resources
Probably hard to get an exact position using this picture, but good info for anyone who hasn't been there.