Tent Ridge

Dist: 10.6km    Elev: 780m    Summit: 8333'    Time: 5h    Difficulty: 3/5

For the third annual family "Bear Bait" men's trip, Lloyd, Dean, Matt, Ken and myself headed to Kananaskis in pursuit of masculine adventures. I chose Tent Ridge in hopes of high visual payoff and just the right amount of physical challenge to instill a sense of camaraderie and accomplishment. Dean decided to come last-minute so we all pitched in some extra gear and managed to equip him for the trail.

The day kicked off with some Tim Hortons and a drive down the Smith-Dorian highway. Multiple (sometimes partial) rest stops were necessary en route due to the combination of coffee and bumpy "washboard" road conditions. We parked in the unofficial parking lot beyond Engadine Lodge and found the trailhead off the road. The trail began with a moderate climb through forest before emerging into a large meadow after about 40 minutes. From this meadow the majority of the Tent Ridge horseshoe could be seen towering above us. Some of our members expressed minor concern at this point regarding the impending elevation gain.

The next section of the route involved ascending a steep rocky slope and hands-on stabilization from time to time. Looking back, views of the Spray Lakes valley rapidly expanded. After a couple false summits we arrived at a weather station atop the first peak of the ridge and decided to have lunch while protected by the wind. In-your-face views of surrounding peaks were phenomenal from this vantage point and we enjoyed our rest here before pressing on.

Leaving the first peak we were forced to descend to a saddle below before regaining elevation to reach the true Tent Ridge highpoint. This was more steep and scrambly than we had estimated from a distance and multiple breaks were taken to find the energy to push to the top. We took group photos from the Tent Ridge summit and from this point enjoyed expansive views of jagged peaks and lush lake-spotted valleys below while traversing the remaining few kilometers of the ridge. The trail concluded with a climactic panorama of the Spray Lakes reservoir to the north before swiftly dropping through loose scree back into forest for the final leg of flat and refreshingly soft hiking. We arrived back at the car in just under five hours and were all grateful to get out of our boots. We wasted no time starting the return trip back to Calgary, in eager anticipation of the delicious feast graciously prepared by our better-halves back home.

First meadow, encircled by Tent Ride above.

Ascending the rocky terrain. Tent Ridge summit to the right.

Looking back at the Spray Valley below.

Nearing the first peak. The Tent Ridge trail follows this entire ridge seen here.

Views from lunch. The Fist is center right.

Descending the saddle before beginning the steep climb to the true summit to the right.

Summit group shot, shooting south.

Tryst Lake and The Fist from the summit.

Another group shot, shooting north.

The Tent Ridge horseshoe from the summit.

Looking back from the final stretch of the ridge.

Spray Lakes panorama from the end of Tent Ridge. This was the perfect conclusion to another successful "Bear Bait" adventure!